Krakow Events and Festivals

International Festival of Sea Shanties: for three days in February, Krakow becomes the European sailors’ capital, with 150 performers spread over 11 events at various venues throughout the city. The events consist of all things maritime including classical shanties, sea songs, ballads and maritime poetry.

Easter: the Easter period is widely celebrated in Krakow, with a variety of traditional activities still being observed by almost the entire city. The activities begin on the Saturday, when everyone heads to their local church with a basket of customary foods to be blessed as well as to pay homage to the well-guarded traditional Easter crib. Easter Sunday is a day reserved for family and church, while the Monday is a public holiday dedicated to fun and socialising, involving such rituals as soaking people in water to remove bad luck.

Misteria Paschalia Festival: this religious music festival runs for five days in April and aims to present music-related features during the holy week and over Easter. The festival features a wide array of events based at Krakow Philharmonic Hall, with the highlight being a recital of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, who is considered by many to be the world’s greatest protestant composer.

The Great Dragon Parade: this fascinating event begins with a parade of home handmade dragons through the city’s streets, with the dragons all designed and created by the youth of Krakow and accompanied by brass bands, stilt walkers and dancers. The event culminates with an open-air show on the banks of the Vistula River featuring huge dragons carried along by various boats, barges and even jet skis. This odd parade of giant dragons is brought to a close with a spectacular show involving fireworks, laser lights and water effects.

Wianki Midsummer Festival: this centuries-old festival is based on an ancient pagan ritual, where young girls would somehow attempt to find out when they would be married by floating wreaths of herbs down the Vistula River. The modern day festival begins with the traditional floating of wreaths and is followed by various concerts and fairs, with the finale of the event being a spectacular firework show on the banks of the river.

Festival of Jewish Culture: the Jewish Culture Festival is one of the most important events in Krakow’s calendar and it features many high profile performers from around the world. The nine-day festival programme includes a wide variety of events such as concerts, exhibitions, workshops and film screenings at venues across the city.

Music in Old Krakow Festival: this is one of the oldest and most popular music festivals in the country and it draws large crowds of Poles from far and wide. The main draw of the festival is the atmosphere, created by the unusual venues used for the performances, with many of the main concerts being held in old churches, palaces and other historical buildings. The festival attracts highly regarded performers from all over the world as well as many of Poland’s most popular musicians.

Sacrum-Profanum Festival: the loose focus of this musical festival is the contrast between secular and religious music, and it features a series of concerts at different and in some cases, unusual venues. The main religious events are performed in some of the city’s many beautiful churches, while some of the secular events are held in rather unusual settings such as the Sendzimir Steelworks.

All Saints Day and All Souls Day: for two days in early November, virtually the whole of Poland descends on the nation’s graveyards to pay their respects to their departed loved ones, with the main purpose being to place burning candles on the graves, so that the souls of the dead can find their way in the darkness. This slightly gloomy practice has been observed for centuries and in fact should not be missed as the city’s graveyards lit up by thousands of candles is a truly awesome sight.

Krakow Christmas Market: a visit to the city’s Christmas Market, held in the main market square, is the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit, with the main focus being on the multitude of stalls selling handmade, traditional Polish decorations. The atmosphere of the market is further enhanced by carol concerts and other presentations based around the theme of Christmas.