The Patmos Sacred Music Festival
Patmos's annual festival of sacred and classical music — held since its founding with the support of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Patmos and the Monastery of St John the Theologian — expects its 24th edition in early September 2026, with its customary stage at the Cave of the Apocalypse.
The Patmos Sacred Music Festival is an annual festival of sacred and classical music held on Patmos in the Dodecanese. Organised by the Municipality of Patmos with the Associazione Patmos Chamber Music Festival, its artistic director is Roberto Prosseda and its executive director Massimo Fino. The Patriarchal Exarchate of Patmos and the Monastery of St John the Theologian have been associated with the festival since its founding. The 22nd edition ran from 1 to 6 September 2024 and the 23rd from 1 to 7 September 2025; the 24th edition is expected in early September 2026.
Its customary stage is the open-air amphitheatre at the Cave of the Apocalypse, the grotto on Patmos where tradition places St John’s receiving of the Book of Revelation. Past performers include MusicAeterna Byzantina — the Byzantine choir founded by Teodor Currentzis, who opened the 2025 edition — the National Chamber Choir of Armenia, which closed the 2025 edition with Komitas’s Patarag, and the cellist Steven Isserlis. The 2024 edition was performed under the auspices of UNESCO, marking twenty-five years of the island’s World Heritage inscription. Entry is free by reservation.