Category: Events

October 28, 2026 Oxi Day (“No Day”) is one of Greece’s most important national holidays, held every year on October 28. On that date in 1940, Mussolini’s Italian envoy demanded free passage for Italian troops through Greek territory; Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas refused (“Oxi” = “No”), and Greece entered World War II, successfully repelling the…

Late November through 6 January (tentative) Central Kalamata and the harbour. City-wide Christmas decorations, a craft market and storytelling houses on the central square — a recurring annual programme, with exact 2026 dates not yet officially confirmed.

Late November/early December 2026 (tentative) Plateia Vasileos Georgiou, Kalamata. Official Christmas tree lighting with a free concert, followed by the lighting of a Christmas ship at the harbour. In previous years this fell around late November; the exact 2026 date wasn’t yet confirmed at the time of writing.

Sunday 6 December 2026 Start and finish on Kalamata’s harbour promenade, with the course running along the coastal road. Half marathon (21.1 km) at 10:30, plus a half-marathon relay and a 5 km run at 10:40. Organised by the municipality of Kalamata with the Hellenic Athletics Federation, course certified by World Athletics — the confirmed…

8–12 October 2026 Various venues across Kalamata’s old town. An international choir competition and festival, with workshops, competition rounds and evening concerts. A special “Kalamata Prize” is awarded for the best performance of a Greek composer’s work.

24–26 September 2026 Kalamata Cultural Centre. A national forum on agroecology and sustainable farming.

20 September 2026 Mount Kalathi (1,340 m), near Kalamata. A trail run with a long (25 km) and short (9 km) distance — worth watching at the start or finish even as a spectator.