Christmas at the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation!

A fun programme with many different activities for the whole family awaits the visitors of the B&E Goulandris Foundation this holiday season.

From December 22 and up to January 5, Museum visitors will have the opportunity to watch classic Christmas movies at the B&E Goulandris Amphitheatre, participate in creative workshops for children and family guided tours, feel the Christmas magic with live book readings, attend concerts by the Young Musicians Choir of the Athens Conservatoire and the Athens Big Band, as well as take part in wellbeing activities.

Meanwhile, the B&E Goulandris Shop has many original and special gift ideas for everyone and the B&E Goulandris Café-Restaurant has prepared, especially for the holiday season, many delicious Christmas treats.

Activities are in Greek. Regarding the film screenings, some films have been dubbed and others are in the original language (see the detailed screening schedule).

On Saturday December 23 and Sunday December 24, as well as Saturday December 30 and Sunday December 31, starting at 10.30 a.m., classic family movies will be screened at the B&E Goulandris Foundation Amphitheatre such as Home Alone, Fantasia 2000, Lion King, Mary Poppins, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Singin’ in the Rain, Nightmare before Christmas, 101 Dalmatians and others.

See screening schedule and book your tickets:

At the B&E Goulandris Foundation’s annual Christmas Camp, children aged 5 to 10 will have the opportunity to end the year in a fun and creative way as they discover how nature can trigger our imagination and inspire art and creation! From December 27 to 29, the works of great artists that “reside” in the Museum awaken the children’s interest for the natural environment and help them discover the need for upcycling as they seek new sustainable ways of expression through play.

See the Camp’s detailed programme and book a place:

Different festive workshops inspired by the Foundation’s Collection of works await young visitors!

· On Saturday December 23 and Sunday December 24, at the Christmas workshop for children aged 5 to 10 “Shape, Colour, Ornament!” Wassily Kandinsky’s work Both Striped comes alive and turns into a Christmas ornament.

· On Saturday December 30 and Sunday December 31, at the workshop “Hide a Wish!” children aged 5 to 10 draw inspiration from Max Ernst’s work While the Earth Sleeps to make their own lucky charm.
· On January 3, 4 and 5, at the workshop “A Surrealist’s world!” children aged 3-4 and a parent/guardian let their imagination run wild and, with the help of Joan Miró’s fascinating grasshopper, they make their own planet out of cardboard.

How can the Museum trigger the imagination of the whole family?

On January 3, 4 and 5, the B&E Goulandris Foundation invites children along with their families
to discover the magical world and the stories behind the unique works of the Museum’s Collection through interactive art activities. During the guided tour, all family members talk about the works of art on display and take part in a series of individual and group activities inspired by the games of surrealists and the slow looking approach.

On Sunday December 24 at 16.30 and on Saturday December 30 at 16.00, Mr. and Mrs. Bubble invite you to the extraordinary world of the Soap Bubble at the square of Ag. Spiridonas, in front of the entrance of the B&E Goulandris Foundation! Creatures of the “Air Bubble” wandering planet share the happiness of living here and now, like a bubble. Viewers get carried away in a colourful landscape and join a fleeting world made of love, water and soap.

Admission is free

On December 23, 24, 30 and 31, from 10.30 up to 16.30, many different Christmas stories addressed to kids of different ages will come alive at the Library of the B&E Goulandris Foundation!

Our narrators will convey the magic of Christmas in 30-minute live reading events, each slot dedicated to different books by different publishing houses.

Admission is free and advance bookings are necessary

On Friday December 22 at 16.00, the Young Musicians Choir of the Athens Conservatoire will sing carols and other all-time Christmas classics at the Foundation’s reception area, in front of the Christmas tree, getting the Museum’s visitors into the festive spirit.

Admission is free

On Saturday December 23 from 13.30 and until 14.30, the Athens Big Band and jazz singer Alexandros Affolter will perform festive jazz melodies at the Ag. Spiridon Square, in front of the B&E Goulandris Foundation entrance.

Admission is free

Την Κυριακή 24 Δεκεμβρίου στις 11.30, η πλατεία του Αγίου Σπυρίδωνα μπροστά στην είσοδο του Ιδρύματος Β&Ε Γουλανδρή θα γεμίσει με Χριστουγεννιάτικες μελωδίες και όχι μόνο, από την Φιλαρμονική Ορχήστρα Πνευστών του Δήμου Αθηναίων.

Η είσοδος είναι ελεύθερη

The B&E Goulandris Foundation’s new wellbeing activity “Mindfulness at the Museum”, held in collaboration with art historian, art educator and mindfulness instructor Lydia Petropoulou, gets into the Christmas spirit!

Christmas is the ideal time to express our gratitude and appreciate life’s simple pleasures.

Especially for the holiday season, Mindfulness at the Museum at Christmas will take place on Friday December 29 and January 5, 18.30-19.45. Adapted especially for families, Mindfulness at the Museum for parents and children (for a parent/guardian and a 7+ child) will take place on Friday December 29 17.00-18.00.

The second series of “Mind and harmony”, a musical journey of exploration and wellbeing at the B&E Goulandris Foundation’s Collection that takes place in collaboration with seveneleven and the De Profundis Ensemble and is based on emotional wellness, starts on December 9 and will run to January 13.

The activity is free of charge thanks to the support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) and is included in the SNF-Release Athens grant programme, as part of SNF’s Global Health Initiative (GHI).

Admission is free and advance bookings are necessary

The B&E Goulandris Shop, with its great selection of original gifts and ornaments that are inspired by the Collection of the B&E Goulandris Foundation, adds its own festive touch to this year’s holiday season.

Christmas ornaments, scented candles, pillowcases with festive patterns, cotton placemats, plexiglass serving trays and 2024 daily/weekly calendars are just some of the shop’s home decorating and gift ideas, while the Foundation’s lucky charm for 2024 that is inspired by the Year of the Dragon and the Foundation’s collection of Chinese engravings and objects is the perfect way to welcome the new year.

Mulled wine and many Christmas treats await the Foundation’s visitors at the B&E Goulandris Café-Restaurant in the holiday season, along with a menu designed especially for kids.

The Foundation’s Café is run by the experienced team of Dipnosofistirion and offers breakfast, brunch and lunch as well as a variety of snacks and desserts, coffee and drinks. The menu is signed by executive chef Dimitris Skarmoutsos and the wines have been selected by top sommelier Aris Sklavenitis.