WARSAWESOME:
WEEKEND IN WARSAW
JUNE 24 – 26
The last weekend of June seems hot stuff already. The air temperature will seem chill compared to simmering hot events coming up. We have some of the biggest and most important events cooking up. Do you want to know more? Where to go and what to see? You will find out all the info you need in #Warsawesome.
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1) Equality Parade 2022: Warsaw & Kyiv Pride
Equality Parades have been marching through the streets of the capital every year since 2001. This time, the Warsaw event takes on a more international character, because on Saturday, June 25, it will join forces with its Kyiv counterpart. This decision illustrates perfectly the view that both the rights of the LGBTQIA community and the war in Ukraine are about respecting human rights and liberties. The organizers call on the community, LGBTQIA organizations, and people around the world to join the common march to defend the freedom of the Ukrainian people, peace, and love. Miasteczko Równości starts at 10:00 in Park Świętokrzystki. At 14:00 the official opening ceremony will begin near the Palace of Culture and Science. At the same time, the march will start from Świętokrzyska accompanied by as many as 30 music platforms.
Participants will walk along Marszałkowska, Waryńskiego, Armii Krajowej, Niepodległości, Chałubińskiego, Jana Pawła II and Świętokrzyska Streets and finish the route in Świętokrzyski Park. Bear this in mind when moving around Śródmieście. After all, at Plac Defilad, there will be a final concert with performances from thekayetan, Shady Lady, and Karolina Czarnecka. Start at 17:00. The entire schedule and organizers’ demands can be found at paradarownosci.eu.
Experience shows that the parade inspires a party mood which often lasts until the morning. This year, events with an equality vibe will be held in La Pose (ul. Mazowiecka 6/8, from 17:00; FB event) and in Fala – Pavilion on the Vistula (Płyta Desantu, from 19:00; FB event). On Mazowiecka, you can enjoy the concerts by Nick Sinclair and the Mandaryna, among others, so it could get interesting. On the other hand, by the Vistula River, you can watch “White Rose” – a monodrama based on the novel by Narcyza Żmichowska, performed by Sylwia Achu, who takes us to the salons of the 19th century Warsaw, presenting the situation of local women of that time. And then – there will be an afterparty with DJs.
2) Wianki on the Vistula River
In the Slavic tradition, the spring-summer solstice, i.e. the moment of transition from one season to another, was called the Kupała Night and it fell on the night between 23/24th of June. Currently, we usually celebrate it on the Saturday closest to the original date. This Saturday is the one.
That is why we can officially announce that summer in Warsaw will begin on Saturday, June 25! That also means we will have Wianki on the Vistula!
The event will take place, as is already a tradition, in the Multimedia Fountain Park. From 13:00 to 18:00 there will be a St. John’s family market. In the reconstructed village of the ancient Slavs, you will be able to visit a weaving and pottery workshop, as well as try ancient cuisine. For the brave, there will be an archery course, agility games, and ax throwing. During the thematic workshops, you will be able to create selvage bookmarks, bake flatbreads, create unique string jewelry, and make a vessel on a potter’s wheel. Everyone interested in alternative medicine and gardening will be pleased with the presence of herbalists who will show the power of herbs and help to arrange a small garden of healing wonders. The element of magic will be introduced to Podzamcze by four fairies: Earth, Fire, Water, and Air. They will read classic, angelic, and tarot cards. The pendulum and the glass ball will also go into motion. There will also be food trucks for the hungry and concerts of folk bands for all.
From 18:30, Żywiołak, Dagadana, and Mikromusic will appear on the stage – blending folk sounds with a fusion of jazz, trip-hop, and rock to paint the contemporary landscape of Polish music culture.
In the end, from 22:30, creme de la creme awaits. A dance performance was created especially for this occasion, including gymnastic acrobatics, kites soaring in the sky, whirlpools, live flowers, large wreaths, lots of fire, light, and music. And all this against the backdrop of spectacular, dancing multimedia fountains.
