Panathēnea Festival 2026 – Athens, Greece
Overview
Panathēnea Festival 2026 is an ambitious reimagining of the ancient Greek celebration, transformed into a premier international festival for technology, entrepreneurship, and culture. Once considered as popular as the Olympics, the modern Panathēnea serves as a massive innovation hub, bringing together over 10,000 international attendees in the heart of Athens. The event bridges the gap between the historical heritage of Greece and the cutting edge of global tech, attracting a multifaceted crowd of founders, investors, creators, and students.
The 2026 edition features a high-impact program distributed across five stages, hosting more than 250 world-class speakers. Keynotes and discussions cover the intersection of business, art, and emerging technologies, with past participants including leaders from OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, and Canva. The festival’s agenda is enriched by over 70 side events held in galleries, cafés, and coworking spaces across the city, weaving the spirit of innovation into the very fabric of Athens.
Recommended Products For This Event:
What distinguishes Panathēnea is its grassroots energy, being organized by a team of Greek students and recent graduates supported by an advisory board of seasoned entrepreneurs. The three-day experience culminates in a legendary street party and a closing celebration under the Acropolis. Whether through high-stakes startup pitches or immersive art installations, the festival aims to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset and spotlight the ideas that will define the future.
Enjoy Your Event Stress-Free with Euro Travelo
Planning a trip to attend a festival, concert, or business event in Europe can be overwhelming—tickets, travel, accommodation, and local logistics all take time and effort. Euro Travelo makes it simple by providing everything you need through one trusted company. You save time, avoid stress, and enjoy a seamless experience from start to finish.
Event Highlights
- Global Speaker Stages: Access a roster of 250+ speakers from top-tier organizations like NVIDIA, Sequoia, and Runway sharing insights on AI, energy, and venture capital.
- Startup Pitching Competition: Compete for global exposure and investment opportunities by presenting your vision to leading industry judges and international venture capitalists.
- City-Wide Side Events: Participate in more than 70 curated gatherings, workshops, and networking sessions hosted in unique locations throughout Athens.
- Epic Street Party: Join 10,000 innovators for a massive closing celebration that combines live music, art installations, and cultural performances in the city center.
Why Attend
Panathēnea Festival 2026 is the ideal destination for anyone curious about the future, from ambitious startup founders and seasoned investors to artists and students. It offers a rare opportunity to gain insider knowledge from the “doers” who are actively building the next generation of global companies. For investors, it serves as a gateway to the fast-growing Southeast European innovation ecosystem, providing a high density of investment-ready startups and visionary talent.
The benefit of attending lies in the natural and high-quality networking facilitated by a city-wide campus approach. Unlike rigid corporate conferences, Panathēnea emphasizes authentic human connections, where real conversations happen during rooftop mixers or immersive experience spaces. Attendees walk away not only with professional insights and potential partnerships but also with the inspiration found in a city that has been hosting innovators and thinkers since 566 BC.
Date & Duration
- Event Date: May 27 – 29, 2026
- Event Duration: 3 Days
Visiting this event? Don’t miss out on these amazing activities and local experiences while you’re here.
Ticket Information
- How Tickets Are Sold: Tickets are sold online via the official Panathēnea website and the More.com registration platform.
- Admission Type: Registration categories include Startup, Startup Ecosystem, Investor, Media, Artist, and Individual passes.
- Ticket Pricing: Pricing ranges from a minimum of $55 for early-bird individual/student tiers to a maximum of $1,050 for late-registration investor passes.
- Special Seating Options: Access to specific workshops and the “Founders Day” event requires pre-registration as these sessions have limited seating.
- VIP Options: Premium tickets grant exclusive access to the Founders Day pre-event, private networking areas with table reservations, and AI-powered matchmaking tools.
