Is it possible to reconcile opposing elements? It is definitely possible in the programme of Wianki in Krakow, whose headline this year is Between Fire and Water.
The celebrations marking the shortest night of the year will once again take over the whole city, kicking off on Friday evening with an open-air screening of Cinema Paradiso on Rodło Boulevard and a Dance Night at the Wesoła Immersive arts centre.
Saturday will kick off with wreath-making workshops near the pavilion at Powiśle 11. Wreath-making stations will also be set up at the Tadeusz Boy-Żeleński monument in the Planty Garden Ring, near the Palace of Art and in the Barbican, whilst the competition for the most beautiful wreath will take place in Powiśle. Once the winner has been announced, a chill-out zone will open in Wielkiej Armii Napoleona Square, and the outdoor stage will be taken over by Zuta, Lor, Mela Koteluk and the Sw@da x Niczos duo. Cruises on traditional barges will set sail from the Museum Harbour, during which researchers from the Polish Academy of Sciences will talk about the natural treasures of the Vistula and its surroundings. The attendees will learn more interesting facts about the local flora and fauna during the workshops held on the riverbank, and they will also have the opportunity to float flower wreaths down the river and try their luck at the rafters’ matchmaking games. Charleston and lindy hop workshops will be held at the Gazebo at Planty Garden Ring, culminating in a dance party with Frank e la Famiglia. A variety of activities will fill the day at the Symbioza – Centre for Ecological Education. We can look forward to: an encounter with the soundscape of Wolski Forest, a forest bath, ambient concerts, and a Midsummer’s Eve walk in search of the fern flower. The attractions organised by the Nuremberg House will include the opening of the Nuremberg Garden, as well as the unveiling of a mural and the exhibition Sightseeing Kraków/Nuremberg – 22 Years On. Tired wanderers are welcome to visit the Garden of Respite by the Saint Florian Basilica. The garden will allow you to relax whilst making paper flowers or… reading.
After dark, the Barbican and the courtyard of Collegium Maius will become the beating heart of Wianki, with a silent disco, whilst the dance floor at the Poczta Główna Meeting Club will be set alight by Slavic hits of the Club Night, and the façade of the Potocki Palace will be adorned until dawn by a multimedia light show created by students of the Academy of Fine Arts. At around 3:30 a.m., the Dawn Concert on Poleski Boulevard will feature Midsummer songs rooted in the traditions of the Boyko, Lemko, Żywiec and Silesian regions, and we will welcome the sunrise to the sound of Podhale trumpets.
Running and Nordic walking sessions at Galeria Kazimierz will kick off Sunday at Wianki. The organisers of the Impossible Picnic at Cricoteka have also prepared a range of attractions – the programme includes a neighbourhood breakfast, a plant market, an installation and a sound walk, as well as Asia Mina’s Concert by the Water. (Karnet 6/2026)
