The Miaoulia of Hydra
The Municipality of Hydra's annual commemoration of Andreas Miaoulis, the admiral who commanded the revolutionary fleet through the Greek War of Independence, is expected in late June 2027, 192 years after his death, closing with the burning of an Ottoman flagship replica at the harbour mouth.
The Miaoulia of Hydra is the island’s annual festival in honour of Andreas Miaoulis, the Hydriot admiral who commanded the Greek revolutionary fleet through the War of Independence and died on 24 June 1835. The Municipality of Hydra holds it each year in the last week of June, around the anniversary of his death. Dates for the 2027 edition, which marks 192 years since the admiral’s death, have not yet been published.
The festival closes with a re-enactment of the Battle of Gerontas at the harbour mouth, in which a replica of the Ottoman flagship is set alight on the water under fireworks. The wider programme takes in the reception of representatives of the Greek government and the Hellenic Navy, a Mass at the Cathedral, the transfer of the vessel holding the admiral’s heart from the Historical Archive–Museum, and a memorial service at his statue, alongside exhibitions, lectures, concerts, and theatre arranged through the town.
The length of the programme varies by edition while the closing spectacle keeps its late-June anchor. The 2025 edition ran from 13 to 29 June and marked 190 years since the admiral’s death; the 2026 edition closed on 28 June, pairing the burning of a model Ottoman frigate with a display of illuminated drones staged for the 200th anniversary of the Exodus of Messolonghi.