Kraków was the home of Nobel laureate poets Czesław Miłosz and Wisława Szymborska. It’s no surprise, then, that it has long been a favourite city of singer-songwriters. The literary cabaret Piwnica Pod Baranami was a hub for many generations of singers performing poetry, including Ewa Demarczyk and Marek Grechuta. For many years their songs were a significant reference point for other Cracovian artists, who either chose to continue the tradition or distance themselves from it.

When Demarczyk and Grechuta sang at Piwnica Pod Baranami, Kraków was also home to a major big-beat scene. One of its most important representatives was Zbigniew Wodecki – classically trained violinist and a great proponent and performer of popular music. When he debuted in the 1970s, his delightful songs, somewhat reminiscent of Burt Bacharach’s style, were a breath of fresh air on Kraków’s music scene. Sadly, Wodecki passed away before his time in 2017. His life and music are commemorated with the Wodecki Twist Festival – an event bringing together artists from all over Poland to perform some of his most popular hits. Held in June, the event has been growing rapidly, and in 2019 we heard Polish artists Kayah, Anna Maria Jopek and Urszula Dudziak alongside guests from abroad Matt Dusk and Chris Botti.

As well as pop, Kraków has also long been home to underground music. It all started with the psychedelic group Zdrój Jana (Poland’s response to The Velvet Underground), followed by bristly punks. The scene is still thriving today with bands such as Inkwizycja and Chupacabras, and various post-punk formations such as the sardonic Püdelsi and the lyrical Świetliki. The versatile artist Maciej Maleńczuk started off busking on the streets of Kraków; he went on to perform with several local bands, and he is currently focusing on performing pop standards.

Cracovian underground also forms the foundations of the local alternative scene. Its representatives regularly perform at the Wianki – Fête de la Musique, the annual event held in June at several club and outdoor stages throughout the city. The scene has myriad facets: there are singer-songwriters such as Limboski and Patrick The Pan, indie-rock bands Bad Light District and Rycerzyki, and female vocalists Renata Przemyk and Paulina Bisztyga.

As well as local performers, the Wianki Music Festival showcases stars of ambitious Polish pop, such as Monika Brodka, Mela Koteluk, Dawid Podsiadło and The Dumplings. The huge popularity of hip-hop in Poland is reflected there by artists such as Fisz and O.S.T.R. The municipal celebrations of New Year’s Eve are another great opportunity to hear live music at several stages throughout the city, featuring a range of genres aimed at listeners of all ages.

And of course favourite rock and pop bands perform in Kraków throughout the year at the city’s many popular clubs: the largest, Studio, is in the heart of the AGH University of Science and Technology campus, with Kwadrat, Żaczek, Alchemia and ZetPeTe hosting leading performers in many genres. Re, Baza, Warsztat and Świetlica focus on alternative music, while hipsters flock to Forum Przestrzenie at the former hotel which first opened right at the end of the communist era. The student Juwenalia Festival draws scores of home-grown pop and rock stars every May.

Kraków has always been a magnet for visitors from all over the globe, some of whom decide to make the city their home. Many of them are musicians who perform and record here. Some are evanescent, making a brief appearance before disappearing without trace, but some have become an indelible part of the local music scene. They include Eluktrick – described as “Poland’s Radiohead” for intertwining electronics with alternative rock – and the vibrant folk band Vladimirska.