The Swedish pianist and his trio return to Vlatos with a soulful reimagining of Herbie Hancock classics and beyond — intimate, swinging, and deeply felt under the warm glow of candles.
Turkish vocalist Elif Sanchez and Lebanese-Swiss violinist Delaney Stöckli weave Latin American, Mediterranean, and jazz influences into a heartfelt musical dialogue. A night of warmth, beauty, and cross-cultural connection.
Composer and oud master Thomas Meleteas, joined by two outstanding Cretan lyra players, offers a rich musical journey where new melodies meet ancient Cretan colors and sounds.
Violinist and festival curator Maria Manousaki leads her quartet in an intimate evening of original compositions and heartfelt interpretations, celebrating the spirit of Crete through strings and candlelight.
One of Crete’s most respected pianists, Dimitris Verdinoglou, brings his trio for an evening of warm, melodic jazz rooted in the spirit of the island.
Aposperia Jazz Trio brings elegant improvisation and beautiful interplay to Vlatos. Classic and contemporary jazz standards, performed with sensitivity and joy in the warm stone church.
Adama – Cretan Roots & Soulful Togetherness at Vlatos Jazz 2026: Eirini Derebei (vocals) & Karolos Kouklakis (instruments) bring rizitika, mantinades, syrtos & heartfelt Cretan songs to the candlelit 150-year-old church – RSVP and Online tickets available
Apostolos Leventopoulos and Yiorgos Limakis come together in an intimate guitar duet, blending acoustic and classical strings across jazz, blues, pop, world music, and cinematic melodies. Years of playing side by side have created a deep, unspoken chemistry — a quiet conversation between guitars that feels effortless and timeless in the candlelit stone church of Vlatos.
Antonis Leontidis presents original compositions from his albums Kryfo and Asprogkas, plus new unreleased works, in an intimate and emotional evening.
The Kostas Katsonis Trio moves fluidly between the traditional and contemporary sounds of jazz. Featuring Kostas Katsonis (guitar), Spyros Vaigousis (piano-organ), and Kyriakos Alexiou (drums), the trio performs with a distinctive style and strong emphasis on improvisation. Their program includes pieces by Chick Corea, Avishai Cohen, Jesse Van Ruller, John Scofield, and more — a Sunday night of elegant, spontaneous jazz in the candlelit stone church of Vlatos.
The Melos String Quartet returns with their acclaimed tribute to rock and pop icons — Queen, Metallica, Coldplay, The Beatles and more — reimagined with classical elegance and jazz spirit.
The Anakate Ntounia trio, born in a Heraklion living room in autumn 2023, blends traditional Greek and West African instruments — kologo, stamna, violin — into original songs of love, justice, and human stories. Greek rural melodies meet primal African rhythms in playful polyrhythms and polyphonies, turning every performance into a joyful, participatory celebration of song and dance. A Sunday night in Vlatos where the island’s roots reach across oceans, and the church fills with a new, mixed world of sound.
The beloved violinist of Kissamos, Stratis Skarakis, performs with his trio for the first time at Vlatos Jazz, bringing traditional Cretan melodies into a wider, heartfelt dialogue with the world.
Giorgios Chachlakis returns to Vlatos Jazz with his electrifying band, ready to reignite the magic of rebetiko in the intimate glow of our historic stone church. Last summer they brought the house down — the soulful melodies of old Greece filled the air, the energy was contagious, and by the end everyone was singing and dancing together in a shared wave of joy and memory.This year the fire burns even brighter. Giorgios and his musicians deliver the real thing: the gritty longing, the defiant spirit, the tender heartbreak of rebetiko — all performed with passion, authenticity, and that unmistakable Cretan warmth. The bouzouki cries, the baglama pulses, the voices rise in harmony, and the rough stone walls seem to lean in closer, soaking up every note as if the music has always belonged here.Expect the same unforgettable night: infectious rhythms that pull you to your feet, songs that feel like old friends, and a collective celebration that turns strangers into family for one Sunday evening. The mountain listens, the candles flicker, and Vlatos once again becomes the perfect home for rebetiko’s timeless soul.A night of pure, heartfelt connection — because some music is worth bringing back, and some places are worth returning to, again and again.
The cultural society of Vlatos presents throughout the year a variety of events. Tickets for the events are available online with PayPal or for cold hard cash at the venue on the night of your choosing.
