Nafplio has three festivals of its own that share the summer: the Nafplio Festival with classical and chamber music in the second week of July, the Cultural Nafpliada around the 15 August holiday, and the Acronafplia Festival at the end of August, all in squares, castles and the small theatre inside Acronafplia, with Epidaurus half an hour down the road.
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The Nafplio Festival has run since 1992, when pianist Giannis Vakarelis started it with the municipality and the Formix concert society, and it remains the town's steadiest musical fixture: classical music, chamber music, orchestral nights, some tango and brass, always in the second week of July. Concerts start at nine in the evening in Syntagma Square, Agios Georgios Square, the Vouleftiko, up at Palamidi or in Acronafplia, and entry is usually free or a token ticket. The final night tends to be a full orchestra in Syntagma Square.
In August the town changes pace. The Cultural Nafpliada, organised by the Palamidis progressive society with the municipality, takes the days around 15 August with concerts, dance and children's events at half past eight in Kolokotronis Park, Agios Spyridon Square and Ethnosyneleusis Square in Pronoia. Then comes the Acronafplia Festival, under artistic director Thodoris Gonis, which from late August into early September mixes music, theatre and literature at the small Acronafplia theatre, on Bourtzi, at the Rosika and as far as Iria beach and ancient Tiryns. The Palamidi nights have limited seats and ask for pre-registration. Big touring shows, such as Vasilis Papakonstantinou, play the DAK Nafplio athletics ground.
Nafplio is also the base for Epidaurus: the Athens Epidaurus Festival fills the ancient theatre from June to August, and the Argolida KTEL runs a bus from Nafplio at half past seven in the evening, a thirty-minute ride, returning twenty minutes after the show. Ten minutes further, Argos runs its own Cultural Summer with free entry and large concerts at the ancient theatre of Argos. From Athens it is two hours by car or by KTEL bus from Kifisou, and free parking is found at the harbour, on Akti Miaouli and at Pente Adelfia.
In the second week of July, with classical and chamber concerts every night at nine. Entry is usually free or a token ticket. Mood lists the exact dates each year.
The Cultural Nafpliada around 15 August, with concerts in the squares and Kolokotronis Park, and from late August the Acronafplia Festival, with music at the small Acronafplia theatre, on Bourtzi and at the Rosika. Big touring acts play the DAK Nafplio ground.
In Syntagma Square and Agios Georgios Square, at the Vouleftiko, at the small Acronafplia theatre, up at Palamidi, on Bourtzi and in Kolokotronis Park. Concerts by big names go to the DAK Nafplio athletics ground.
By the Argolida KTEL bus that leaves Nafplio at half past seven in the evening on performance days, with a return ticket around 9 euros, or by car in about half an hour.
