Paniyiri Greek Festival 2020 — CANCELLED

Overview

UPDATE, MARCH 13: Paniyiri organisers have announced that the 2020 Paniyiri Greek Festival will no longer go ahead "due to ongoing concerns around the impact of the coronavirus". In a Facebook post, the festival announced that "after close consultation with the World Health Organisation, Queensland State Government and Queensland Health, the decision has been made to cancel the 2020 event for the safety of everyone involved".

This is the first time the event has been cancelled in its 44-year history; however it will return in May 2021.

To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.

For two days each May, most of Brisbane heads to Musgrave Park to pretend they're in the Mediterranean. Yes, it's Paniyiri time again, with the city's massive Greek festival taking over West End with quite the array of food, drink, partying and more. There's a reason that more than two million people have gone along over the past four decades.

In the event's massive 44th year on Saturday, May 23–Sunday, May 24, expect the usual array of Greek revelry — grapes to stomp, coffee to sip and plates to smash, plus TV stars to rub shoulders with and cooking demonstrations to watch, too. And, it wouldn't be Paniyiri without everyone's favourite entertaining displays. If dancing is more your style, watch Greek Dancing with the Stars or catch the Hellenic dancers. If devouring as much as you can is your idea of fun, take part in the festival's regular food contests. Can you eat more olives or honey puffs than anyone else? Here's your chance to find out.

Because you're never too old to try new things, Paniyiri introduced a Santorini lounge bar a few years back, as well as an authentic taverna — both of which are designed to make you think you're thousands of kilometres away — so here's hoping they make a return. Either way, there'll be more than 30 authentic Greek food stalls, plus art displays, traditional and modern music, and fun extending over to the Greek Club. And, this year's fest will also pay tribute to the Olympic Games.

Tickets go on sale in late March, with both one-day and weekend-long  options usually on offer.

And, as always, there'll be an abundance of haloumi, calamari and dolmades as well. Arrive hungry.

Paniyiri Greek Festival takes place on Saturday, May 23 from 12–10pm and Sunday, May 24 from 10am–7pm.