Direct from Greece

One of Greece’s most exciting contemporary voices took to Lonsdale Street, delivering a powerful headline performance on the Bank of Sydney Main Stage on Saturday 28 February 2026.

Ioulia Karapataki has become a favourite on festival stages across Greece, known for performances that feel equal parts concert and celebration. With a sound that blends contemporary Greek music with strong folk roots, her show at Antipodes was energetic, joyful and perfectly suited to the atmosphere of a packed festival crowd.

Arriving in Melbourne fresh from a standout Greek summer, Karapataki brought with her the huge success of “Το Γλέντι (To Glenti)”, a track that dominated airwaves and social feeds and quickly became a modern festival anthem. It was one of the moments that drew the crowd together, inviting movement and turning the performance into a shared celebration.

Karapataki’s connection with audiences was immediate. Whether people knew every lyric or were hearing her for the first time, her warmth and charisma made the set feel open, inclusive and alive. It was music made for open streets, late nights and dancing shoulder to shoulder.

Her appearance on the Bank of Sydney Main Stage became one of the defining moments of the 38th Antipodes Festival, with thousands gathered along Lonsdale Street for the performance. The headline set was also live streamed to YouTube, allowing audiences beyond the festival to share in the moment.