Open House Thessaloniki returns on 22–23 November, once again inviting the public to experience the city through its architecture. During the festival weekend, over 70 buildings, ranging from historic landmarks and adaptive reuse projects to innovative new constructions, will open their doors for free guided tours led by volunteers, offering a unique opportunity to explore Thessaloniki’s diverse architectural identity.

This year’s theme, Future Heritage – Today’s Architecture, Tomorrow’s Legacy, shared with other European festivals in the Open House Europe network, reflects on how architecture bridges past and future. The programme highlights how historic structures, contemporary designs, and sustainable practices together form the foundations of tomorrow’s urban heritage. In a city defined by 2,500 years of continuous transformation, Future Heritage encourages visitors to consider how today’s decisions shape the cultural legacy we will leave behind.

The Open Tours form the core of the festival’s programme, allowing participants to enter both public and private buildings across Thessaloniki. On the weekend of 22–23 November, each participating building will reflect the spirit of Future Heritage, falling within one of three thematic categories: Preserved Heritage, Transformation, and Sustainable Design. The programme highlights projects that preserve and showcase the historical identity of buildings, give existing structures new life through creative and innovative reuse, and embrace principles of sustainable and contemporary architecture.

Complementing the main programme, Made in Thessaloniki (15–19 November) invites visitors to workshops and creative spaces to discover local craft and production processes. Educational programmes such as Open School (18, 21 November) and Live-Streaming Tours (18–22 November) make the festival accessible to broader audiences, and Open Office (20–21 November) opens the doors of leading architectural studios. Among the highlights of the complementary programme is Open Walk (15–16 November), dedicated to Thessaloniki’s industrial heritage.

The festival’s programme also includes creative competitions: Open Photo, Open Your Map, Open Vote, and the Visual Stories open call, which encourage public participation and creative reflection on this year’s theme.

The festival is organised by Open House Greece under the auspices and funding of the Ministry of Culture and Sports and with the support of the Municipality of Thessaloniki.

We invite all visitors of Open House Thessaloniki to participate in the Open Call for Visual Stories—an opportunity to creatively interpret the festival experience and this year’s Open House Europe theme, “Future Heritage”. Submissions can take any visual form, including photography, short film, drawing, or other artistic expressions.