The First Apokries Weekend

The First Apokries Weekend is the opening carnival weekend of the Greek Orthodox Triodion period in Athens, held on 7 and 8 February 2026. The Triodion opens on Sunday 1 February 2026 with the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee. Greek Orthodox Pascha falls on 12 April 2026, placing the carnival cycle in its standard late-January to February window. The key dates of the 2026 cycle are: Meatfare Sunday on 15 February, Tsiknopempti on 19 February, Apokriatiki Sunday on 22 February, and Clean Monday on 23 February.

Athens holds three carnival weekends across the Triodion period. Plaka and Psyrri are the principal areas for parades; the route runs from Monastiraki up to Plateia Iroon. A children’s parade is held on the Saturday morning and larger costumed processions on the Sunday afternoon. The Athens Carnival is smaller in scale than the Patras Carnival to the south-west.

The first weekend (7–8 February) is the quieter of the three Athens carnival weekends; the Apokriatiki weekend (21–22 February) is the principal. The Patras Carnival runs in parallel across the same period and peaks on the same Apokriatiki Sunday.