Syros Healing Waves 2025: The Journey from Trauma to Joy

Syros Healing Waves International Festival (October 1–5, 2025)

From Trauma to Pleasure

This October, the island of Syros will host the Syros Healing Waves International Festival, a pioneering event at the intersection of science, art, and healing. At its heart lies a bold vision: to illuminate the transformative power of pleasure—not only as a fundamental human right, but also as a scientifically grounded and therapeutically vital force.

Among the festival’s distinguished international guests are world-renowned psychiatrist Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, leading psychotherapist Benjamin Fry, and acclaimed Polish composer Zbigniew Preisner, who will present the world premiere of his new work Healing Waves, dedicated to the festival.

Designed to bring together seemingly opposite worlds, science and art, body and spirit, personal and collective healing, the festival will also honor Syros itself as a place of profound transformation, through its landscapes, community, music, and traditions.

Program Highlights:

• September 29: Opening of the visual arts exhibition From Trauma to Light at the Industrial Museum of Syros, featuring works created exclusively for the festival.

• October 2: A Musical concert Tribute to Cavafy at the historic Apollo Theater, honoring one of the most influential poets of the 20th century.
 at the historic Apollo Theater, alongside a series of free public talks on mental health and trauma. *A free ticket pass is required

• October 3–5: A three-day retreat led by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk and collaborators, enriched with daily seaside yoga, experiential practices, and psychodrama.

• October 5: World premiere of Preisner’s Healing Waves at the Apollo Theater, followed by a vibrant closing celebration at the historic Tarsanas shipyard.

Parallel Activities:

• Free lectures and public programs across Ermoupolis on mental health, trauma, and personal growth, featuring experts from diverse fields.
• Workshops, storytelling, performances, and yoga/movement sessions open to the local community.
• Seventy free passes for Syros residents to attend the retreat via live streaming at Valmas Hall, hosted by the Cyclades Chamber of Commerce.

The Syros Healing Waves International Festival is more than an event. It is an invitation to rediscover joy as a force for healing, to reconnect with our bodies and our communities, and to embrace the very essence of life itself.

For more workshops and events, please visit: www.syroshealingwaves.gr