Venue / Location
- City and Country: Athens, Greece
- Venue Name: Zappeion Hall (Main Venue)
- Google Maps Address: Leof. Vasilissis Olgas, Athina 105 57, Greece
Worried about accommodation? Hotels near this event sell out quickly, and prices tend to rise fast. Check out these accommodation options:
Contact Information
- Email: tickets@panathenea.org
- Phone Number: +30 210 322 0000
- Official Website: https://www.panathenea.org/
- Social Media Links:
- https://www.instagram.com/panathenea.festival/
- https://www.youtube.com/@Panath%C4%93nea
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/panath%C4%93nea
Getting There
- Nearest Airport: Athens International Airport (ATH) is 21 miles from the city center and can be reached in 40 minutes by taxi or metro.
- Nearest Train/Metro Station: Syntagma Station (M2 and M3 lines) is a 10-minute walk through the National Garden to the Zappeion Hall.
- Bus Routes or Public Transport Options: The venue is served by trolleybus lines 1, 2, 4, 5, and 11, as well as multiple bus routes stopping at Syntagma Square.
- Parking Availability: Limited street parking is available near the venue; public parking garages are located at Syntagma Square and nearby Filellinon Street.
- Directions by Car: Accessible via Leoforos Vasilissis Amalias and Leoforos Vasilissis Olgas, though traffic is heavy in the city center during festival hours.
What is this event?
Panathēnea is an international tech, business, and art festival that reimagines an ancient Greek tradition for the modern era. It brings together founders, creators, and investors to celebrate bold ideas and foster global collaborations.
The event spans three days of keynotes, exhibitions, and competitions, turning the entire city of Athens into a decentralized innovation campus. It is a not-for-profit initiative driven by youth energy and supported by institutional partners.
Why is it popular?
The event is popular because it blends high-level technical content with a vibrant, culture-first atmosphere that feels more like a festival than a conference. It is famous for its “Founders Day” and the massive closing party hosted under the Acropolis.
Its popularity stems from the high quality of speakers and the unique opportunity to network in a historic setting during the peak of springtime in Athens. The focus on interdisciplinary collaboration between tech and art makes it a standout event in Europe.
Attendee Experiences
- The networking app made it so easy to find other founders who were struggling with the same scaling issues as me.
- Pitching on the main stage at Zappeion was an incredible experience that led to three serious investor meetings the next day.
- The street party was the highlight; seeing the entire city center transformed into a tech and art hub was truly inspiring.
Attention!
We offer complete packages including Event Tickets, Accommodation, Transportation & more — so you don’t have to worry about anything.
Contact Us →Before you go, check these helpful travel products:
Maps
Contact
Video
FAQ's
Is there a specific focus on different startup stages in the competition?
The Panathēnea Startup Pitching Competition is primarily designed for pre-seed and seed-stage companies looking to gain international exposure and mentorship. However, growth-stage founders are also encouraged to attend the festival for the exclusive "Founders Day" and curated networking sessions with Tier-1 venture capital firms.
What is the "Founders Day" mentioned in the ticket section?
Founders Day is an exclusive, pre-festival event dedicated specifically to bold founders to share their challenges and success stories in a private, supportive environment. The format is designed to foster real conversations and peer learning among entrepreneurs before the main three-day festival program begins.
Are the side events included in the price of the main festival ticket?
Most side events are included with your festival badge, but some specialized gatherings hosted by partners or VCs may require separate registration or have specific attendee criteria. It is recommended to use the official event app to browse the 70+ side events and secure your spot for the ones you are interested in.
Can I attend the festival if I am an artist rather than a tech professional?
Panathēnea is a multidisciplinary festival that places a high value on the intersection of technology and art, offering a specific "Artist" ticket category for creators. Artists can participate in experience spaces, showcase their work in installations, and attend sessions focused on how digital tools are reshaping the creative industry.
What language are the keynote speeches and workshops conducted in?
As Panathēnea is a global platform for innovation attracting participants from around the world, all keynote speeches, workshops, and panel discussions are conducted in English. This ensures that the international community of founders and investors can fully engage with the content and participate in the networking activities.
