Release Athens X SNF Nostos
In 2023, Release Athens and SNF Nostos from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) are joining forces to present three unique days of concerts on two stages. On Tuesday, June 20, Release Athens X SNF Nostos welcomes the Spanish superstar Rosalía at Plateia Nerou while Central Cee, the hottest hip-hop act in the UK will perform at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) Great Lawn. They will be joined by three outstanding female artists. Tinashe, a multi-platinum standout personality in R&B, and Ayra Starr, a rising Nigerian Afrosoul talent whose youth belies her gift, will take the stage at Plateia Nerou. At the SNFCC Great Lawn, we will welcome IAMDDB, one of the hottest up-and-coming acts in hip-hop, trap, and neo soul.
Alongside them, three outstanding female artists. Tinashe (Plateia Nerou), one of the most unique figures of R&B/hip-hop, Ayra Starr (Plateia Nerou), a great talent in black music, and IAMDDB (SNFCC Great Lawn), one of the great up-and-coming acts in hip-hop/trap and neo-soul. Sidarta (SNFCC Great Lawn), one of the biggest stars of the local trap/rap scene, and Kandè, a rapidly rising neo-soul/R&B artist in Greece, completes the line-up.
Rosalía (Plateia Nerou)
23.15
Rosalía, the ultimate pop icon of our days, is coming to Athens for the first time to prove on stage that she represents everything that modern pop strives to be: a bold sonic mix without barriers and with a willingness to transcend every cultural and music boundary.
Putting the traditional rhythms of flamenco, salsa and bachata with the modern sounds of reggaeton, hip hop and R&B in the same sentence, Rosalía left unsuspecting listeners stunned with "El Mal Querer" (2018), a masterful album that has one foot in mainstream pop and the other in avant-garde. The result was an absolute triumph that swept the Latin Grammy Awards and was included in Rolling Stone's list of the top 500 albums of all time, ranking highest among Spanish-language albums.
In 2022 and with all eyes on her, she released the masterpiece "Motomami", which was praised by all major music publications as groundbreaking and was rightfully at the top of every list of the best albums of the year. She has already collaborated with some of the biggest names in contemporary music (The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Pharrell, J Balvin, Travis Scott, Cardi B), she is getting ready to headline the world's biggest music festivals with appearances scheduled at Coachella, Lollapalooza, Primavera and Rock Werchter, among many others.
On Tuesday, June 20th, at Plateia Nerou, get ready for a show that the New York Times called "one of the best concerts we've seen in the last five years. Rosalía is a global pop icon à la Beyoncé or Rihanna."
Follow Rosalía: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify |YouTube
Central Cee (SNFCC Great Lawn)
21.15
Central Cee was born in London in 1998 and started recording music at the age of 14. Within a decade, he has become the most famous British rapper, with over 8 million followers and more than 2 billion streams. His debut mixtape, Wild West, was an artistic and commercial triumph. Wild West became the highest-selling British debut album of 2021 with two Top 10 UK singles, and Central Cee was nominated for three Brit Awards and won two GRM Daily Awards for Best Male Artist and Breakthrough Artist of the Year. 2021 ended on a high note, as his UK headline tour sold out in just two minutes.
Early the next year, in February 2022, he released his second mixtape, 23, which went straight to No. 1 on the UK Official Chart and made clear that Central Cee now defines British hip-hop on his own terms. His introspection and social commentary, alongside innovative production, have already established him as one of the most exceptional musicians of his generation.
In 2023, he will embark on a massive world tour, with performances at all the major festivals in Europe (Primavera Sound, Reading, Glastonbury). We can't wait to welcome him to the SNFCC's Great Lawn and enjoy one of the greatest talents of modern hip-hop at the perfect moment.
Follow Central Cee: Facebook | Instagram |Spotify |YouTube
Tinashe (Plateia Nerou)
21.30
It’s not easy to pin down Tinashe. She worked as a child actor and dancer, has been frontwoman of a girl group, and at the same time became an extremely skilled musician who handles every aspect of her craft herself, from composition, to production, to mixing. Nowadays, she releases her albums through her label, Tinashe Music Inc., and has become a role model for young women who want to create with total freedom.
