In addition to historic architecture, cultural attractions and a great nightlife scene, Wrocław offers a busy events calendar brimming with a wide range of festivals and annual events that cater to all tastes.

Primely located within hours of Berlin, and directly between Warsaw and Prague, the city easily attracts touring acts, and hosts a number of big annual festivals that showcase its unity, diversity and creativity. Wrocław also boasts some of the best cultural venues in Poland for hosting such events, including the UNESCO-listed Centennial Hall, the National Forum of Music, the historic Wrocław Opera House, and a number of large public squares - the grand Wrocław Market Square foremost among them - for hosting open-air events.

Whether you're planning a visit to Wrocław or want to know what's on here while you're in town, here’s a month-by-month rundown of the bigger events on Wrocław’s cultural calendar. As you might expect, things really peak in the spring and summer months, but that doesn't mean city culture is in hibernation the rest of the year. Visit our Events section to see what festivals, exhibits and other events are happening in Wrocław right now, and follow the links throughout the article below for more info on the upcoming editions of each annual festival. [While we've listed them below according to how they've been organised in the past, bear in mind that these events may change months in any given year.]

February-March

WROCŁAW SHANTIES FESTIVAL
It may not be on the coast, but Wrocław is surrounded by water, with the Oder River flowing by the north side and the City Moat enclosing the rest. It’s therefore no wonder that sea shanties are so popular here. The bands performing during this festival are likely ones you’ve never heard of, but that just makes it more fun.
www.szanty.com.pl

STAGE SONG REVIEW
This might just be the only festival in the world dedicated exclusively to stage/theatre songs (as far as the organisers know, at least). It's also one of Wrocław's oldest festivals, with the first edition dating back to 1976. There are always appearances by foreign performers.
www.ppa.teatr-capitol.pl

SPANISH CINEMA WEEK
This contemporary film festival takes place in numerous cities across Poland yearly. In Wrocław, the hosting venue is New Horizons Cinema.
www.tydzienkinahiszpanskiego.com
 

April

WROCŁAW BEER MADNESS
Organised annually by Wrocław's own Browar Stu Mostów, this international craft beer festival attracts over 50 breweries from Poland and around the world, plus over 2500 beer enthusiasts. Held in a huge former tram depot, the festival offers the chance to taste a variety of craft beers, enjoy delicacies from a range of food trucks and listen to live concerts by great bands with like-minded folks. First organised in 2014, the festival has a 'pay once, drink as much as you want' policy.
www.beergeekmadness.pl

JAZZ ON THE ODER - Jazz nad Odrą
The Wrocław Jazz Festival, aka Jazz on the Oder, is now over sixty years old, placing it amongst the oldest in the land. Until 1989 the festival was primarily a student event, but since then it has grown to present the most interesting jazz artists from Poland and abroad each year.
www.jazznadodra.pl

May

3-MAJÓWKA & THE 'THANKS JIMI' FESTIVAL
The May Holidays - May 1-3 - are a great time to be in Wrocław. Things kick off on May 1st with the Thanks Jimi Festival - Wrocław's yearly attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the most people playing the same song on guitar at the same time in the same place. The first record was set in 2006 with 1581 participants and has blown up to almost 8000 participants in 2023.
www.heyjoe.pl

After the records are broken, the scene shifts to Centennial Hall, where three days of non-stop rock concerts take place outdoors in the public spaces and parks surrounding Wrocław's iconic UNESCO World Heritage Site.
www.3-majowka.pl

MILLENNIUM DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY
This annual documentary film festival runs for 10 days in 8 major Polish cities, including Wrocław, where the screenings are held in Nowe Horyzonty Cinema. The festival awards a prize for the best full-length documentary of the year, and the eye-opening films routinely touch upon the most important issues of the day.
www.mdag.pl

NIGHT OF MUSEUMS
Many European cities, including Wrocław, organise this holiday of art and culture, when all of the city's museums and cultural institutions are free to enter and stay open until the wee hours with special events. It's a pretty big deal, with thousands of people heading out after dark to visit museums big or small. Over 80 institutions and as many as 200 events take part on this special night in Wrocław, which usually occurs on the third Saturday in May.
www.facebook.com/noc.muzeow.wroclaw
 

June

GOOD BEER FESTIVAL
Good beer is, to some, a religion. For those enthusiasts, as well as the more casual beer-drinker, Wrocław offers three days full of beer tastings, concerts and brewing workshops within the massive confines of Tarczyński Arena.
www.festiwaldobregopiwa.pl

FESTIVAL OF HIGH TEMPERATURES
Typically organised in late June, this festival welcomes international artists and artisans who utilise fire in their work, primarily in the mediums of glass, ceramics and blacksmithing. Get ready for shows, workshops, presentations and concerts, all of which take place at the Wrocław Academy of Art & Design. The programme is not typically released until one month before start of the event.
www.festiwalwysokichtemperatur.pl

July

VERTIGO SUMMER JAZZ FESTIVAL
This ongoing summer event, initiated by Vertigo Jazz Club, turns all of Wrocław into a concert space each July, with live jazz performances by local and international musicians taking place in various locations every day of the month. The concerts aim to reach a bigger audience and impact the summer vibe of the city by moving beyond just bars and clubs and into unique spaces across the city, including rooftops, riverside beaches, parks, trams, islands, hotels and more.
www.vertigojazz.pl/pl/summer-jazz-festival

NEW HORIZONS FILM FESTIVAL
Each year since 2001 this major cultural festival, also known as MFF Nowe Horyzonty, has gathered about 100,000 visitors - visionaries, artists and fans of great cinema - for a roster of international independent films that provoke thoughts and emotions, while vying for a substantial cash prize. The festival typically runs for about 10 days in July at Wrocław's Nowe Horyzonty cinema, and 2.5 weeks online via their VOD service. The programme also typically includes art events, workshops and lectures.
www.nowehoryzonty.pl

