Amari is both a village and a small region right in the heart of Crete, under the watchful eye of the island's highest peak, the legendary Psiloritis. This weekend, the whole valley will resound with music from Greece and abroad, as part of the first ever Amari Green Festival, accompanied by a whole programme of other activities that seek to bring local culture in conversation with the rest of the Mediterranean. Guest musicians from Armenia and Spain will join local artists for a musical dialogue that defies borders, while in the meantime visitors will be able to learn local, traditional dances in dedicated workshops.

During the festival, visitors will also have the opportunity to learn more about local history, food and culture through tastings, cooking lessons and more. The festival's founder, Yannis Papatzanis, conceived the festival as a meeting of international artists and cultures of the world, in order to "build bridges" across the region. After all, it only takes a song, a dance and food shared in good company to realise that we're not as different as we think we are.