Medieval City of Rhodes hosts European Polyphony on 28 September
Published on 09/27/2026 at 14:17 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
The Medieval City of Rhodes hosts the European Polyphony Festival from 28 September to 10 October 2026, bringing concerts, exhibitions and walks to Rhodes. The UNESCO-listed historic centre will be the main setting for the eighth edition, with the programme extending across several cultural venues.
European Polyphony Festival opens in Rhodes on 28 September
The festival is dedicated to classical music, visual arts and cinema. Its programme includes three concerts, a photography and sound exhibition, a musical and historical walk, educational workshops, screenings and an outdoor aerial music performance.
The organiser states that admission is free for all activities, while selected events require advance booking. The programme begins on 28 September 2026, and the exhibition Résonances at the Inn of France runs from 28 September to 6 October. A lecture and musical performance based on Odysseus is scheduled for 30 September at the Museum of Modern Greek Art of the Municipality of Rhodes.
The full 2026 programme also lists the Katharsis concert at the Palace of the Grand Master on 2 October, followed by a concert at the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary on 3 October. A children’s concert is planned for 5 October at the Melina Merkouri Theatre of the Medieval Moat.
Rhodes fortifications shape the festival setting
The festival’s venues sit within a fortified urban landscape created during the rule of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. The order occupied Rhodes from 1309 to 1523 and transformed the city into a stronghold.
UNESCO describes the upper town as a Gothic urban ensemble containing the Palace of the Grand Masters, the Great Hospital and the Street of the Knights. The lower town combines Gothic architecture with mosques, public baths and buildings from the Ottoman period. The festival’s mix of music, visual art and historical walking therefore takes place among monuments from several periods rather than in a single concert hall.
The UNESCO property is enclosed by a wall about 4 km long and divided into an upper town to the north and a lower town to the south-southwest. The final festival performance on 10 October is scheduled for Eleftherias Square, linking the programme’s public outdoor element with the living city beyond its principal monuments. UNESCO’s account of the medieval city records the site’s historical layers and protection.
Visiting Medieval City of Rhodes: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The European Polyphony Festival runs from 28 September to 10 October 2026 across venues in the Medieval City of Rhodes and wider Rhodes.
- Admission is free for all festival activities, but advance booking is required for selected events. The organiser lists the 2 October concert at the Palace of the Grand Master and the 10 October outdoor performance at Eleftherias Square.
- The historic centre is in Rhodes Town on the island of Rhodes, Greece. The festival programme names the Palace of the Grand Master, the Inn of France, the Medieval Moat Theatre and Eleftherias Square as venues.
- The site is a fortified urban area with walls, gates, historic streets and separate upper and lower sections. Visitors should expect walking through a dense historic town rather than moving between venues by car.
- Greek is the official language of Greece and the national currency is the euro.
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Frequently asked questions about Medieval City of Rhodes
When does the European Polyphony Festival take place at the Medieval City of Rhodes?
The festival runs from 28 September to 10 October 2026, with events at several venues in and around the historic centre.
What is the Medieval City of Rhodes?
It is a fortified historic urban area whose main development under the Order of St John took place from 1309 to 1523. UNESCO lists it as a World Heritage property.
Where is the Medieval City of Rhodes and how do you get there?
It is in Rhodes Town on the island of Rhodes, Greece. The festival programme identifies venues including the Palace of the Grand Master, the Inn of France and Eleftherias Square.
