From vibrant cultural celebrations to world-class music festivals, Poznań knows how to put on a show. Whether you're a fan of film, food, fantasy, folk traditions, full-blown rock festivals or throbbing beats, there's constantly something happening in and around this dynamic city. With a packed cultural calendar, and big name festivals like Next, Malta, Edison and Bittersweet drawing visitors from across Poland and beyond, Poznań offers plenty of special events worth planning a trip around. Visit our events page to see what's happening locally right now, and read on for our list of the best festivals and annual events in Poznań each month. 

MARCH

KAZIUK FAIR
The Kaziuk Fair is an annual tradition organised by Poznań's Lithuanian Society on the Sunday closest to March 4, the feast day of St. Casimir. St. Casimir was the crown prince of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and is today the patron saint of Lithuania. The day features a procession of historical reenactors dressed as the Jagiellonian dynastic family, which goes from the Market Square to Plac Wolności, where a cultural stage featuring a cascade of folk troupes is set up, as well as a fair selling traditional Lithuanian foods and goods. Expect music, dance, singing, some strange foods and plenty of handicrafts.

APRIL

NEXT FEST
Poland's version of SXSW, Next Fest features three days of concerts by Polish music stars and breakout artists, some of them performing in front of large crowds for the first time. Taking place in multiple venues across Poznań, the festival is both a music showcase and conference for music industry reps full of meetings, workshops, lectures and networking events.

JUNE

MALTA FESTIVAL
Hundreds of artists from around the world arrive in Poznań for 9 days each summer, turning the entire city into a stage for a wide range of free events, from experimental dance performances to high-voltage concerts, artistic workshops to literary readings, silent discos to street theatre, all culminating in an open-air concert on Lake Malta. The festival has fetched many big names in the past, and truly offers something for everyone with its rich, diverse programme, making it a great time to visit Poznań.

PYRKON FANTASY FESTIVAL
One of Europe's largest fantasy festivals, with gaming, movies, comics and literature offering fans a few slices of pop cultural/fantasy heaven. It's 50+ hours of non-stop fun at Poznań International Fair, with Q&As, gameplay, exhibition viewings, fantasy villages, and meeting fantasy creators from all over the world!

ETHNO PORT
This annual summer festival brings music from literally all over the world to Poznań audiences, celebrating the universal language of music. Ethno Port has even been recognised internationally for its promotion of world music, cultural diversity, tolerance and artistic freedom. The festival takes place in and around the Imperial Castle, and in addition to global music, the festival also crosses over into visual arts, literature, theatre, dance, and cinema.

JULY

EDISON FESTIVAL
Located in Baranowo (15mins northwest from Poznań city centre) on the wooded shores of Lake Kierski, this weekend music festival features two stages - one of which is tucked in the forest - and a much more laidback, family vibe than your typical open-air music festival. Feel the forest rhythyms, enjoy delicious food from on-site vendors, participate in creative activities, swim in the lake, and soak up the peaceful scenery as the latest Polish hitmakers grace the stage.

MĘSKIE GRANIE
This annual summer concert series/tour, sponsored by Żywiec, travels across Poland, creating a weekend music festival in each of PL's largest cities. Catch a line-up of top Polish artists at the peak of their powers, many of whom create song collaborations specifically for the tour.

ANIMATOR FILM FESTIVAL
Animated films end up on the back-burner of many film festivals, but not this one. Each year, the Animator Festival brings a week's worth of screenings, concerts, workshops and lectures. One of the most prestigious animation festivals in Europe, ANIMATOR is one of only three Oscar-qualifying festivals in Poland, meaning if you nab an award in Poznań, you can submit your film for consideration at the Academy Awards! 

AUGUST

BITTERSWEET MUSIC FESTIVAL
This summer music festival takes over Citadel Park for three action-packed days, with a world-class line-up of stars on multiple stages, plus numerous hangout zones, an artistic and workshop program, social activities and partner promotions. Maybe the biggest Poznań music festival of the year, check their website to see who's coming to town.

GOOD TASTE FESTIVAL
This annual international food fair on Plac Kolegiacki includes lots of regional and international food products, street food, hot dishes, local beer and alcohol, plus concerts, culinary shows, workshops and competitions.

LETNIE BRZMIENIE (SUMMER SOUNDS)
Similar to Męskie Granie, this touring event brings some of the Poland's top musicians together for a weekend music festival in the open air of Citadel Park. Two days of solo concerts by the biggest Polish stars, as well as the premiere of special projects like Babie Lato - a girl band created specifically for the tour, who create a joint festival anthem each summer.

OCTOBER

OFF CINEMA Documentary Film Festival
Each October Kino Pałacowe in the Imperial Castle hosts this showcase of short and feature-length documentaries from around the world. From over 2500 submissions, about 40 feature-length films are chosen for awards, prize money and screenings. A comprehensive overview of the contemporary status of documentary cinema, and an annual insight into the world around us.

NOVEMBER

ST. MARTIN'S DAY
One of Poznań's most unique and idiosyncratic holidays, the city pulls out all the stops for St. Martin's Feast Day on November 11th. This has been an important date for the city since medieval times, and even supersedes Independence Day (also November 11th). While the rest of Poland is doing military parades, Poznań's St. Martin's Street more closely resembles Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras, with a colourful and kitsch street parade, featuring floats, marching bands and more, plus special concerts, medieval games, exhibits, and other performances during the week. The holiday even has its own foods: munch on delicious St. Martin's croissants (rogale świętomarcińskie), and in the evening, roast duck or goose.

DECEMBER

POZNAŃ BETHLEHEM
Poznań may be the best city in Poland to visit during the Christmas holidays. Under the umbrella of 'Betlejem Poznańskie,' each year the city seems to go bigger with its festivities, which now include three separate holiday markets - a small one on the Market Square, a huge one at the MTP Poznań Fairgrounds, and one that's just right on Plac Wolności. And they open their holiday markets earlier than any other city in Poland! In addition to wooden stalls packed with decorations, gifts, toys, handicrafts, hot food, sweets and spiced wine, there are extraneous attractions aplenty, including a Ferris wheel, carousels, whirligigs, ice rinks, concert stages, fairground games and more. It's enough to keep visitors busy for multiple days and a great time to come and catch the festive spirit.

POZNAŃ ICE FESTIVAL
Part of Poznań's Christmas celebrations, in tandem with the city's holiday markets, this winter highlight brings the world's most-skilled ice artists to the market square, where they use chisels, picks and chainsaws to create art right before your very eyes. The results are dazzling and a strong argument for visiting Poznań this time of year.