About the festival
In its first edition, over 40 artists from various fields met in this lush green village for a three-day celebration featuring concerts, dance performances, workshops, mountain hikes, family events, and many more high(-spirited) sharings.
For years, the musical camps in Vertiskos were filled with children and artists from around the world, weaving the arts into the forested landscape and cultivating a modern cultural tradition that left its mark on Thessaloniki's music scene.
After a period of artistic "rest," the Verdant Festival returns to revive the grounds of the old music camp and invites locals and nearby communities to celebrate contemporary performing arts.
Thanks to the generous provision of the facilities by the Municipality of Lagadas, and in collaboration with the local community and residents, the Verdant Festival is organized independently, fueled by the visionary participation of a large network of artists.
An eclectic and curated program blends traditional, fusion, and electronic music with contemporary dance and expanded choreography. It opens up through both electronic and acoustic concerts, popular music acts, performances, and hands-on workshops that invite embodied experiences.
At the same time, activities for children and adults create magical and mysterious worlds through puppetry and music-movement play. Mountain exploration completes the highland experience, inviting us to move and be moved by nature!
Past
Edition
In 2025 we set up a vibrant celebration of performing arts in the heart of the greek mountain village with site-specific performances, workshops, hiking, music and much more, in nature.
Performances
Dance, Music, Puppetry
Mina Ananiadou and Alex Tsiamoglou immersed us in the world of contemporary dance with their site-specific performance “In the Now We Move.” Their collaboration transforms movement into dialogue, inviting audiences to experience rhythm through the body and space. Dimitris Lolis created a mystic sound scape accompanying the dancers. The following evening, Iro Vasalou joins forces with Under Construction Project, Alex Tsiamoglou, and James Wylie for “Golden Grass in Your Eyes” — a poetic dance performance in the meadow where gesture, sound, and landscape intertwine. The final day brings storytelling to life with “The Fairytale, Alya,” a magical puppet show by Marmita, blending craft and imagination in a performance for all ages.
Concerts
Electronic, Punk, Greek, Folk
From energetic live sets to vocal explorations, last year’s concerts brought together diverse sounds and vibrant collaborations. The festival kicked off with TSOP SKG and Thrax Punk, blending traditional roots with punk rhythms. Nefes – Vocal Collective filled the little amphitheater under the trees with voices that echo like wind. On the main stage, Kadinelia and Tengu Ni Naru carried the night with rhythmic dialogue and improvisation, while Echotropia Ensemble closed the weekend with an atmospheric afternoon concert at the village´s tavern.
Workshops
Local Engagement
Our workshops offered a space for creation, exploration, and exchange. Elena Moudiri Hasiotou opened the festival with a polyphonic singing workshop, inviting participants to blend their voices in ancient harmonies. Lefteris Navrozidis brought tropic rhythms and sound textures in his “tropic(al)” session, while Mina Ananiadou and Alex Tsiamoglou extended their performance practice into an open dance workshop. Thanasis Zikas guided participants in crafting their own mini bagpipes — a celebration of sound-making traditions and experimentation.
Community
Sharing, Participation, Exploration
At the heart of the festival lay community — encounters, shared movement, and collective creativity. The mountain hiking route to Chorouda village, guided by mountain experts and concluding to a dance performance by Dimitris Lolis and Iro Vasalou, invited participants to connect with nature, rhythm, and each other. The weekend concluded with MUSIKE Family Concep(r)t, a participatory experience by Lena Mosha and Mariana Tsaparopoulou, bringing families and friends together through sound, play, and imagination.
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