Happy New Year!
Today is New Year’s Eve! And although this year we are staying at home and of course we only have at midnight to watch the fireworks show from London on YouTube, I will nostalgically show you the biggest and the most interesting events that take place in Katowice every year. For several years, Kato has been awarded the honourable title of UNESCO City of Music. Many interesting festivals on a global scale take place in Katowice, here are some of them:
OFF
FESTIVAL (website)
The festival of one of the greatest Polish artists of the alternative scene, Artur Rojek, has been attracting thousands of people from all over Europe for many years. On the first weekend of August each year, Dolina Trzech Stawów turns into the epicentre of alternative music. So far, Rojek's invitation has been accepted by Iggy Pop, PJ Harvey, Patti Smith, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine, The Flaming Lips, The National, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Slowdive, Belle And Sebastian, Run The Jewels, Charlotte Gainsbourg, MIA, Grizzly Bear and many more.
In 2014, the Festival was among the best festivals in the world according to TIMES magazine, and a few years later, won the prestigious European Festival Award in the Best Medium-Size Festival category.
Interestingly, in addition to presenting interesting music, the organizers of the Festival care about ecology - everything is organized according to the Zero Waste principle, and in one of the last editions, the entrance gate was a huge container of plastic waste, intended to show how big a problem plastic pollution is. Moreover, 80% of the food sold at the festival is vegetarian or vegan.
This year, in December, due to the pandemic, the OFF Club organized a series of concerts without an audience at the Evangelical-Augsburg Church in Katowice Szopienice. Streaming could be watched for free on Youtube.
TAURON NEW
MUSIC (webside)
This festival is organized in the Katowice Cultural Zone, between the Spodek and the Silesian Museum, as well as in post-industrial mine buildings and is a great occasion for fans of electro and techno futuristic music. The formula of the festival is ahead of modern times, creating unforgettable concerts that are extraordinary audio-visual performances. Played here, among others Kraftwerk, Autechre, DJ Krush, Prefuse 73, Jamie Lidell, Amon Tobin, Flying Lotus, Battles, Bonobo, Fever Ray. During the festival week, the organizers prepare events in various parts of the city. This event has been chosen the best small festival in Europe three times.
RAWA BLUES (webside)
The biggest blues in-door festival in the world taking place in Spodek. The name comes from the Rawa river that flows through Katowice. Every year, the world and Polish greatest blues bands come here to give phenomenal concerts.
Other festivals are: METALMANIA, METAL HAMMER FESTIVAL, MAYDAY (techno music), Katowice JazzArt and the Silesian Jazz Festival, and Kultura Natura (classical music).
If there is no festival taking place during your stay in Katowice and you are in a party mood, go to Mariacka Street - a promenade filled to the brim with bars and pubs, where there is always something going on. My favorite place: Bar KATO (Mariacka St 13), Embassy of Herring and Wódki (Mariacka St 25), Lorneta z Meduzą (Mariacka St 5) and Continuation (Staromiejska St 8).
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