The Municipality of Ilioupoli and the Region of Attica are organising two days of e-sports with free admission on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October, in collaboration with the Hellenic Esports Federation. The two-day event will take place at the ‘Yiannis Kostakis’ Indoor Sports Hall in Ilioupoli, from 12:00 to 20:00 on both days, and admission is free for everyone.
The venue will host the Hellenic Esports Federation Arena, featuring PlayStation 5 consoles, screens, a themed stand and LED walls. The programme includes mini-tournaments, live broadcasts of matches, discussions and interviews, DJ sets, photo opportunities and interactive activities, as well as prize draws, including two PlayStation 5 consoles.
The part that is of most interest to parents is not the games consoles. The two-day event includes educational talks on setting boundaries and maintaining a balanced relationship with gaming. The list of speakers announced by the municipality includes the president of the Hellenic Esports Federation, Evangelos Kastanias, Thanos Karagrounas, Chief Impact Officer of the International Esports Federation, Nikolaos Katsaros, Head of Operations at the Hellenic e-Sports Federation (EOEA), a sports psychologist and e-sports athletes.
“We want the children to have fun, but at the same time we want them and their parents to be informed by experts about a healthy and balanced approach to gaming,” said Stathis Psyrropoulos, Mayor of Ilioupoli, thanking the Regional Authority for co-organising the event.
This is where the news also concerns Artemida. The event is not an initiative funded solely by a single local authority: it forms part of the Attica Region’s programme ‘In the Embrace of Attica – Culture and Sport in Our Neighbourhoods’, which is implemented through joint initiatives between the Region and the municipalities. The Region co-organises and funds initiatives in 66 municipalities across the Athens basin; this year marks the programme’s second year of operation. The Municipality of Spata-Artemida is one of these 66.
Here’s what our local council has chosen to do this year in terms of culture and sport: the summer cultural programme cost 196,290.76 euros including VAT — €177,690.76 for the events and €18,600 for the stage at the Cultural Centre — featuring concerts, theatre and children’s performances from late June to early August. At the same time, the ‘Sports Summer’ programme ran for seven weeks from 16 June to 31 July, for children aged 5 to 13, at the 3rd Artemida Primary School and the Spata Municipal Sports Centre.
There is a gap between the two: children aged 13 and over. For the age group that spends most of its time in front of a screen, the local council has no organised activities this year — neither digital nor aimed at informing parents. The venues are there: the Artemida Cultural Centre at 137 Artemida Street and the Artemida Municipal Gymnasium at 21 Antheon Street already host events all year round.
For anyone wishing to go to Ilioupoli, the journey from Artemida is around 35 kilometres by car, via the Attiki Odos and the Ymittos Ring Road, which takes about forty minutes in light traffic. The announcement makes no mention of pre-registration or an age limit for entry; it is aimed at children, young people and families. For further information, the Ilioupoli Municipal Council’s call centre can be reached on 210 9970000 and 15377.
A practical tip for parents taking young children along: at gaming exhibition venues, the games on offer do not always have the same age rating. The PEGI rating on the case or on the screen indicates the minimum age, and it’s worth taking a look before your child sits down at the console.
Source: Municipality of Ilioupoli, press release dated 18 September 2026. Attica Region programme ‘In the Embrace of Attica – Culture and Sport in Our Neighbourhoods’. Cost details for the 2026 summer events organised by the Municipality of Spata-Artemida, as published on the ‘Diafania’ transparency portal.