This is how you can, or maybe even should, spend a Saturday evening.
official website of Wianki nad Wisłą
3) Big Book Festival
Big Book Festival, held in Warsaw since 2013, has become one of the most important European festivals due to its openness and support for local communities. Every year, it guarantees an original and unique program, which includes performances, happenings, actions in public space, and multimedia shows. They are presented only once, they are based on texts and books, and renowned authors and artistic stars are invited to co-create them every year. Let’s take a look at what this year’s edition has in store for us. It will take place from Friday to Sunday, i.e. from June 24 to 26.
Let’s start with the opening show. “Secondhand Freedom” is based on the work of the Nobel Prize winner Svetlana Alekseevich and old Polish mourning songs. The effect is supposedly electrifying. Check it out for yourself on Friday, June 24, at 20:00 in Mała Warszawa (ul. Otwocka 14).
Among the meetings with the authors, we are most interested in the conversation with Gabriel Krauze, the author of “Who They Was” nominated for the Booker Award, on Sunday, June 26, from 18:00. (ul. Otwocka 14). We always enjoy listening to Martyna Wojciechowska – and the conversation with her will precede the interview with Krauze – that’s why we will be there from 16:00. Of course, during the festival, you will also be able to buy (but also sell!) books during the Big Social Market.
We encourage you to view the entire festival program on bigbookfestival.pl
4) Outdoor performances of Teatr Polonia and Och-Teatr
You can recognize the holidays in Warsaw by the fact that a theater scene appears on Konstytucji Square. In the first installment of the open-air theater, the actors of Teatr Polonia and Och-Teatr will perform daily at 17:00 from Friday, June 24, until Wednesday, July 13. The repertoire includes “Szelmostwa Lisa Witalisa”, “Passionate Flamenco”, “Lament on Constitution Square”, “Open Union”, “Hansel and Gretel”, “Old age is beautiful”, and “2,000,000 steps”. It just so happens that in Warsaw it is always difficult to get theater tickets, and here we get performances of two top institutions, admission is free, and you can drink lemonade in the afternoon sun during the performance. Downtown dolce vita for culture lovers.
The full repertoire can be found on teatrpolonia.pl.
5) Radio Kolor Picnic in Powsin
The last recommendation for the weekend is a journey back in time. In the 1990s, every week in the amphitheater in Powsin there were piano concerts intertwined with performances of Warsaw folk orchestras (including Staś Wielanka himself). The greatest bands of those years also played there – such as De Mono, Perfect, or Beata Kozidrak. Whole families sat in the audience and everyone enjoyed grilled sausages, obligatorily with a bun, pickled cucumber, mustard, and ketchup. Cold light beer reigned supreme among the beverages. Everyone who lived in the south of Warsaw at the end of the last century holds fond memories of those events.
Then the forest scene slowly faded into oblivion until it finally became a relic of the past decades and an object mainly used by children to play. Perhaps it will be possible to restore it for the benefit of the capital’s community. After all, Powsin is a great place not only for a barbecue. Radio Kolor is trying to revive the legend and we are crossing our fingers.
They start by raising the nutritional standard. The obvious idea of organizing the Breakfast Market in Powsin will finally come true. At over 30 stands, between 10:00 and 17:00, you will be able to taste dishes from around the world. Artists from the ROMA Theater will appear on stage, presenting fragments of “Piloci” and “Aida” musicals. As festival tradition demands there will also be contests with prizes, blowing soap bubbles, camper workshops, and a dark horse – concrete mixer pancakes from Napollo.
A trip to Powsin is always a pleasant experience. It’s a place where you can best go by bike. If you choose this mode of transport, it is worth stopping on the way for some delicious food. And here we can wholeheartedly recommend checking out the cakes and ice cream in Słodka Lekość at ul. Zapłocie 10.
when: Saturday, June 25, from 11:00 to 17:00
where: Park Kultury in Powsin
To find the best places for summer walks, bike trips, dates, etc. consult our list of the 35 Amazing Things to do in Warsaw in 2022.