WROSOUND
This festival has steadily grown over 15 years into a big summer festival with two stages, two chillout zones, a gastro zone and two days of concerts. Originally dedicated to local bands, the indoor stage at Impart stays true to the local scene, while the main stage - located outside the venue - now invites big touring artists.
www.wrosound.com

SIMCHA JEWISH CULTURE FESTIVAL
With the aim of showing the richness and beauty of Wrocław's Jewish heritage, SIMCHA features a full week of international shows, concerts, workshops, art exhibits and dances, typically beginning at the end of July and running into August. Highlights include the Jewish street market (Jarmark Żydowski), and the Friday evening open service, followed by the traditional Sabbath supper.
www.simcha.art.pl

August

MĘSKIE GRANIE
Sometimes Poland outs itself a place that's still catching up to contemporary Western thinking, as in the case of the name of this travelling summer festival, Męskie Granie, or 'Manly Playing.' Sponsored by Polish Beer brand Żywiec, and started in 2010, this festival gathers some of the biggest contemporary stars of the Polish music scene - both men and women, as it happens - and visits 6 cities over 6 summer weekends from mid-June to mid-August. In Wrocław the festival takes place over 2 days outdoors on Pole Marsowe.
www.meskiegranie.pl/wroclaw

September

WRATISLAVIA CANTANS
Founded in 1966 by Polish conductor Andrzej Markowski, this sacred music festival has been going strong for well over half a century. Beautiful music in beautiful surroundings - concerts by international performers take place in Wrocław’s historic churches.
www.wratislaviacantans.pl

AVANT ART FESTIVAL
Avant Art is an annual presentation of experimental and avant-garde art, notably exploring the genres of independent musical expression. Unfolding across various venues in Wrocław each September, the international festival also travels to other Polish cities each September, demonstrating that artistic musical experimentation knows no bounds.
www.avantart.pl

WROCŁAW GNOME FESTIVAL
Wrocław is famous for its gnome statues hidden all over the city centre. For one special weekend of September, these gnomes come to life and take over the Old Town to the delight of kids. The three-day festivities include a wide range of attractions and activities aimed at families and children, including the Great Gnome Parade, the Great Gnome Village in Park Staromiejski, circus, fire and magic shows, a silent disco, theatre and dance performances, dwarf workshops and various urban games.
www.facebook.com/WroclawskieKrasnale

'DZIECINADA' FESTIVAL OF CHILDREN'S THEATRE
Occurring each year at the end of September, this festival brings international theatre troupes to Wrocław to perform plays specifically for children. Hosted by Wrocław's own Klinika Puppet Theatre, the festival takes place at several stages throughout the city, with one day being completely outdoors at the Depot History Centre.
www.dziecinada.wroclaw.pl

October

WROCŁAW PUMPKIN FARM
Not far from Centennial Hall, this 10,000m2 space turns into a pumpkin farm every autumn from mid-September until the end of October. Every day at Wrocław Pumpkin Farm is a bit like an American Harvest Festival down on the farm, with dozens of attractions for kids, including a hay maze, hay racetrack, tractor rides, petting zoo, thematic games, settings and selfie spots. There's also food on hand, including pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie and the obligatory pumpkin spice latte.
www.dyniowafarma.pl

'OPOWIADANIA' SHORT STORY FESTIVAL
Backing up Wrocław's UNESCO City of Literature bonafides, this annual festival creates a platform for Polish and foreign writers of short fictional prose to exchange ideas about the significance of this contemporary literature form. Live readings are at the heart of the festival - each story is read in its original language. The festival is accompanied by workshops for children, exhibitions, concerts, film showings, a best short story contest, best literary translation contest, and creative writing workshops.
www.opowiadania.org
 

November

WROCŁAW INDUSTRIAL FESTIVAL
First started in 2001, the annual Wrocław Industrial Festival is an opportunity for fans hear live concerts by the biggest stars of the genre, as well as young artists unafraid to enrich industrial aesthetics with fresh ideas. The four-day festival is typically held in Stary Klasztor.
www.industrialart.eu

AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL
Hollywood films are all over Polish movie screens (and, in fact, most movie screens worldwide), but smaller, independent productions often go unnoticed, which is a shame. The AFF brings more niche American films to Wrocław's Nowe Horyzonty cinema for one week each November.
www.americanfilmfestival.pl

JAZZTOPAD
Fro 10 days of jazz each November (Listopad in Polish, hence the name), this jazz festival brings some of the most-respected names in the genre to Wrocław. The top acts perform in the prestigious National Forum of Music, but concerts will take place throughout the city in November.
www.nfm.wroclaw.pl

ONE LOVE MUSIC FESTIVAL
What began as Europe's largest indoor reggae festival has gradually expanded and diversified to unite artists and fans that groove to the sounds of reggae, drum and bass, soul, hip-hop, electronic and world music. A Wrocław institution, this 1-day music festival shakes down Centennial Hall each November.
www.onelove.pl

December

WROCLAW CHRISTMAS MARKET
Wrocław boasts one of Poland's biggest and most beautiful Christmas markets, which not only occupies the main market square, but also extends onto several sidestreets. In addition to over 260 handsome wooden stalls selling gifts, the fair features plenty of hot food, mulled wine, a performance stage, amusement rides and the 'Bajkowy Lasek' (Fairy Tale Forest), where animatronic characters convey fairy tales to wide-eyed children. Absolute magic and a great reason to visit Wrocław, the fair is typically opens 2 Fridays before December 6th (the day Santa visits Poland) and runs until the first Sunday after New Year's Eve.
www.jarmarkbozonarodzeniowy.com