Rethymno Rocks! #5 returns to Fortezza Castle from 27 to 30 August 2025 with four nights of live rock and metal. Fans created the festival for fans, bringing leading acts and diverse sounds to one of Greece’s main summer stages.
Tickets for Thursday, Friday and Saturday start at €20 (£17, $22) and are available online.
The Traditional Strata is a music and dance event held by the Municipality of Chania on Tuesday evenings through the summer. The Traditional Strata gathers more than 1,500 dancers and musicians from over 20 traditional associations, from across Crete and other countries, who move through the narrow streets of Chania’s old town in traditional costume.
In 2026, the event runs on Tuesdays from June for several months, and August 11, 2026 is one of the listed dates. Each evening follows the same route through Chania Old Port and begins at 8:00 PM.
The Traditional Strata is a procession of music, dance, and song organized by the Municipality of Chania. The Traditional Strata represents the customs of Chania through costumes, instruments, and vocal performances from member associations, including groups from Crete and international regions.
The Strata takes place on Tuesday evenings from June for several months in 2026, and August 11, 2026 is one of the scheduled dates. The programme begins at 8:00 PM, so early evening is the time to arrive.
The procession follows one route through Chania Old Port each evening, in three stages. The main stages of the evening are listed below.
The harbour and squares of the old town fill with spectators on Strata evenings, and the surrounding tavernas make the event easy to combine with dinner. For more on the area and where to stay, see the guide to Chania.
The Traditional Strata is a traditional music and dance event organized by the Municipality of Chania. More than 1,500 performers from over 20 associations parade through the old town in costume.
The Strata runs on Tuesday evenings from June for several months in 2026, and August 11, 2026 is one of the listed dates. The evening programme starts at 8:00 PM.
The Strata takes place in Chania Old Port and the streets of the old town. It begins at the Neorio Moro Chania Sailing Club and ends at Cathedral Square by the Trimartiri Cathedral.
The Municipality of Chania organizes the Traditional Strata. Member associations from Crete and other countries take part.
More than 20 traditional associations take part, with over 1,500 dancers and musicians in total. The groups include performers from Crete and international regions.
Chaniartoon – International Comic & Animation Festival was started in 2017.
Since then the festival has been embraced by locals and by people from around the world with short animation entries from all corners of the globe. The animation films are viewed at the open air cinema of the Municipal Garden.
The Chestnut Festival in Elos Village is a cherished autumn tradition on Crete, celebrated every year on the third Sunday of October. Located in the picturesque West part of Crete, near Kissamos, the village of Elos is surrounded by scenic chestnut trees that mark the harvest season.
This vibrant event offers visitors a taste of local culture and cuisine, with the spotlight on chestnut-inspired dishes. Along with indulging in these seasonal treats, festival-goers can enjoy live music, traditional folk dances, and the island’s famous spirit, tsikoudia. The festival also showcases traditional Greek costumes, hosts various competitions, and provides a lively atmosphere perfect for immersing yourself in Cretan culture. Whether you’re a local or a curious traveler, the Chestnut Festival is a delightful way to celebrate autumn in Crete.
Chania Film Festival (CFF) is an international festival in the last week of October every year.
An organisation that quickly became an institution with international collaborations, with many parallel events, recognition. A cinematographic event that aspires to host the best films in the field of cinema, from all around the world. A meeting place for fiction films, documentaries, and animation films, as well as directors, producers, and actors.
During its eleven-day duration (the last week of October and the first week of November every year), more than 22.000 viewers (including the school audience) attend the screenings and the parallel events, such as workshops, master classes, and exhibitions. The CFF is also active throughout the year, as it produces and presents several events, special screenings, educational workshops, film productions, etc.
OXI Day, meaning “The Day of No” (Oxi or Όχι, which means ‘No’ in Greek), is a significant national holiday celebrated on October 28 in Greece, Cyprus, and by Greek communities around the world. It commemorates the courageous refusal of Greece’s Prime Minister, Ioannis Metaxas, when he denied Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini’s demand to allow Italian troops to enter Greece on October 28, 1940. This bold rejection marked Greece’s entry into World War II and is admired globally as a symbol of bravery and resistance.
