Winter’24

Lights of Winter

From theatre to fashion, from Christmas markets to a carnival opera festival, with the Cracovian nativity scenes and Japanese woodcuts, trips to the seaside and the mountains – Kraków culture has many ways of brightening up the dark and cold times of the year.

16 stories about Kraków

On stage – because the Divine Comedy Festival, one of Poland’s most important theatre events, is starting in December. How will it surprise us this time? The intriguing and provocative slogan – a quote from a Radiohead song – suggests that this year’s festival will be uncompromising and perhaps rebellious. Masters of theatre will also direct productions of the Opera Rara festival – performances with music by Henry Purcell and Johannes Brahms interpreted by Cezary Tomaszewski and Krystian Lupa are growing into real events. And then there is a select group of ensembles and soloists, to name just Ian Bostridge, Claire Lefilliâtre and Matthias Goerne. We will return to the roots of theatre during the Days of the Commedia dell’Arte, and although it will certainly be colourful and funny on stage, the repertoire – with Molière’s predatory The Miser at the forefront – proves that good theatre is still relevant even after a few hundred years.

Outdoors – because the show of light means not only the city’s Christmas decorations, the Christmas tree and decorations on the Main Market Square or fairs on other municipal squares but also the Garden of Lights exhibition in the Stanisław Lem Experimental Garden, which puts whole families in a joyful winter mood. The traditional annual competition for the most beautiful nativity scene will be continued with an exhibition in the Museum of Krakow and through the All Around Nativity Scenes project, which allows us to walk around the city in the trail of elaborate structures on display in shop windows. Those who prefer a solid shot of endorphins to champagne-fuelled fun will head for the Kraków New Year’s Eve Run, which starts and ends on the Main Market Square – and opening the new year, the Procession of the Three Wise Men will set off on its traditional march with carols!

In the cinema

From the annual Silent Film Festival (with screenings frequently in the old convention with live music) to screenings of extreme feats as part of the Krakow Mountain Festival – the Lumière brothers’ invention takes us back in time to a century ago, to other countries and to a world of struggle against the limitations of the human body. Speaking of long-distance voyages – sea wolves from inland Kraków will set sail on a musical voyage during the Shanties Festival for the 44th time. There will be anniversaries and memories!

In turn, a galaxy of Polish and foreign stars will perform in the spotlight at ICE Kraków (including Tangerine Dream, Kurt Elling, Lisa Gerrard and Jules Maxwell, Archive and the Cubans from the Pasión de Buena Vista band) and in Tauron Arena Kraków (including Die Antwoord, Krzysztof Zalewski and the performers of the Christmas Time! concert). In addition, heavy metal sounds will be provided by the Americans from the Pantera band.

In the museum halls…

…because if we want to calm down, the Ethnographic Museum in Kraków invites us to an exhibition about the phenomenon of sleep, including the symbolism of dreams. The lyrical side of photography is shown by the Museum of Photography (Zofia Rydet. A World of Feelings and Imagination). We will go to the Main Building of the National Museum in Krakow to see Transformations. Modernity in the Third Polish Republic – another part of the 4 × Modernity series, this time covering the period after 1989, a year that marked a breakthrough in Polish history, and an exhibition of works by Kitagawa Utamaro, one of those Japanese artists whose work has aroused European fascination and a fashion for collecting art from the Land of the Rising Sun.

This latest exhibition, which encompasses works from the collection of Feliks ‘Manggha’ Jasieński, also corresponds with the 30th anniversary of the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology. The anniversary exhibitions include a tribute to its originators and founders (All This May Become Real. Krystyna Zachwatowicz-Wajda and Andrzej Wajda), as well as a presentation of selected objects from the famous collections to which the museum owes its name (Close-up. Feliks ‘Manggha’ Jasieński and His Collection) in an original narrative.

This season’s exceptionally long carnival is suitably complemented by an exhibition Once in a Blue Moon. Celebration in Kraków at the House under the Cross, as well as the Cracow Fashion Week, the biggest fashion event in southern Poland culminating in the Cracow Fashion Awards gala – under the spotlight, of course!

To find your way around through all the regular and celebratory events in Kraków visit on karnet.krakowculture.pl.

Kraków`Culture Team