Annually there are a lot of cultural festivals in Krakow. Holidays in Krakow are always marked with a variety of events from film festivals, to seasonal fairs, to unique regional celebrations. Take a look at our guide to yearly events in Krakow to see what interests you the most.
Cultural festivals in Krakow
Film
Krakow is famous for its film festivals. With examples like the beloved old cinema Kino pod Baranami, and the internationally acknowledged Krakow Film Festival it is hardly surprising. Krakow Film Festival takes place every year by the end May/start of June and is dedicated to promoting the documentary, animation and short films. It is also a great way to familiarise yourself with the current trends in the cinema of the country of focus of the year’s edition (in 2017 it was Germany). Probably the best known annual film festival is Off Camera, the International Festival of Independent Cinema (April/May), dedicated to promoting independent movie-makers with seminars and screenings in many of Krakow’s art houses.
There are also other film festivals, such as Silent Film Festival and Amateur Animation Film Festival, as well as a number of summer open-air screenings. The event that brings thousands of visitors each year is Krakow Film Music Festival, one of the most innovative festivals in Europe, dedicated entirely to film scores.
Music
Krakow is also the unofficial capital of music festivals. Yearly events in Krakow focused on classical music take place almost every month. Music in Old Krakow Festival is the two-week long celebration of music from medieval pieces played in churches to a contemporary approach to classical music. Misteria Paschalia is an acclaimed festival designed around the celebration of the Holy Week and Easter with great performances of Baroque and Renaissance music.
Krakow is also home to a great many jazz festivals. The tradition of gathering in cafes and pubs and listening to local jazz artists is strong in Krakow. Jazz events are amongst the most popular cultural festivals in Krakow. Summer Jazz Festival takes place annually in June is organised by Piwnica pod Baranami, the heart and soul of Krakow jazz community. Every year, it is about 50 concerts of nearly 200 Polish and foreign artists for about 30 000 visitors.
A completely different event in character is Krakow Live Music Festival. It is a yearly festival organised in August, dedicated in huge part to hip-hop performers and drawing the attention of thousands of participants with its hot line-up.