sport

Athens Completes Major Sports Facility Renovations, Opens New Venues

Ongoing renovations and an imminent soft opening mark recent developments at key venues across the city.

By Athens Sport Desk · Published July 19, 2026

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Athens Completes Major Sports Facility Renovations, Opens New Venues — Photo by Michelle Frechette / wordpress (cc0)

The Ellinikon Sports Park at the former Athens airport site is scheduled for a soft opening on July 20, 2026. This comes one day after the current date of July 19, 2026, with a full public debut planned for September after an €80-100 million first phase.

Ellinikon Sports Park Timeline

The project represents a major addition to local sports infrastructure. Its soft opening next day allows limited access before the broader September launch. The timeline is supported by reports on the phased development at the site.

Olympic Swimming Pool Reconstruction

Reconstruction at the historic Olympic Swimming Pool in central Athens started in April 2026. The work is estimated to take 12 months to upgrade the facility for national water polo and swimming teams. This ongoing effort continues through the current period.

OAKA Stadium and Velodrome Works

METKA ATE received a €61.35 million contract in 2025 for structural restoration of the steel roofs at the OAKA main Stadium and Velodrome. Completion is expected within 14 months from the award. Separate renovation works worth over €25 million are underway at the Olympic Tennis Center at OAKA.

Playground Renovations by Municipality

The Municipality of Athens completed 16 renovated playgrounds as of early 2024. Eight more are scheduled for delivery by early 2026, for a total of 24 facilities. These updates form part of broader sports and recreation improvements in the city.

These projects collectively support training and competition needs for local teams. Residents can follow official announcements from the involved authorities for access details once works progress. Further updates on completion stages are expected in coming months.

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