15 JULY – 26 AUGUST 2023

SANI FESTIVAL

A momentous musical and cultural affair, that has been bringing people together through a shared love of the arts for over three decades. With the festival’s electrifying line-up of international superstars now released, it’s time to get excited for a musically magnificent summer.

Festivals

Sani Festival

WINNER 2022

World’s Leading Cultural Destination Resort

Named the World’s Leading Cultural Destination Resort at the 2022 World Travel Awards, it’s a year for celebration, as 2022 was also Sani Festival’s 30th anniversary.

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The Spirit of Sani Festival

PHILOSOPHY

Every summer, from July to August, Sani Festival proudly brings together Greek and international artists, strengthening the cultural bond between natives and visitors. Rooted in jazz, the first event took place in 1992 over three days. Since then, the programme has naturally evolved beyond one main genre, hosting a wide variety of musical acts, from the likes of pop and rock to classical and indie, alongside the ever-present jazz masters. As the festival’s repertoire has grown, so too has its reputation and global reach, with ever more popular international acts performing each year.

SANI FESTIVAL 2023

STARS ON THE HILL

This year, Sani Festival returns with an international line up that is stronger than ever. Welcoming in a new era for the festival with many popular and universally acclaimed artists, there’ll be pop, rock and smooth-jazz, as we embrace a multitude of genres and sounds. Diverse and dynamic, we look forward to welcoming attendees for a summer of musical magic and prowess upon Sani Hill.

2023 Artists Line-Up:
• 15 July: Dianne Reeves
• 22 July: Bonnie Tyler & Chris Norman
• 29 July: Sarah Brightman
• 05 August: UB40 ft. Ali Campbell
• 12 August: Tom Odell
• 19 August: Stavros Xarchakos
• 26 August: Jan Garbarek Group ft. Trilok Gurtu

SANI FESTIVAL 2023

ARTISTS LINE-UP

15 JULY 2023

DIANNE REEVES

Considered the greatest living voice in jazz, five-time Grammy award winner, Dianne Reeves will raise the curtain to this year's Sani Festival, as she fills the night sky with her outstanding voice.

Known for her masterful technique, improvisational skills, and unique blend of jazz and R&B, Reeves was appointed a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2018 - the highest honour bestowed upon jazz artists in the US. She has worked with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, was the first Creative Chair for Jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and has performed at the White House on multiple occasions.

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22 JULY 2023

Bonnie Tyler

& Chris Norman

With her distinctly husky voice, Bonnie Tyler first wowed the world in the late seventies. Famed for her much-loved timeless hits, such as ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ and ‘Holding out for a Hero,’ the respected artist has been nominated for three Grammys and Brits, and sold millions of records worldwide.

Chris Norman meanwhile is a soft rock singer. Initially the lead singer of the Smokie, an English rock band in the seventies, the esteemed rocker pursued his own successful solo career in the late eighties.

This summer, the two musical legends shall come together for a rare double concert at Sani Festival. Harmoniously marrying pop and rock music, the show is guaranteed to be a lively affair, where the audience simply can’t help but sing along.

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22 JULY 2023

Bonnie Tyler

& Chris Norman

With her distinctly husky voice, Bonnie Tyler first wowed the world in the late seventies. Famed for her much-loved timeless hits, such as ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ and ‘Holding out for a Hero,’ the respected artist has been nominated for three Grammys and Brits, and sold millions of records worldwide.

Chris Norman meanwhile is a soft rock singer. Initially the lead singer of the Smokie, an English rock band in the seventies, the esteemed rocker pursued his own successful solo career in the late eighties.

This summer, the two musical legends shall come together for a rare double concert at Sani Festival. Harmoniously marrying pop and rock music, the show is guaranteed to be a lively affair, where the audience simply can’t help but sing along.

Discover More

With her distinctly husky voice, Bonnie Tyler first wowed the world in the late seventies. Famed for her much-loved timeless hits, such as ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ and ‘Holding out for a Hero,’ the respected artist has been nominated for three Grammys and Brits, and sold millions of records worldwide.

Chris Norman meanwhile is a soft rock singer. Initially the lead singer of the Smokie, an English rock band in the seventies, the esteemed rocker pursued his own successful solo career in the late eighties.

This summer, the two musical legends shall come together for a rare double concert at Sani Festival. Harmoniously marrying pop and rock music, the show is guaranteed to be a lively affair, where the audience simply can’t help but sing along.

