This is something truly special, made possible by the passion of a small group of people!
The countdown is on for the 3rd Chamezi Festival, taking place from 14 to 18 July 2025. 

The Chamezi Festival is returning for its third year, organized by the Chamezi Cultural Foundation. The village will host music lessons, a dance school, and workshops on weaving, natural dyes, and mosaics, all held in the courtyards and alleyways of Chamezi.

This festival is a series of seminars on Cretan music and traditional arts, held every summer in Chamezi, Sitia. It’s an initiative of the Chamezi Cultural Foundation, in collaboration with locals and friends from nearby areas, all united by their love for the region’s artistic traditions.

The organising team explains:
“The workshops take place in the courtyards of our homes, the forecourts of churches, and other village spaces. During the festival, Chamezi is filled with music. Although it happens in open air, each class is a private moment between student and teacher. They are not open to the public, and as organisers, we are committed to protecting the learning process, which lies at the heart of the festival.”

The spontaneous gatherings in the village cafés at the end of each day are a joyful result of musicians from many places coming together.
The café is the community’s meeting point—where we learned to share, and where we still share what we’ve learned. Our music was born and raised in these very places.
For us at the festival, good company is a true joy, but it’s not our main goal.

In our small village, which we stretch as much as we can to host students and teachers, extra visitors may leave disappointed, as they might not find a place to eat or drink during the seminar days.

That’s why two events are open to the public:

• A concert in the courtyard of the church of Afentis Christos,

• The closing celebration at the village school, where all the seminars are presented.

“Our music smells like our bread, and in our bread, you can hear our music. We can’t wait to gather once again, under the shelter of this virtue.”

Find out more here.