Her solo career began in 2012 with the mixtape In Case We Die, and in the following ten years Tinashe released three mixtapes, five studio albums, and collaborated with the greatest stars of R&B, pop and hip-hop–including Britney Spears, A$AP Rocky, Usher, Charli XCX, Chance The Rapper, Travis Scott, and Calvin Harris. Her latest album, 333 (2021), was applauded as her best work to date by major music outlets, like Pitchfork which described it as "the freest, most exuberant album of her career" while NME praised Tinashe for being "an artist who is always reinventing what pop is and blurs the lines as to what R&B can be”.
Follow Tinashe: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube
IAMDDB (SNFCC Great Lawn)
20.00
IAMDDB was born Diana De Brito in Lisbon, Portugal and moved to Manchester at a young age. Blending a plethora of genres (hip-hop, trap, R&B) and absorbing influences from her Angolan/Portuguese roots, De Brito creates what she calls “Urban Jazz” that oozes originality and makes her stand out in the tough world of hip-hop and trap.
Raised in a music family (her father is a prominent session musician in Angola), IAMDBB started writing at the age of seven but didn't release her debut single until 2016's "Leaned Out", which she posted online after dropping out of university earlier that day. Her first big hit was the thrilling "Shade" (2017), which went viral in the UK and racked up tens of millions of views on streaming platforms. Subsequent mixtapes Hoodrich, Vol. 3 (2017) and Flightmode, Vol. 4 (2018) continued to build buzz for the vocalist, resulting in a third place slot on BBC's prestigious annual Sound of 2018 list, and an opening spot on the tour of the great Lauryn Hill.
2023 is expected to be another very important year for her, as new material is on the way that "will reveal what I'm really capable of", as she said in a recent interview.
Follow IAMDDB: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube
Ayra Starr
20.00
Born in West Africa in Benin, Ayra Starr was raised between its beach city, Cotonou, and the cultural hub of Lagos, Nigeria. This mix of cultures inspires her global approach to music, art, and life. The 20-year-old, influenced by the earthiness of Angelique Kidjo, Rihanna’s confidence, and the edgy aesthetic of emo-pop, explores topics such as love, relationships, empowerment, and freedom with her songs.
Her first releases, the eponymous EP and her debut album 19 & Dangerous (2021), were a huge success and the single “Bloody Samaritan” became the first song by a female solo artist to reach number one on Nigeria’s charts. In 2022, she achieved international recognition with the release of “Rush” which charted in several European countries, including Switzerland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. This captivating single made history in Africa, with Ayra becoming the youngest African female artist to surpass 100 million views on YouTube and the first to do so within five months. Now, millions of fans are waiting for her next move, and we’re thrilled to host one of the biggest talents in contemporary music.
Follow Ayra Starr: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube
Sidarta (SNFCC Great Lawn)
19.00
Born in Athens, Sidarta started making music at a very young age, initially playing the guitar, until he discovered hip hop and dedicated himself to it. He quickly conquered the local trap/rap scene and became one of its biggest stars in Greece, despite being only 22 years old.
Balancing between several different genres – such as rap, trap and drill – Sidarta showcased his unique melodic touch with diamond-certified singles like “Mediterranean”, “Akomi”, “Adrenalina” and “Erimo”, cementing his status as a phenomenal artist, with over 150 million streams in 2022 alone. His debut album, “IPIZME”, also earned diamond status and took him to the biggest live stages in Greece.
Follow Sidarta: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
Kandè (Plateia Nerou)
19.00
Katerina Andreou, aka Kandè, is an established neo-soul/R&B artist from Athens. After many live performances as a session vocalist, she and her solo project have caught the attention of some of the most famous radio stations in the country. Katerina Andreou is also a professional dancer and has participated in several musicals, the latest of which was 'The Phantom of the Opera'. Her first EP will be released this autumn.
The two headline shows (at Plateia Nerou and SNFCC’s Great Lawn) will not overlap, while sufficient time will be ensured for the audience to move from one stage to the other.
In addition, a point of sale on the SNFCC Esplanade will be open οn June 20, 21, 22, and 23. On June 20, 21, and 23, the ticket counter will be open from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. On June 22, it will be open from 10 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
*Ticket proceeds go exclusively to Release Athens. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) is a philanthropic organization that makes grants to nonprofit organizations. SNF does not accept funds from private individuals, corporations, or any other organizations.
In parallel, SNF is making €500,000 in additional grants under the name SNF Χ Release Athens to nonprofit organizations whose mission is to support mental health, in line with the wider mental health theme of this year's SNF Nostos.