The ‘‘Mykonos Summer Core – Arts & Culture Editorial” is one of our online ISSUE segments, head to ‘PAPARAZZI ISSUE‘ for the complete experience and set of images.
When you hear the word Mykonos a few things come to mind: parties, clubs, celebrities, drugs, but also beautiful beaches and the Aegean. They are all true. Mykonos has been one of the top Greek islands for vacations for more than 50 years and that does not seem about to change any time soon.
Was Mykonos Always So Popular?
Back in the 1960s, Mykonos started gaining popularity as a holiday destination for celebrities and wealthy people, and began to get an elegant style. About two decades later, the opening of a plethora of gay bars attracted the LGBTQIA+ community and the island still has one of the most queer-friendly atmospheres in all of Greece. To this day, Mykonos’ party scene is one of the most well-known along with the one in Ibiza and rightfully so. It basically goes on 24/7 in bars, beaches, yachts and villas, with drag shows, DJ sets and events happening every day. This party lifestyle has been very closely linked to drug use, which is something the island has become known for over the years.
The Vibes Of The Editorial
In this editorial, Mykonos life is captured by a camera following people around the island for 24 hours. The snapshots are raw, natural and show a glimpse of what a casual day in Mykonos is like. Many people start and end their day with the same outfit on, since usually they stay out continuously and the fun never stops. Apart from the partying and floods of tourists, the daily life of the locals still goes on, giving some peace and quiet in the otherwise hectic island. Fruit and fish markets take their place regularly in the heart of the island, while local stores sell handmade products. A lot of the time people visit these places in the morning while still wearing their party outfits from the night before, giving themselves a raw nature. The ‘chora’ of the island is full of life especially towards the evening and night time, with restaurants, bars and clubs each having their own event. The people visiting Mykonos most of the time are seen drinking whether that is on the beach, during lunch, on the street or in bars. That is the ‘summer in Mykonos’ essential.
Mykonos Online
Today, you simply cannot go to Mykonos and not post online about how amazing of a time you are having. The intensity of Mykonos lifestyle is something to be shared, but showing how much fun everyone is having is far more important. There is this pressure about having the time of your life in Mykonos, which a lot of the time leads to fake Instagram stories or online posts just to prove you lived the ‘Mykonos dream’, which if we are being honest is not always realistic. People begin to feel trapped in their online personas and often forget to live in the moment, even if it’s not always the best.
The island, known as the ‘island of the winds’ is visited each year by many celebrities. Throughout the years Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, George Clooney and many many others have been spotted having drinks, partying and enjoying the Aegean seas, giving Mykonos an elegant and rich character. Paparazzi shots of them lying on the beach, having seafood in Greek restaurants and dancing the night away are released every time someone gets spotted on the island. Lindsay Lohan even opened a nightclub in May 2018 called ‘Lohan Beach House Mykonos’ with plans for a reality show based on it, but sold the property in June of 2019.
Mykonos Vs Greece
What is interesting about the island is that despite its party nature, it still holds a lot of elements of traditional Greek island life. In the middle of all the luxury the white houses with the blue windows, clear blue waters and tavernas remind people they are still in Greece, while the villages outside the touristic areas remain untouched. It has some of the most beautiful beaches in the Aegean sea and while most of them do have beach bars, there are a lot that still don’t. Truly, Mykonos has it all.
However, we do have to note that the ‘Mykonos bubble’ is just that: a bubble. It is not a realistic representation of what Greece is like neither when it comes to wealth either the openness of the people or the acceptance of LGBTQIA+ community. Mykonos is Mykonos and the rest of Greece is a whole other planet. So, if you have been to Mykonos, you have not seen what Greece really is like, but you probably have had the party of a lifetime.
Team:
Article DESPINA ZACHAROPOULOU @DESPINAZACH_
Captured GIORGOS LIOTIS @LIOTISSS