Now in its third edition, Subset Festival is rapidly establishing itself as one of the most forward-thinking and culturally significant platforms in Greece’s contemporary music scene. Curated by composer and sound artist Stavros Gasparatos, the Athens-based festival becomes a dynamic reflection of a broader cultural shift: where experimental sound, technology, and performance are not sidelined but brought to the forefront of Greece’s artistic discourse.
Launched in 2023 as part of the historic Athens Epidaurus Festival, Subset offers more than just a programme, it builds a much-needed space for contemporary and experimental music within a country still negotiating the balance between tradition and the avant-garde. “When I first proposed Subset, my goal was to create a space that can support and connect the vibrant Greek artistic community working in these fields,” says Gasparatos. “I want a platform that commissions new works, highlights the wealth of talent based in Athens, and opens up meaningful exchanges with leading figures from the international experimental scene.”
Rooted in the cultural heart of Athens and co-produced with the Athens Conservatoire, the 2025 edition of Subset expands this vision even further. It brings together global pioneers and local innovators across venues such as the Athens Conservatoire and the SNFCC, presenting a bold conversation between music, movement, spatial sound, and digital media. The lineup features international figures like Lyra Pramuk, Mouse on Mars, Suzanne Ciani, Carmen Villain, and Ryoji Ikeda, alongside a new generation of Greek artists actively redefining the local scene.
Notably, the Athens Epidaurus Festival itself does not shy away from forward-thinking music either, will present Arca’s debut in Greece on May 31st, marking a landmark addition to the festival’s evolving identity. Live in Athens from the iconic Lycabettus Theater in celebration of the Festival’s 70th anniversary, Arca will be supported by local Greek musician and fellow PAN-signee, Evita Manji, and with a DJ set from local Porschelane. The performances will be followed by Subset’s opening celebration, doubling as the afterparty for the Concert and developed in close collaboration with Plural Artist Management and NR Magazine. Taking place in a raw brutalist basement in the centre of Athens, it features boundary-pushing DJ sets from Apu Nanu, Bapari, Bobby Beethoven, Engalanan, Evita Manji, Oldyungmayn, Safety Trance and Wicboyx. The lineup resists easy categorisation: deconstructed club rhythms, ambient textures, reggaeton mutations, and rave atmospheres converge in a night that celebrates genre fluidity and radical expression.
As Plural Artist Management notes, “Subset Festival represents a well-intentioned shift from the traditional Theater, Dance and Performing Arts programme that Athens Epidaurus Festival is known for. As such, it positions itself as an expansive addition to summer in Greece, and has attained well-deserved praise for its openness to collaborate and invest in ‘one-of-one’ artists.”
A visual recap of the afterparty and select DJ sets are set to be published exclusively on NR in the coming days, capturing the charged energy that opens the festival.
At its core, Subset is not just an event but an evolving platform for cultural dialogue. “Another key aspect of Subset is fostering collaboration across disciplines and backgrounds,” Gasparatos explains. “The festival actively encourages hybrid projects that blur boundaries—between genres, between artists, and between audiences.” This spirit of experimentation defines Subset’s role in today’s Greece: a space where adventurous ideas can take root, and new artistic vocabularies can emerge.
Additionally, Athens Epidaurus Festival has also initiated a first-time collaboration between the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre and Berlin-based spatial sound studio MONOM, which will present both Live and Archive works presented across 6 days at the SNFCC Dome. “The partnership with MONOM is, for us, an especially fruitful result of Athens Epidaurus Festival’s ambition to experiment, and an effort to offer the public some insight into new technologies surrounding music/sound creation. With projects from two artists on the agency presented daily [Cinna Peyghamy and Evita Manji, who is Greek] as part of the Archive Works, we’re excited for audiences to experience this new format.” says Plural Artist Management.
In a country shaped by both rich heritage and a restless, forward-looking generation, Subset feels like a timely signal. Here experimental sound doesn’t just exist in the periphery, it belongs on the main stage of Greek cultural life.
Find full details on the Athens Epidaurus Festival website for all concerts, and secure a spot via Resident Advisor for the afterparty – tickets are limited.