52nd KNE–Odigitis Festival concluded in Athens

The festival had previously held events in cities and towns across Greece before reaching its central Athens programme. This year’s slogan, inspired by Bertolt Brecht, was: “General, man has one flaw… He knows how to think! – With the KKE at the forefront for Socialism.”

According to 902.gr, the Athens festival attracted tens of thousands of people, with participation increasing during the four days. The programme combined political discussions and speeches with concerts, theatre, exhibitions, book presentations, youth activities and dedicated spaces for workers, students, schoolchildren and families. The festival’s organisers had announced a programme involving more than 400 artists.

Political discussions and themes

A major theme of the festival was the relationship between contemporary social problems and the KKE’s socialist programme. The central political discussion on 25 September was titled “How much does capitalism cost us? From high prices, war and barbarity to the socialist way out.” It was addressed by Nektarios Triantis, a member of the KKE Political Bureau.

Other discussions dealt with workers’ rights, the position of young workers, education, the role of the armed forces and soldiers, environmental disasters and the relationship between climate-related disasters and economic interests. One discussion examined the struggles of soldiers and officers, while another addressed what the organisers described as the adaptation of state infrastructure to wartime conditions.

The festival also included a strong international component. More than 30 communist and anti-imperialist youth organisations from different countries participated in the International City (“Diethnoupoli”). The participating organisations included communist youth organisations from Turkey, Palestine, Israel, Venezuela, Brazil, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Russia, Sweden, Syria, Portugal, Canada and several other countries, as well as the World Federation of Democratic Youth.

Palestine was prominent in the programme. Raed Takhboub, president of the Palestinian Community in Greece, addressed the festival and called on the Greek government to end cooperation with Israel. His intervention was followed by chants in support of Palestinian freedom.

Internationalism and historical themes

The 2026 festival placed particular emphasis on international solidarity. In his closing speech, KKE General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas highlighted the participation of communist youth delegations from around the world and expressed solidarity with Cuba and Palestine. He also reiterated the KKE’s position on Cyprus and its opposition to NATO involvement and foreign military bases. These are positions of the KKE, as presented in Koutsoumbas’ speech.

The festival also had a significant historical component. 2026 marks 80 years since the establishment of the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE), and several exhibitions and stands were devoted to the DSE and the history of the Greek communist movement. The festival also marked the 100th anniversary of Fidel Castro’s birth and incorporated references to the 90th anniversary of the Spanish Civil War.

A number of organisations and associations maintained stands at the festival, including the Panhellenic Association of Imprisoned Resistance Fighters of Makronisos, PEAEA-DSE, the Greek Committee for International Democratic Solidarity, the Greek-Cuban Friendship Association and the Palestinian Community of Greece.

Cultural programme and youth participation

Culture remained a major component of the festival. Its four stages hosted concerts, musical tributes, theatre, hip-hop and student performances. Among the artists featured were Natassa Bofiliou, Miltos Paschalidis, George Dalaras and other well-known Greek performers. The final night also included performances by Dionysis Tsaknis and others, alongside traditional music and dancing.

There was also a dedicated programme for children and families, as well as separate spaces for school students and young workers. The young workers’ centre focused on workplace and organisational issues, while the student and school stages combined political discussions with music and cultural activities.

Closing rally

The festival concluded on 26 September with a large political rally at the Central Stage. KNE Secretary Thodoris Kotsantis delivered a greeting, followed by a speech from KKE General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas. 902.gr described the gathering as involving tens of thousands of participants.

In his speech, Koutsoumbas argued that the international balance of forces was changing and presented capitalism, imperialist competition and war as interconnected phenomena. He criticised NATO, the EU, US military bases and Greece’s strategic cooperation with Israel, while arguing that Greek and Turkish peoples had no fundamental interests separating them. He called for opposition to Greece’s involvement in what the KKE describes as imperialist plans and presented socialism as the party’s proposed alternative. These statements represent the KKE’s political position.

Koutsoumbas also stressed the festival’s internationalist character and referred to the participation of communist youth organisations from across the world. He concluded by presenting the festival as a meeting point between the concerns of young people and the political programme of the KKE. According to his account, hundreds of thousands of people had attended KNE–Odigitis events across Greece during the wider 2026 festival season, while the Athens programme constituted its culmination.

Overall, the 52nd KNE–Odigitis Festival combined a large-scale cultural programme with political discussions centred on capitalism, war, workers’ and youth issues, international solidarity and the KKE’s socialist programme. The Athens event also served as an international gathering point for communist youth organisations and as a major annual mobilisation of KNE and KKE supporters.