The Promising Festival Says Goodbye—for Now

Nov 1, 2024. For the past three years, Bearly Athens had become a unique beacon for the Mediterranean bear community, gathering visitors from around the world to enjoy a week of celebration, unity, and queer joy in the heart of Athens. This promising event, known as "a bear week extravaganza," offered something truly special, a gathering of diversity and shared experiences that felt like a homecoming for many.

However, recent signs had left some concerned about the event's future. The website’s closure weeks ago, accompanied by a shift to a new domain name, hinted at possible turbulence within the organization. Supporters and attendees hoped these were minor bumps in the road. But sadly, this week, Bearly Athens announced via Instagram that the festival has been suspended indefinitely due to challenges with sponsorship and staffing.

The statement, signed by organizers Matt and Nikolas, carries a heartfelt message of gratitude for all those who made Bearly Athens possible—the performers, artists, participants, venues, and organizations who breathed life into this dream. The message is both a thank-you and a farewell, expressing hope that, perhaps someday, Bearly Athens might return.

While the official statement brings sadness to the bear community, it also reflects on the strength and unity built over these past three years. As the organizers say, "We remain a united community and will cherish all the queer moments of joy we shared together." Until the hopeful day of its return, Bearly Athens will be remembered as a cherished chapter in the lives of its attendees, a loss that leaves a bittersweet void in the calendar of queer celebrations.

Official Statement Translation from Greek:

Having hosted bears from around the world and many other queer creatures in Athens over the last three years for 'Bearly Athens: a bear week extravaganza,' we have made the difficult decision to suspend the festival indefinitely due to issues with sponsorship and staffing.

We would like to thank all the performers, artists, participants, venues, and organizations that supported us and shared the dream of Bearly Athens with us.

We remain a united community and will cherish all the queer moments of joy we shared together. We hope and dream that someday, in the future, we may return.

Thank you for 3 years of unique BEARLY moments.

With love,

Matt + Nikolas

The bear community waits, ever hopeful, for the day when Athens might once again roar with the spirit of Bearly.