Highlights
- This year’s Lonsdale St Greek Fest is dedicated to music
- Nine bands will perform showcasing local talent
- Bookings are highly recommended
The Greek Community of Melbourne will run the event during the weekend 20-21 March.
Lonsdale Street will once again turn into a Greek hub, though in a limited setting with no road closure planned, as in previous years, due to coronavirus restrictions.
A main stage will be set up at the open-air Golden Square Carpark hosting nine local bands over the two days.
Choices are plenty representing both different genres and areas of Greece.
Saturday will kick off with “halkina” from Totally Kicking Brass (5pm) featuring folk music from northern Greece and the Balkans.
Next on stage are the Philhellenes (6.30 pm) and Byron and Friends (8pm) known for their expertise in rebetiko and multicultural fusion respectively.
Byron Triandafyllidis will be joined by Cüneyt Çakmak on Kanun and Jacob Papadopoulos on bouzouki. Source: Greek Centre/Facebook
The closing act of the night comes from Cats & the Canary (9.30 pm), Melbourne’s Greek swing band welcoming for the first time on stage its newest member, vocalist Artemis Ioannides.
Sunday sessions start at 1.30 pm with Pascal Latra’s Paskalia Ensemble, bringing audiences a taste of the “Greek blues”, while Epirotiko Ensemble (3pm) offer a selection of traditional songs from the region.
If you’re fan of nostalgic classics including from Marinella and Glykeria, then Agapi and Friend’s gig at 4.30 pm is right where you should be.
Sifis Tsourdalakis’ band (6.330pm) follows with authentic Cretan tunes, just before Anagennisi (8.30 pm) wrap up the two-day event with a dedicated laiko programme.
Food trucks with Greek delicacies and desserts as well as a bar are part of the set up ensuring energy levels remain high.
The Lonsdale Street Greek Music is a free event but capacity will be restricted due to Covid limitations, so it’s recommended to book your place in advance visiting
