The Ifestia of Santorini

The Ifestia of Santorini is Thira’s annual pyrotechnic festival, in which a spectacle launched from Nea Kameni — the volcanic islet at the centre of the caldera — re-enacts the ancient eruption. The festival has been held since 1991, begun by island volunteers and organised today by GEOTHIRA MAE, the municipal enterprise, with the Municipality of Thira’s department of sports and culture. The 2025 edition ran on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 September.

The 2025 centrepiece was the pyrotechnic re-enactment — fireworks, smoke and lava-bursts rising from the islet — preceded, for the first time in the festival’s history, by a drone show above the volcano with live narration. The display was watched from along the caldera rim, with crowds kept approximately three kilometres from the islet. Concerts were held on the same weekend: the singer and pianist Antigoni Katsouri performed at the Metropolis, and an evening at Santo Wines was given to the composer Dimitris Papadimitriou, with his songs and symphonic works performed by Veronika Davaki, Panos Papaioannou and Giorgos Florakis.