Posters promoting “Opole 2024” are being hung everywhere, and preparations in the market square will be soon underway… The time has come. It’s the National Polish Song Festival in Opole, this year taking place from the 31st of May, to June the 2nd!
You might have heard before how Opole is often called the capital of Polish songs. This name originates from the aforementioned musical celebration, most often taking place in early June. Since its inception in 1963, originally serving as a counterweight to our national radio stations’ stagnation and as a clever way to promote the formerly German area known back then mostly for the city’s cement factory, it has over the years became a significant force in the field of Polish entertainment. Many Polish stars who gained some of their first large-scale appearances there, have later represented our country in various competitions or international events, such as Eurovision – for example, our three highest-ranking acts in the history of the contest – Edyta Górniak, Ich Troje, and Michał Szpak.
The Millennium Amphitheater, the original construction of which had been finished a day prior to the first show, gained wide recognition through the yearly events, thanks to the free television broadcasts becoming one of our most impactful cultural sites. While prominent as a very popular spot for local artists and comedy groups, it is also frequently hosting a vast range of performances and concerts by many acclaimed international guests, like Shaggy, Alvaro Soler, Jenny Berggren from Ace of Base, or Shanguy. It is also the location of the National Centre of Polish Song and the very technologically advanced Polish Song Museum, the latter of which we are planning to write an article about in the future, as there is definitely a lot to mention regarding its interesting collections.
(photo: Piotr Bieniecki / www.fototeo.pl license: CC BY-SA 3.0)
