Friday, December 26, 2025, brings a rare combination of spectacle and music to the heart of Heraklion, with two free public events unfolding back-to-back at some of the city’s most emblematic locations: the Venetian Walls and Jesus Gate.
The evening marks a first for the city, pairing a large-scale drone performance with a curated concert program that blends Greek and international repertoire, all offered openly to residents and visitors alike.
Venetian Walls | Jesus Gate (New Gate) | 6:30 p.m.
Heraklion’s First Drone Show Lights Up the Sky
At 6:30 p.m., the Venetian Walls will host the first drone show in the history of Heraklion.
Hundreds of drones will rise above the city, synchronized to form moving images in the night sky. The show has been designed with a festive character, aligned with the Christmas season, while also paying tribute to Heraklion’s long history. Visual elements will reference the city’s identity and highlight the Venetian Walls themselves, turning one of Heraklion’s most significant landmarks into the focal point of a large-scale aerial spectacle.
This is a first-of-its-kind event for the city, combining contemporary technology with historic space, and is expected to draw large crowds.
- When: Friday, December 26, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.
- Where: Venetian Walls, Heraklion
- What: Drone show with hundreds of synchronized drones
- Admission: Free
Jesus Gate | 7:00 p.m.
Thodoris Voutsikakis in Concert: “The Lights of the Celebration”
At 7:00 p.m., after the drone show where hundreds of drones will be synchronized to form unique images in the Heraklion sky, the evening continues at Jesus Gate with a live concert by Thodoris Voutsikakis, titled “The Lights of the Celebration.”
This winter concert centers on themes of companionship, love, and shared joy, with music as the thread that binds them. Curated by Lina Nikolakopoulou, who also serves as artistic director, the program moves fluidly between international and Greek repertoire.
The setlist includes selections by Nicola Piovani, Ara Dinkjian, Frank Sinatra, Vaya Con Dios, and Leonard Cohen, as well as works by prominent Greek composers such as Stavros Xarchakos, Yiannis Spanos, Stamatis Kraounakis, Giorgos Spanos, Giorgos Zambetas, and Balkan folk melodies.
Thodoris Voutsikakis will be joined on stage by six leading soloists:
- Christos Theodorou – piano (also musical director)
- Nikos Skomopoulos – drums
- Petros Kremizakis – bass
- Thanos Stavridis – accordion
- Nikos Samaras – bouzouki, mandolin, trumpet
- Alexis Stenakis – clarinet
- When: Friday, December 26, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
- Where: Jesus Gate, Heraklion
- Admission: Free
Together, the drone show and concert form a cohesive Friday evening program that moves from open sky to historic gate, offering Heraklion a celebration that is both contemporary and deeply rooted in place.
