Evzones to Mark OXI Day in Sydney and Canberra 2026

Sydney and Canberra will host the Hellenic Presidential Guard from 22 to 29 October 2026. The visit marks OXI Day and the bond between Greece and Australia.

Week of commemorations in two cities

Members of the Guard, known as the Evzones, will join official and community events. The program spans both cities. The Hellenic Club Sydney hosts the Sydney program, with the NSW Government providing generous support and sponsorship. The week also includes the Club’s Centenary Gala Ball on Saturday, 24 October 2026.

On 28 October, the Hellenic Club of Canberra will sponsor the visit to the national capital. The Greek Orthodox Community and Church of Canberra will host the Guard at Australian Parliament House. Other commemorative events will follow across Canberra. The program culminates in a reception at the Hellenic Club.

A detailed public schedule will appear in the coming weeks. As a result, members of the Greek-Australian community, veterans’ organizations, schools and the wider public will receive invitations.

Who the Evzones are

The Evzones are the ceremonial infantry unit of the Hellenic Republic. They stand guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Syntagma Square and at the Presidential Mansion in Athens. They also represent Greece at national commemorations both at home and abroad.

The Hellenic Club Sydney previously hosted the Guard in 2016, 2017, 2019 and April 2025. This will be the first time the Guard visits Canberra.

OXI Day

The visit coincides with OXI Day on 28 October. That date marks the anniversary of Greece’s rejection of Mussolini’s ultimatum. In the early hours of 28 October 1940, Italian Ambassador Emanuele Grazzi presented Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas with demands. Axis forces sought to occupy strategic points on Greek soil. Metaxas refused. The Greek people took to the streets with the word “Óchi” — “No.”

Greece’s stand on the Albanian front delivered the first Allied land victory against the Axis in Europe. As a result Allied forces entered Greece’s defence. In April 1941, the Second Anzac Corps formed in Macedonia. In 1941 some 34,000 Australians and New Zealanders fought alongside Hellenic forces at Vevi, Tempe, Thermopylae/Brallos and on Crete. Royal Australian Navy ships also served in Greek waters. Some 1,686 Anzacs from both world wars rest in Greece.

In 2026, the commemorations fall on the 86th anniversary of OXI Day and the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Crete. Therefore, the presence of the Evzones at the Cenotaph will honor that shared sacrifice.

Shared history and public invitation

Australians and Hellenes have fought side by side for shared ideals. The 2026 visit continues a pattern of ceremonial exchange. The Evzones last appeared in Sydney during ANZAC commemorations in 2025. In contrast, the Canberra program is entirely new.

Readers can follow official announcements from the Hellenic Club Sydney and the Hellenic Club of Canberra. In addition, Greek City Times will report the public schedule when organizers release it. For background on OXI Day, see the historical record of 28 October 1940. For the Guard’s ceremonial role, see official descriptions of the unit that watches the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

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