Paniyiri Greek Festival
The Paniyiri Greek Festival is held in May each year in Musgrave Park, Brisbane, Australia. The festival was started in 1976, and is the longest running cultural festival in Queensland, and the longest running Greek festival in Australia.[1] It was initiated by Father Gregory Sakellariou, with the aim of bringing the Greek community together and sharing their culture with the people of Brisbane. The festival is famous for its food, music and Hellenic dancing.[2] Crowds of up to 60,000 people flock to the two-day festivities, and over a thousand volunteers help in the running of Queensland’s largest festival.[3]
| Paniyiri Greek Festival | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Greek festival |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Location(s) | South Brisbane, Queensland |
| Inaugurated | 1976 |
| Founder | Father Gregory Sakellariou |
| Most recent | 17–19 May 2019 |
| Next event | 14–16 May 2021 |
| Attendance | 50,000+ |
In 2009 as part of the Q150 celebrations, the Paniyiri Greek Festival was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as an "event and festival".[4]
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 caused parishioners & officials to cancel the festival. That was deferred to 2021.
See also
References
- "Paniyiri Greek Festival". The Greek Orthodox Community of St George, Brisbane. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- Keays, Sue C (2004). Yassou, Souvlakia and Paniyiri: Adapting Greek Culture for Australians. QUT ePrints. pp. 7–8. ISBN 1741070813.
- Hammond, Phil (20 May 2011). "Greece is the Word". The Courier Mail, Brisbane. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- Bligh, Anna (10 June 2009). "PREMIER UNVEILS QUEENSLAND'S 150 ICONS". Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 24 May 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2017.