The Encardia band at the 14th Kalamata Guitar Festival

The Encardia band at the 14th Kalamata Guitar Festival for a magical evening of music and dance.

Opening the performance, the internationally acclaimed guitar soloist Michalis Kontaxakis will present some of the most impressive solo works from the classical guitar repertoire. Afterwards, Encardia will take the stage and ignite the audience with songs and melodies from the rich musical traditions of Southern Italy and the Mediterranean.

The stage will come alive with rhythms, colours, and emotions inspired by songs of migration, as well as the powerful dance forms of the tarantella. Love, loss, longing, and return unfold through Encardia’s musical storytelling. Drawing inspiration from the tarantella traditions of Salento and Naples, and from the Greek-speaking regions of Southern Italy, they present an explosive musical performance that combines traditional songs, original compositions, contemporary arrangements, and Mediterranean dances in a festive concert with active audience participation.

Encardia was founded in 2004 and has performed more than 3,000 concerts across Greece and Europe. Throughout their journey, they have collaborated with leading musicians from Southern Italy, including G. Avantaggiato, R. Licci, and Cinzia Villani, as well as prominent Greek artists such as Dionysis Savvopoulos, Nikos Portokaloglou, Giorgos Dalaras, Alkinoos Ioannidis, Phoebus Delivorias, Haig Yazdjian, Nikos Xydakis, Kaiti Koullia, Vasilis Lekkas, Claudia del Mer, and many others. They have also collaborated with symphony orchestras, theatre groups, polyphonic ensembles, and various other artists, continually enriching their multifaceted artistic journey.

Vocals-Percussion: Natalia Kotsani
Accordion-Harmonica-Vocals: Vaggelis Papageorgiou
Guitar-Vocals: Michalis Kontaxakis
Percussion-Mandolin-Vocals: Kostas Konstantatos
Double Bass-Vocals: Dimitris Tsekouras
Dance: Konstantina Kalkani
Dance: Anastasia Drouga
Sound Design: Paschalis Kolentsis

Ticket Presale Begins Tuesday, April 28th, 2026

• Kalamata Municipal Conservatory, 16:00-20:00 on weekdays
• Kalamata Cultural Centre, 11:00-13:00 and 18:00-20:00

Ticket Price: 10 euros (discounted ticket for everyone)