Tomorrow, we will be able to enjoy the August full moon, also known as the “Full Moon of the Oxyrhynchus,” in the sky. From a balcony, park, Cape Sounion, or some beach, the August moon is the most delightful and beautiful.
The August full moon gets its name from the Indigenous peoples of America, who on this day would fish for a specific fish, also known as the murraena. Museums and archaeological sites across Greece are preparing events for that evening. Wherever you are in the country… keep your head up!
Full Moon at the Maria Callas Museum with a view of the Acropolis
On August 19, from 19:00 to 23:00, visitors to the Maria Callas Museum will have the opportunity to get their aperitif from the café on the ground floor, tour the exhibition spaces, and discover the life and work of the great opera diva. On the third floor, students from the Athens Conservatory will perform arias and duets, offering attendees an unforgettable musical experience.
Come enjoy two enchanting musical evenings full of art and melodies, under the glow of the full moon, with the impressive view of the Acropolis as a backdrop. These events are a continuation of the academic and artistic collaboration between the Maria Callas Museum and the Athens Conservatory – where Maria Callas began her studies in 1939 – aimed at promoting the Museum as a space for the practice and showcase of new musicians.
The program is under the supervision of the Director of the Music Schools of the Athens Conservatory, Philippos Tsalahouris.
For more information, call: 210 44 04 204
Admission to the museum: Reserve your free ticket here (limited availability)
Full Moon at the Acropolis Museum
This year’s August full moon, on Monday, August 19, 2024, the Acropolis Museum will offer its visitors a concert by the historic band of the Air Force, featuring well-known Greek and foreign songs about the moon and film music. The concert will take place in the museum’s courtyard at 9 p.m.
The Air Force Band consists of officers and non-commissioned officers, who are also highly trained musicians that have studied at various conservatories in the country and have enlisted in the Air Force after examinations. The band participates in international festivals abroad and leads the parade of expatriate Greeks that takes place on 5th Avenue in New York City to celebrate March 25th. The band is conducted by Captain (M.S.) Alexandros Litsardopoulos. Performing: Sofia Zova (soprano) and Angelos Mousikas (baritone).
On Monday, August 19, 2024, the Museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. as every Monday.
Due to the full moon that same day, the Museum and the restaurant on the second floor will open for visitors from 8 p.m. to midnight. Regardless of the free concert by the Air Force Band in the courtyard at 9 p.m., entry to the Museum will be with a regular general admission ticket.
For those wishing to dine at the second-floor restaurant, only the collection of a zero ticket from the ticket booths is required. Phone reservations for the restaurant can be made at 210 9000915. The “Excavation Museum” will not be open for the Full Moon.
Marathon film screenings at the SNFCC
On Monday, August 19, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) welcomes the August full moon, also known as the “Full Moon of the Oxyrhynchus,” with a special cinema marathon that will keep us awake, from 21:00 until dawn.
Film Pit (Makis Papasimakopoulos, Achilleas Charbidas, Stelios Karakasis) lands at the Clearing of the Stavros Niarchos Park with films from its cinematic trunk for a Full Moon Film Marathon with 80s nostalgia. Mythological monsters, flying aliens, cars without brakes, dialogues with unforgettable lines, suspense, action, laughter, and… a midnight surprise await those who can endure! A prerequisite is the willingness for an all-nighter and the necessary equipment: sleeping bags and mosquito repellent!
The Full Moon Film Marathon is free of charge thanks to a donation from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).
Here is the detailed film program:
21:00
Clash of the Titans (1981)
Director: Desmond Davis
Starring: Harry Hamlin, Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Burgess Meredith, Ursula Andress
One of the most successful Hollywood attempts to capture Greek mythology on the big screen and certainly one of the most characteristic heroic fantasy films of all time, Clash of the Titans tells the adventures of the legendary Perseus.
It certainly does not strictly follow the story of the mythological hero, but that matters little, as what it loses in “improvising” the script, it gains in incredible moments of cinematic grandeur, with the “giant” of old-school visual effects Ray Harryhausen providing some of the greatest moments of his award-winning career.
