The title of the European Capital of Culture in 1997 saw the birth of the city 's first opera and today forms an independent section of the National Theatre of Northern Greece . The opera is based at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall , one of the largest concert halls in Greece . Recently a second building was also constructed and designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki . Thessaloniki is also the seat of two symphony orchestras , the '' Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra '' and the '' Symphony Orchestra of the Municipality of Thessaloniki '' . '' Olympion Theater '' , the site of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival and the '' Plateia Assos Odeon multiplex '' are the two major cinemas in downtown Thessaloniki . The city also has a number of multiplex cinemas in major shopping malls in the suburbs , most notably in Mediterranean Cosmos , the largest retail and entertainment development in the Balkans
Thessaloniki International Film Festival
Thessaloniki International Film Festival
Thessaloniki