The Festival, which is funded by the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Kalamata, is the key event every year of the city’s International Dance Centre - founded in 1995, with the aim of supporting and promoting the art of dance via research, education, and artistic activities.

Apart from the dance performances the programme for this year’s festival includes film screenings (tributes to choreographers Pina Bausch and Merce Cunningham), a photography exhibition by Alexandros Niagos, and a guided tour of the archaeological site of Messene).