Release Athens 2026 welcomes NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS as the first headliner on Wednesday 24th June at Plateia Nerou, in a landmark year marking a decade since the festival’s inception. The charismatic Australian artist and his captivating band return to Greece four years after their sensational performance at the same venue. This will be another great show of the Wild God Tour, which has already been described as one of the most important live experiences of recent years.
Formed after the breakup of the Birthday Party in 1983, NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS are one of the most original and celebrated bands to emerge from the post-punk era. Their sound has evolved steadily over the years, as has their leader’s lyrical vision. From the dark chaos of “From Her to Eternity” (1984) to the contemplative mood of “Wild God” (2024), Cave together with the Bad Seeds have consistently created songs that have touched the lives of millions around the world. This has earned them a prominent place in rock ‘n’ roll history.
Check out the 2025 after movie!
Release Athens Festival and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) are joining forces once again to connect Greek audiences with two of the most innovative and influential acts in contemporary music, who have left an indelible mark on the sound and aesthetics of recent decades. Our successful 2023 collaboration is dynamically renewed in 2026 (a landmark year for Release Athens Festival, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and for SNF, which is celebrating its 30th), promising two days filled with musical spectacle.
On Sunday 21st June the one and only DAVID BYRNE will put on an extraordinary show at the Great Lawn of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) as part of his Who Is the Sky tour that began in September, filled with legendary songs from his time leading the Talking Heads and solo career to date. On Thursday 25th June GORILLAZ, Damon Albarn’s groundbreaking project, are coming to Greece for the first time ever to treat us to an explosive audiovisual experience at Plateia Nerou.
Over the course of his incredible career, DAVID BYRNE has received an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, and a Special Tony Award; he was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2017, David launched Reasons to Be Cheerful, first an online compendium of news stories, now a curated online magazine designed to be a “tonic for tumultuous times.” In October 2024, “Reasons to be Cheerful” hosted a variety show in New York City, featuring performance, music, comedy, and inspirational storytelling.
Created by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, GORILLAZ is singer 2D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, drummer Russel Hobbs and Japanese guitar prodigy Noodle. The BRIT and Grammy-winning virtual band formed following a collision of mishaps, meetings and pure luck to blow up a pre-digital world with their colourful backstory and ground-breaking virtual ways. Based at Kong Studios, Gorillaz settled into a life of musical innovation with an eye-wateringly exciting roster of collaborators, a list that includes musical legends, geniuses and future stars from Elton John to Little Simz, MF Doom to Jean-Michel Jarre, Grace Jones to slowthai, Kali Uchis to Sidiki Diabaté, plus so many more.
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