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29 JULY 2023

Sarah Brightman

Sarah Brightman, the original Christine Daaé in the world-renowned The Phantom of the Opera, is the world's best-selling soprano with over 1 billion streams worldwide and 180 gold and platinum awards. Having collaborated with the likes of Andrea Bocelli and Jose Carreras, Sarah is renowned for her vocal range of more than 3 octaves and is the only artist to have simultaneously topped Billboard's dance, classical and classical crossover music charts. Sarah is also the first artist to perform the theme song at the Olympic Games twice and is a UNESCO Ambassador for Peace. Sarah Brightman will perform at Sani Festival, accompanied by orchestra and choir, to gift us an unforgettable musical experience.

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5 AUGUST 2023

UB40 FT. ALI CAMPBELL

To welcome in the month of August, Sani Festival is organizing the biggest summer party around; the legendary UB40 will take to Sani hill alongside their singer and frontman, Ali Campbell, for what promises to be a lively night full of music, rhythm, and dance. Blending reggae with pop and rock sounds, UB40 was formed in the early 70s. Synonymous with fun, partying, cheer and reggae, the band have had countless hits worldwide, performed thousands of concerts and for four decades remained the most commercially successful band in the genre, boasting a permanent place at the top of the charts.

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12 AUGUST 2023

TOM ODELL

A masterful pianist and lyrical genius with a heart-breaking voice, Tom Odell shot to fame after winning the BRITSs Critics’ Choice Award for his debut extended play, ‘songs from another love’. Considered to have the same onstage energy as David Bowie, the English singer grew up listening to Elton John and is inspired by Jeff Buckley, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Bruce Springsteen. In 2022, he released his 5th album titled ‘Best Day of My Life,’ which was critically acclaimed. Accompanied by his band, Odell will pull at the heartstrings of Sani Festival’s attendees this summer with his powerful melodies and emotive lyrics, gifting us a unique experience.

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19 AUGUST 2023

STAVROS XARCHAKOS

‘A musical journey from Pontus to Crete’

Performers: Chainis-Dimitris Apostolakis, Alexis Parcharidis, Iro Saia

With his masterful works, Stavros Xarchakos embraces the richness of Greek folk tradition, finding inspiration in historic melodies. Employing his own perspective, he combines folk music with orchestral sounds, creating fresh – almost revolutionary – arrangements that bridge the gap between past and present, and help to define our musical future.

Through an artful blending of primordial notes with modern musical tools, Xarchakos’ concert shall evoke memories and spark a comforting sense of nostalgia amongst Greeks, whilst offering visitors an opportunity to experience our culture and Greek spirit through melodic familiarity.

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26 AUGUST 2023

JAN GARBAREK GROUP FT. TRILOK GURTU

The famous jazz saxophonist, Jan Garbarek, returns to Sani Festival this summer after many years away. Ever evolving throughout his illustrious career, the Norwegian virtuoso has always sought new and different sounds. From the musical traditions of his own country to improvisational medieval modes, Middle Eastern rhythm and world jazz, he has searched to find the “common language”, as he describes it, to “suit the tone, texture and feeling of each different music”. Playing the saxophone with sensitivity, the Jan Garbarek Group featuring Trilok Gurtu will thrill Sani Hill this summer with an unforgettable night of jazz and music of the world.

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1992

First Sani Festival took place

400

events

1,800

artists

Location

Sani Hill

Sani Hill becomes a kaleidoscope of colours as night falls: the brilliant orange of the setting sun, the vivid lights of night-time performances, the moonlight beaming down from a starlit sky. Watch as artists perform at heady heights, against the dramatic backdrop of a ruined Byzantine tower and the Aegean Sea.

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Sani Festival on Sani Hill at night time

30th ANNIVERSARY

SANI FESTIVAL 2022

Awarded the World’s Leading Cultural Destination Resort by the World Travel Awards, last summer we celebrated 30 fabulous years of Sani Festival. Chucho Valdes and Paquito D’Rivera filled Sani Hill with their delicious Caribbean rhythm, Jack Savoretti sung his much-loved hits, and Bob Geldof and the Bobkatz rocked out. As for the closing act of the summer and the most hotly anticipated Greek concert of 2022? Andrea Bocelli, the world’s most beloved tenor, who thrilled the audience with his mesmerising voice and truly unforgettable performance.

Discover Sani Festival 2022