Agios Andreas Square in Lambrini, Athens, became a “one-night-only dance stage” for an electro party, triggering a political spat. Credit: Mp2023, CC BY SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A street party in Greece, backed by the City of Athens and co-funded by the EU caused a stir for taking place on the public space in front of a church -known as Agios Andreas Square, but reminescing a churchyard- and for being described by critics as a rave party, with disco lights shining on the consecrated building.
The event was one of many scheduled by the municipality’s Athens City Festival for Saturday, December 20, in celebration of the biggest night of the year, just before the winter solstice on December 21.
Set up on the public space in front of Agios Andreas church in the Lambrini neighborhood of Athens from 5 to 11 pm, the party was organised for the fourth year in a row by local youth who also cleaned up the space after the event.
But while participants seemed to enjoy the unusual backdrop of the dj set, posting dozens of videos on social media, New Democracy MP and Minister for Migration and Asylum, Thanos Plevris, took on X to shame Athens mayor Haris Doukas for backing a “rave party” at the entrance and staircase of a church “amidst the services on these holy days of the birth of our Christ.”
Electro street party causes political spat
Athens mayor Doukas, who was elected with the support of socialist party PASOK two years ago, was fast to respond to Plevris on the same platform.
“Far-right Plevris took offense that thousands of youth sang and had fun in front of Agios Andreas church in Lambrini. […] Hypocricy and obscurantism,” he captioned a video post from the evening on X.
Παρεξηγήθηκε ο ακροδεξιός Πλεύρης, γιατί χιλιάδες νέοι τραγούδησαν και διασκέδασαν μπροστά στην εκκλησία του Αγίου Ανδρέα στη Λαμπρινή.
Εκδήλωση που έγινε για τέταρτη φορά, με διοργανωτές νέους της περιοχής και συμμετοχή όλης της τοπικής αγοράς.
Νέους που καθάρισαν οι ίδιοι όλη… pic.twitter.com/rKA4M0YaMD
— Haris Doukas (@h_doukas) December 21, 2025
Doukas noted that “the church courtyard is a space open to everyone, especially young people.”
In conclusion, the mayor added that there was also a violin ensemble playing on Kapnikarea Square in front of the eponymous church on the same evening, on Athens’s main commercial street, Ermou.
“How did they miss that?” he quipped.
Athens City Festival ranging from music ensembles to yoga
Athens City Festival is a colourful arts feast featuring a diversity of cultural experiences in urban environments with free admission for all, co-funded by the EU’s National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) 2021-2027 in support of the city’s tourism.
The festival’s winter solstice edition on December 20 included ten events across different Athens neighborhoods, ranging from night yoga to a Frank Sinatra tribute and a Latino food showcase.
The description for the street party on Agios Andreas Square in Lambrini promised “a massive, electrifying bash in this vibrant Athenian neighbourhood, bringing together some of the city’s most energetic DJs and producers” on an “one-night-only dance stage.”
Eventually a self-fulfilling prophecy, it stressed that the night was “set to be one of the most talked-about parties of the season.”
Which it was – even if not only for the right reasons.