An opportunity to remember Greek mythology and one of the most beautiful fantasy films of the 80s.
23:00
Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
Director: Hal Needham
Starring: Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed, Jackie Gleason
Always in a shirt, Bo “Bandit” Darville (Reynolds) accompanies the truck of his friend and partner, Cloy “Snowman” Snow, “clinging” to the wheel of his legendary Pontiac Trans-Am. Their mission is to transport 400 boxes of illegal beer from Texarkana to Atlanta. On their way, the determined Texas sheriff Buford Justice will stop them at any cost.
One of the most legendary chase movies of the 70s, Smokey and the Bandit may at first glance rely on the wild chase scenes directed with stunt mastery by Needham, but in reality, it is a 100-octane comedy, led by the volcanic performance of the incomparable Jackie Gleason.
00:40
Airplane! (1980)
Directors: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker
Starring: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen
What happens when a depressed and wounded war veteran tries to win back his lost love by buying a ticket for the flight his ex is working on?
Having secured a place among the best comedies of all time, Airplane! remains hilarious to this day and clearly far removed from any notion of politically correct.
“Playing” with the disaster movie model and having Leslie Nielsen in the masterly role of Dr. Rumack delivering the best lines, the comedic “experiment” of the Zucker brothers and Jim Abrahams remains a guaranteed comedic stock – “and don’t call me Shirley.”
02:10
Altered States (1980)
Director: Ken Russell
Starring: William Hurt, Bob Balaban, Blair Brown
Dr. Jessup, searching for the ultimate truth, is convinced that all answers lie deep within the concept of self and tries to bridge the gap between the conscious and subconscious. Using both scientific and non-scientific methods, Jessup manages to “dive” so deep that he will ultimately “touch” even the origin of life itself.
A completely misunderstood creation from the hands of the also misunderstood director Ken Russell, the film walks the line between horror and science fiction without ever “surrendering” to either side. More than either, it was and remains a psychedelic existential drama, with William Hurt in his film debut showing the early signs of a great career.
04:00
Secret Screening
How could the night end better, dawn arrive, and ultimately conclude this cinematic marathon? Only with a heavy dose of pure 80s insanity… Only those who endure at the Park until dawn will have the chance to enjoy the cult film of the “secret screening.”
“Melodies in the August Full Moon with Three Tenors”
The Ephorate of Antiquities of Piraeus and Islands and the Association “Friends of the Archaeological Museum of Archaeological Sites – Monuments of Piraeus,” as part of the events for the August full moon, are organizing a musical event titled “Melodies in the August Full Moon with Three Tenors” at the Ancient Theater of Zea – Archaeological Museum of Piraeus on Monday, August 19, 2024, at 21:00.
The artistic program includes arias from operas, operettas, and contemporary popular pieces by foreign and Greek composers.
Participating artists: Dimitris Paksoglou, Andreas Karoulis, Christos Delizonas, tenors / Maria Katrivezi, soprano,
On piano, Benjamin Hatzikoubaroglu and on mandolin, Tasos Apostolou. Free admission.
The Full Moon in Monuments, Museums, Archaeological Sites
The Ministry of Culture will organize events for this year’s August Full Moon, under the coordination of the General Directorate of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage, offering free admission to selected archaeological sites, monuments, historical places, and museums on the night of the Full Moon, Monday, August 19, 2024.
More than one hundred archaeological sites, historical places, museums, and monuments throughout the country will welcome the public under the light of the moon. Events will take place at over fifty archaeological sites and museums, while many others will remain open to the public with free admission.
This year’s organization will be accompanied by events that will take place until August 25, according to the posted program, which includes theater-music performances, star observations, storytelling, and guided tours, organized by the Services of the General Directorate of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage and the General Directorate of Restoration, Museums and Technical Works, many of which are in collaboration with local authorities and local associations.
Events as part of the organization will also be held at the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki, as well as the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.
“We invite you this year for the 24th time to enjoy the light of the moon in archaeological sites, museums, and monuments, on the night of the August Full Moon, the night the Moon will shine full!”
View the detailed program of the Ministry of Culture here:August Full Moon 2024 – event program – Update 13/08/2024