Promoting cultural tourism and showcasing our cultural heritage are key objectives of the Rhodes International Festival, as stipulated in its charter and have been achieved with great success for the past nineteen years.
Another key objective—the expansion of the festival to other islands in the South Aegean—began to be implemented in 2025. The Festival has embarked on a new and particularly significant path: expanding its activities beyond Rhodes, with the aim of bringing high-quality cultural events to the entire South Aegean.
This initiative began as part of the 18th Rhodes International Festival, with a concert in Kastellorizo dedicated to the 82nd anniversary of the liberation of the historic frontier island, featuring the Thessaloniki Concert Hall Youth Symphony Orchestra. A unique concert that reaffirmed the importance of decentralizing culture—one that remained etched in all our memories and, beyond being a great honor, filled us with pride, joy, and emotion.
Starting this year, the festival is adopting its new identity as the Rhodes – South Aegean, marking its expansion and creating a cultural network that unites the islands through music and the arts. The festival aims to hold concerts on other small islands in the South Aegean that are not easily accessible and lack major cultural events, as well as on larger islands that express an interest in participating in the festival.
The 19th Rhodes-South Aegean International Festival 2026 will kick off on Friday, July 31, 2026, on the uniquely beautiful island of Kastellorizo, continues with its scheduled concerts in September at the iconic Palace of the Grand Master in Rhodes, and concludes with a concert at the historic Roman Odeon of Kos.
The concert in Kastellorizo marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Rhodes International Festival – South Aegean, highlighting culture as a bridge that unites the Aegean islands and brings significant artistic productions even to the most remote corners of Greece.
The 19th Rhodes-South Aegean International Festival is being held under the Artistic and General Direction of Penelope Serdari, Special Advisor on Cultural Management, Ms. Penelope Serdari, founder of the festival, under the auspices and with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT), the General Secretariat for the Aegean and Island Policy, under the auspices of UNESCO, with the support of the Dodecanese Ephorate of Antiquities, as well as other relevant organizations as appropriate.
It is organized by the non-profit Cultural Organization for the Promotion of the Arts and Greek Culture “Rhodes International Festival,” in collaboration with the Municipality of Rhodes and, on occasion, with the Region of South Aegean. The concerts in Kastellorizo and Kos are also co-organized with the respective municipalities.
The main part of the festival program in Rhodes will take place from September 2 to 8 and will conclude with a concert in Kos on September 9, 2026. Details will be announced in the coming days.
The festival will open in Kastellorizo on Friday, July 31, 2026, featuring the renowned all-female string quartet Electric String Quartet “Fortissimo.” The concert is being held in collaboration with the Municipality of Megisti.
19th INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF RHODES–SOUTH AEGEAN
KASTELLORIZO
July 31, 2026: War Memorial – Port, 7:45 p.m.
FORTISSIMO Electric String Quartet
The internationally acclaimed all-female electric string quartet Fortissimo, based in Thessaloniki, has enjoyed an impressive career in Greece and abroad, performing in Europe, Asia, and South America.
The quartet consists of: Maria Eklektou—violin, Maria Mitrizaki—violin, Kelly Vassiliadou—viola, and Sylvia Soupila—cello, all of whom are certified musicians and graduates of universities (in Greece, Great Britain, and Germany) with graduate degrees. They are also members of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra as well as the Thessaloniki Municipal Symphony Orchestra.
Known for their dynamic stage presence and original sound, Fortissimo uniquely blends classical music with contemporary aesthetics, combining electric strings and electronic sounds with pop, rock, dance, Latin, tango, film music, and ethnic influences.
The result is a high-energy concert experience that appeals to audiences of all ages and bridges different musical genres and cultures.
The program includes beloved covers and original arrangements of well-known pieces and hits, such as “Electric Storm,” the “James Bond Theme,” “Mission: Impossible,” “Viva,” “Dernière Danse,” “Amado Mio,” “Sway,” “Roxanne,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Misirlou,” “Zorba’s Dance,” and many more.
Fortissimo has performed at major events and festivals in many countries around the world, from the United Kingdom to India, and have participated in international and Greek television and radio productions, including BBC Radio, C Music TV, ANT1, MEGA, ALPHA, ERT3, and TV100.
19th RHODES-SOUTH AEGEAN INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
KASTELLORIZO – July 31 (War Memorial – Port) 7:45 p.m.
RHODES – September 2–8 (Palace of the Grand Master) 8:30 p.m.
KOS – September 9 (Roman Odeon) 8:30 p.m.
FREE ADMISSION