On Crete, Ohi Day is celebrated with parades held in most towns, including Chania, Rethymnon, Heraklion, and Agios Nikolaos. Schoolchildren and military personnel march proudly, accompanied by live music and local festivities. If you’re in Heraklion, Kournaros Square is a prime location to view the parade.
Expect road closures and traffic delays, as streets will be blocked for parades, and buses filled with schoolchildren will be transporting participants. In addition to the parades, special Orthodox services are held in the main cathedrals across the island. Note that all archaeological sites, along with most businesses and services, will be closed for the holiday.
Ohi Day is not only a time to celebrate Greece’s historical bravery, but also an opportunity to experience the local culture and pride that defines Crete.
The celebration will be held at the Wineries of Crete as part of World Wine Tourism Day.
On this special day, more than 20 wineries from Crete, along with many others across Europe, will come together to celebrate. Visitors are invited to join in the festivities.
At these wineries, you can explore the vineyards, meet the winemakers, take in the beautiful scenery, learn about the winemaking process, and see how the wines are produced and aged. You’ll also have the chance to taste both new and aged wines, as well as sample this year’s fresh harvest.
Wine Tourism Day on Crete takes place annually on the second Sunday of November. This year, the Wine Tourism Day on Crete falls on 9th November 2025.
The participating wineries are listed below:
You can purchase a bottle of wine from a winery in Crete and enjoy it with your meal at a Cretan restaurant by simply showing your receipt. The wine served at the tavern will be free of charge. Please note that ordering food along with the wine is required.
Here is a list of Restaurants that take part in this program:
HERAKLION
RETHYMNO
CHANIA
The Cretan Diet Festival 2026 (Γιορτή Κρητικής Διατροφής) runs from 3 to 7 July in the Rethymno Municipal Garden. The Cretan Diet Festival gathers island producers for a week of food, wine, and music, so visitors taste Crete’s olive oil, cheese, wine, and honey straight from the farmers and makers who bring them.
Last updated: 19 August 2026
The Cretan Diet Festival 2026 takes place from 3 to 7 July in the Rethymno Municipal Garden, in the centre of Rethymno on Crete’s north coast. Festival dates can move by a few days from year to year, so confirm the exact schedule on the organisers’ official website and social pages before you travel.
The festival fills the Municipal Garden with producer stalls, food and wine tastings, craft and cookery exhibitions, and nightly Cretan music and dance. Producers pour local wine, cut graviera and other island cheeses, and sell olive oil, honey, and herbs from their own farms. The daily programme changes each year, so check the organisers’ official page for the day-by-day line-up.
The Municipality of Rethymno, the Regional Unit of Rethymno, and the Chamber of Rethymno organise the festival. The event is one of Rethymno’s established summer gatherings and, according to TasteAtlas, has been held since 2012.
The Cretan Diet Festival shows the Cretan diet through the ingredients that define it: extra-virgin olive oil, island cheeses, local wine, wild herbs, and honey. Cretan producers use the week to bring these products directly to visitors, so guests learn how each one is grown, made, and used in everyday Cretan cooking.
Rethymno sits midway along Crete’s north coast, within about 90 minutes’ drive of both Chania and Heraklion airports, and the Municipal Garden is a short walk from the old town and the seafront. Crete Locals follows the island’s events on the ground, and this one is easiest to reach on your own schedule, with time afterwards to visit the mountain villages behind Rethymno where the same food is made. To drive from the airport to Rethymno and on to those villages, book a car rental in Crete.
Chania Rock Festival is one of the most significant rock and metal music festivals in Greece.
Since 2002, the Chania Rock Festival has presented the best of the best in metal on stage in Chania, Crete. From the Greek rock scene to the international rockstars, if you like to headbang and jam out to metal, then the Chania Rock Festival is the music festival in Greece you’ve been searching for to live it up with fellow metal fans.
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