City of Patras Hosts 9th International Poetry Festival

The city of Patras will fill with poetry from September 16–20 as the city hosts the 9th International Poetry Festival, bringing together 72 poets from Greece and around the world.

The festival will turn Patras’ streets, squares, famous stairways and landmarks into spaces for poetry, under this year’s central theme, “Revolution Begins with Words.”

The organisers say the slogan reflects the nature of poetry itself, with language capable not only of describing reality but also of challenging established ideas and shaping new ways of seeing the world.

From ancient figures such as Gilgamesh, Paris and Odysseus challenging the gods to the Romantic poets, the “cursed poets” and movements including Futurism and Surrealism, poetry has repeatedly acted as a personal form of “revolution” against established conventions.

The festival explores how poetry can become a space for resistance, reflection, peaceful coexistence and renewal. The organisers say that, during periods of social and historical change, words can reshape the collective imagination and create new possibilities for communication and understanding.

Linking the Mesolonghi Exodus with Nikos Karouzos

The 2026 programme draws on two major historical and cultural anniversaries: 200 years since the Exodus of Mesolonghi and the centenary of the birth of Greek poet Nikos Karouzos.

The festival connects these two milestones through Karouzos’ poetry and explores two forms of revolution: the historical and collective struggle for resistance and freedom represented by the heroic Exodus, and the deeply internal, linguistic and existential revolution represented by poetry.

Festival president Antonis Skiathas said the organisers aim to create “an open meeting place for people, languages and cultures”, bringing Greek poetry into dialogue with contemporary poetry from around the world.

He said Patras, with its strong intellectual and cultural tradition, has the potential to become an important reference point for literature and poetry in Greece and internationally.

Poetry moves beyond traditional venues

The organisers are again incorporating prominent landmarks into the festival programme, creating a different cultural map of Patras each year.

This year’s programme includes Patras Castle, while the festival will also bring poetry directly into the city’s schools.

The organisers plan to involve 37 high schools in the area, with participating poets and writers holding workshops aimed at encouraging reading and introducing poetry to a younger generation.

Skiathas said the organisers want poetry to meet students inside their classrooms, become an experience and establish a living dialogue with young people.

The festival will also present the Elaia Kotinos awards at Patras’ Roman Stadium. The scientific committee says the ceremony highlights poetry’s longstanding connection with the culture, history and identity of the area while contributing to the city’s distinctive cultural character.

Poets from around the world

The 72 participating poets will appear either in person or online.

Representatives come from Greece, Albania, Australia, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Estonia, Italy, Cyprus, Norway, Palestine/Jordan, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey, the Czech Republic and Tunisia.

The Australian participant is Paraskevi Dentsa.

The full programme for the 9th International Poetry Festival is available on the festival website: 9th International Poetry Festival Patras programme

The festival operates with the support and cooperation of numerous institutions and organisations and takes place under the auspices and support of Greece’s Ministry of Culture.

Skiathas said: “For us, every poem heard in Patras is a new bridge of communication with the world, and every young person who encounters poetry is a promise for the future.”

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