Greece’s Ministry of Culture has reacted negatively to a drone light show purportedly advertising a popular sportswear brand that utilized the Acropolis as a backdrop, saying it will file lawsuits against all responsible parties involved in the incident.
Social media in Greece has been awash with images of a colorful drone show, reportedly shot on Thursday evening, showing the drone swarm forming the Adidas logo and a sports shoe suspended in the skies above the ancient monument. The show sparked outrage among Greek users, who were shocked to realize that the images were not fake.
Ελλάδα 2.0
ο απόλυτος πάτος και ξεπεσμος σε μια εικόνα.
Αθλητικο παπουτσι #Adidas παταει τον #Παρθενώνα
Δεν είναι fake, ειναι η πλήρης υποταγή στις αγορές, στις big firms και στην αδίστακτη μαφιόζικη ελιτ που της ανηκουν τα παντα στη χωρα συμπεριλαμβανομένης και της #Ακρόπολη ς pic.twitter.com/zqyTU1nmop— Danæ
(@d_an_ae) May 16, 2025
In a statement on Friday in reference to the Adidas marketing show, the ministry announced that within the day, it would “file lawsuits against all responsible parties for violating archaeological protection laws.” The statement also said that the ministry is in contact with the Civil Aviation Authority to determine whether the necessary permits for the drone flight had been issued in accordance with current regulations.
Leftist opposition party SYRIZA condemned the drone display, calling it a “commodification of Greece’s cultural heritage” and criticized the government for approving the event.
“The image of a sports shoe ‘stepping’ on the Acropolis, created using a drone swarm for advertising purposes constitutes an offensive commercialization of the core of our cultural heritage,” SYRIZA said. “It raises the question: by what criteria was such a proposal approved when just last month the Culture Ministry denied director Yorgos Lanthimos permission to film at the archaeological site?”
@theculturemuse Stumbled on this in #athens tonight #drone #droneshow #adidas #greece #ellas #ellinikotiktok #foryoupage
#fyp
Acclaimed Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos had envisioned filming the climactic, subversive scenes of his upcoming movie, Bugonia, at the Acropolis. However, his request to shoot at the historic site was rejected by Greece’s Central Archaeological Council (KAS) in a unanimous decision during its latest meeting.
The production company, Either/Or Productions, had applied for a permit to film on April 10, requiring exclusive access to the archaeological site for four days, a claim the Lanthimos team has since rejected.
The proposed scene, depicting total destruction with scattered corpses just before a symbolic rebirth of hope and existence, was a key factor in the council’s decision to deny the request. Additionally, the prospect of closing off the Acropolis to the public for an extended period further solidified KAS’s stance.
In search of alternatives, a KAS member suggested filming on Philopappos Hill, a nearby site with a panoramic view of the Acropolis. However, the production team declined the proposal, indicating they would seek another location.
The Lanthimos legal team issued a legal notice, asserting that media outlets inaccurately portrayed the reasons behind the Culture Ministry’s advisory body denying the filming permit.
Specifically, the statement refutes claims that Lanthimos and his team sought exclusive access to the site for four days or requested to film without paying the required fees.
The legal team described these allegations as completely unsubstantiated and defamatory.
