Perth Glendi Greek Festival returns for full weekend celebration of Greek culture

·

Opa! Greeks in Western Australia are cheering in the masses following the announcement of the return of the Perth Glendi Greek Festival this February.

Presented By LiveLighter, the Glendi Festival is promised to feature mouth-watering, traditional Greek food, a talented line-up of local and interstate Greek singers, musicians and dance groups, belly dancers, plate smashing, celebrity cooking demos, market stalls, children’s carnival rides and lots more!

Speaking to The Greek Herald, event publicist Despene Kalaf said the event will see people from all nationalities come together and be united in their love of Greek culture.

“I’m sure I speak for the committee and myself when I say at a time when overseas travel is not possible, we feel that more than ever West Australians, and Australians at large, are really looking for cultural experiences at home,” Despene said to The Greek Herald.

Plate smashing at the Perth Glendi. Photo: Supplied

“And I’m thrilled to say, based on the popularity of our past three festivals, that there is a real strong interest in embracing Greek culture within our wider community.”

The Festival will be entering its fourth year of operation and is to be celebrated over two days with a $2.50 entry fee per person (children under 16 to enter free).

Asked about attendance numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Despene said they will be expecting roughly the same attendance as previous years.

“Obviously this year people are a lot more cautious about where they go to… very selective because everyones not used to going out as much with restrictions in place,” Despene said.

Feast your eyes on some live cooking! Photo: Supplied

“In terms of capacity though, we can still have 8000 people per day because it’s in a large venue with lots of space, so plenty of room for social distancing.”

The festival will feature traditional Greek dancing performers and a dolmades eating contest, yet Despene hopes restrictions will be eased to allow dancing in the crowd.

“There’ll be certainly different forms of entertainment, but we’re hoping we can get everyone up and doing the Zorba or some Greek dancing and sort of engage and interact with the band and the live music.”

The Zorba at the Perth Glendi. Photo: Supplied

“At the moment, dancing is not allowed, only if you are performing on stage or on the dance floor. So that’ll be something different. We’ll have to get used to it if we’re not allowed to formally have the audience dancing with us.”

The Perth Glendi Facebook and Instagram pages will be taking small snapshots and videos throughout the day and posting them to social media, allowing audiences at home to tune into the fun. Despene said the committee is still determining if parts of the festival will be live streamed to the public.

The festival commences on Saturday, 27 February from 3pm – 10pm and Sunday, 28 February from 11am – 8pm.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

From Metallica to Maritime: The many lives of Greek shipping tycoon Harry Vafias

Though Greek shipping tycoon, Harry Vafias, spends much time working, it certainly isn't a case of 'all work and no play.’

‘I want them to know their word matters’: Peter Georgiou stands against gender violence

Peter Georgiou, a real estate agent from Rushcutters Bay and father of four-year-old twins Leila and Lola, believes change begins at home.

Thessaloniki’s Byzantine walls to shine with new light project

Thessaloniki’s iconic Byzantine Walls are set to be illuminated under a major cultural initiative announced by the Greek Ministry of Culture.

Greek World Heritage Cities face rising climate threats

Iconic Greek cities—Athens, Thessaloniki, Corfu, Rhodes, and Patmos—face serious climate threats, according to a new UNESCO-backed report.

Are apps like Duolingo enough to learn Greek, or do we need a tutor?

For many people who want to learn conversational Greek, an app, can be a very useful addition to your program.

You May Also Like

Tom Koutsantonis MP gets extra portfolio in SA Cabinet reshuffle

In a recent South Australian government cabinet reshuffle, Tom Koutsantonis has expanded his portfolio following the resignation Geoff Brock.

Evangeline Titilas, Sami Lorking-Tanner listed among Australian fashion’s most influential

The Daily Telegraph has named the Australian fashion players and among the list are Evangeline Titilas and Sami Lorking-Tanner.

Three injured as gas explosion damages stores, offices in Athens

An explosion left three people injured and seriously damaged an office building in central Athens early on Wednesday.