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A shared stage: Irish and Greek music meet at Paxos Irish Wings Festival

“Paxos has a way of slowing everything down; you feel the history, the sea, the stories, and the music responds to all of that.” — Dónal O’Connor, Irish musician

Set against the backdrop of the stunning island of Paxos, the Paxos Music Festival has spent four decades bringing together artists from Greece, Ireland and further afield.

Rich cultural dialogue

Among its highlights is Irish Wings, a unique celebration of Irish music and arts, that explores the rich cultural dialogue between Ireland and Greece. The festival has become a vibrant expression of the creative connections that continue to unite our two countries.

This year’s Paxos Irish Wings Festival was a special one, as it was also the opening cultural event in Greece of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Unity through music

Paxos Irish Wings is a perfect example of unity, fitting with the slogan for Ireland’s Presidency: "Ní neart go cur le chéile", “Strength with Unity”.

This year’s festival featured performances from Greek-Irish ensemble, Bright Phoebus (Dónal O'Connor, Chrysoula Kechagioglou, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Effie Zaitidou, and Alexandros Kapsokavadis), a cross-cultural collaboration that connects and reimagines the musical languages of Ireland and Greece. They were joined at Irish Wings by renowned Greek musician Elias Dendias, who hails from Paxos.

The headline act for 2026 was Liam Ó Maonlaí, who brought the heart and soul of the Hothouse Flowers, with his deep, stirring voice and inexhaustible musical spirit.

Deepening cross-cultural impact

A programme of workshops ran alongside the main event, providing a meaningful educational strand and deepening the festival’s cross-cultural impact. Delivered by the visiting Irish and Greek artists, the workshops offered participants hands-on engagement with Irish and Greek traditional music through rhythm, melody, instrumental style and song.

Watch: Irish Wings contributors at Paxos Music Festival 2026

Video by Sean McMahon.

This event was supported by Culture Ireland's Cultúr 2026: Sharing Ireland’s Culture as part of Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the EU.