Wianki 2018: Music and fireworks on a Krakow midsummer’s night
Wianki is an ancient Krakow tradition stretching back to pagan times in connection with the celebration of the summer solstice. Rituals included telling fortunes, jumping over bonfires, and couples searching the forest together for the mythical fern flower. The name “Wianki,” meaning “Wreaths,” comes from a tradition which still persists today in which young women make head wreaths from flowers and ivy and throw them into the Vistula River in the hope of bringing luck for finding a partner.
The holiday continued to be celebrated off and on in the 20th century, depending on Poland’s legal situation. Since 1992, festivities have been organized by the City of Krakow and the Festival Office.
The rain is expected to clear up later today, so expect crowds of revelers to enjoy the many free musical and cultural events into the night, including a fireworks show at 22:30 along the river. (Bear in mind this may mean some alterations in traffic and public transport schedules as well.)
Here is the full schedule of attractions:
Music
Hard Rock Cafe stage – Main Square
16.00 Bitamina
17.10 Paulina Przybysz
18.20 Dwa Sławy
19.40 Wojtek Mazolewski z gośćmi
21.00 O.S.T.R.
Krakowska stage – Powiśle 11
17.00 Max Klexmer Band
18.15 Motion Trio
19.30 Hańba
20.45 Brodka Unplugged
Debut stage – plac Szczepański
16.30 Maze of Sound
17.20 Mr. Moon
18.20 Ancymon
18.50 Dym
19.20 Rectangula
19.50 New People
21.00 Rosalie
Jazz stage – plac Wolnica
16.00 Malediwy
17.00 Quantum Trio
18.00 Niechęć
19.15 Lonker See
20.30 Marek Napiórkowski
Unsound Silent Disco – plac Wolnica
00.00 Wixapol S.A., Betty, Imaabs
International stage – Święto Ulicy Stolarskiej
17.00 Official opening of the event by the Deputy Mayor of the City of Krakow for Social Policy, Culture, and Promotion of the City of Andrzej Kuliga, as well as Consuls of the USA, Germany, and France.
17.15 Stan Breckenridge Trio
18.05 Laureates of the Krakow Youth Festival of French Song
18.40 American football show
19.00 Das Paradies
20.05 Our Band
21.30 Crazy Accordion Trio
Alternative stage – plac Nowy
17.30 Artur Majewski solo
18.00 Veda Sound (Zabrocki/ Tyciński)
19.00 Alameda 5
20.15 Meek Oh Why
21.15 Maniucha & Ksawery
City youth – Gazebo in Planty Park
16.00 Chamber ensembles of the students of the Fryderyk Chopin State Secondary School of Music in Krakow
18.00 Youth Chamber Orchestra “Fresco Sonare” (conductor Monika Bachowska)
Street performance – plac św. Marii Magdaleny
14.00 Pietrzak & Ochodek
14.40 Porto Meskla
15.20 Runforrest
Street performance – Rynek Podgórski
14.00 – Krakow choir a capella
Off Wianki na Barce – Podgórska 16
14.00–18.00 Nyk, Vittuma, Erith, Patrick The Pan,
18.00–5.00 Deeep Impact Kraków: Eta Hox, Robek, Flea
MoveMove: Ola Teks, Cyryl
Sacrum Profanum INtro Scene Supernova – ul. Gazowa 21
8.00 pm Screening of the 1928 silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc (dir. K. Dreyer) with live music
Fireworks show
22.30 Along the Vistula River
Club Night
Prozak 2.0 – plac Dominikański 6
Zagraj: Neen Nah, LayDj, zuzaOK, Clockwork, Control, Kuba Sojka aka Psi-Acoustic, Meg b2b Senthia
Pasaż – ul. Stolarska 6
Zagrają: Phil Jensky, Areg V, Not So Pro, Blezz, Peetee S, SQBI
Szpitalna 1 – ul. Szpitalna 1
Via App Live, Chino Live, Olivia, Discomule, Virtual Geisha, Dj Szy, Catch_22
Strefa – ul. św. Tomasza 31
Zagrają: Kapela Maliszów, Dola + Swada
Forum Przestrzenie – ul. Marii Konopnickiej 28
P.Unity, Harper, Mr. Krime
Kawiarnia Teatralna – plac Świętego Ducha 1
Kamilescu, Bios, Kinky, Spajder Jeruzalem
Klub Serce powered by Techno Rączka – ul. Krakowska 41
Dj octopus, Château Shatetr, DJ Kubok, Mikołaj Kola Oleszczuk, Anatomy Of Mashup, Aga Kuźma i Gabriela Kubisz AKA gks_championfamily, Wojtek Polok