Greece

Most of the public rope activity documented in Greece comes from one team in Athens. AthenShibari presents itself as a group of rope enthusiasts in Athens and says it has grown considerably since 2018. One early dated public event is a Bondage Night it organized at an Athens bar venue in December 2019, with three rope acts: an interactive piece by the local rigger WisDomme, a Spanish guest who combined flamenco and song with shibari, and a Western-style restraint scene.

Athens and Thessaloniki

The team’s work also reaches Thessaloniki. AthenShibari says it collaborates with Thessaloniki Shibari, and in March 2023 it brought a night of Japanese rope performances to 8Ball Club in Thessaloniki, with a shibari workshop the day before. In Athens the same year, three team members gave a free 90-minute introduction at the AthensPFF festival that covered the history and styles of shibari, the perspectives of both partners, negotiation, consent, risk awareness and rope care, and ended with advice on how to start.

Guests and travel

Exchange runs in both directions. AthenShibari says it has traveled to teach and perform in the UK, Germany, Denmark, Cyprus and Brussels, and it brings teachers to Athens: for 5 to 7 March 2027 it has announced a performance and two days of workshops with the Japanese kinbakushi Hourai Kasumi, the first open to all levels, the second an intermediate day on partial suspension and full suspension. The touring teacher Gestalta also lists Athens among the cities where she has performed.

Where to start

The Athens guide covers the team’s classes, jams, public sessions and stated values in detail. AthenShibari’s site is in Greek and English. For the wider context of touring teachers and festivals, see Kinbaku in Europe, and for visiting from abroad, Rope when you travel.