57th International Festival of the
Highland Folklore in Zakopane
August 21-27, 2026
August 21, Friday
10:00 Podhale Championships in carriage driving, competition for Coachmen of the Year and Singing contest.
Festival Village - Górna Rówień Krupowa (Upper Rówień Krupowa)
Polish Highlanders Day:
13:30 Presentation of awards in the Children’s Festival Poster art contest.
Festival Tent (workshop) or open-air stage, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
14:00 Concert Mali Górale (Little Highlanders). Presentation of the winners of the XVII Tatra Festival of Highland Bands “Złote Kierpce” (Golden Slippers”):
„Mali Hamernicy” – from Kraków
„Małe Regle”– from Poronin
“The Polany School Song and Dance Ensemble” -from Kościelisko
„Mali Białcanie” – from Białka
Festival Village - open-air stage, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
16:00 Record in the robber dance / Klimek Bachleda children’s team
Festival Village - open-air stage, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
17:00 Presentation of the heritage of the Polish Highlanders:
Regional Team “Istebna” from Istebna
Regional Team “OwCok” from Orawa
Regional Team “Zielony Jawor” from Spisz
Host teams: The “Budorze” highlander ensemble, affiliated with the Dr. Władysław Matlakowski School of Construction in Zakopane
Festival Village - open-air stage, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
20:00 CONCERT IN A FOLK NOTE – Stefan Stec from Slovakia
Festival Village - open-air stage, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
August 22, Saturday
10:00 Scientific seminar titled “The World of Highlander Beliefs - at the Intersection of the Sacred and Magic”
speakers:
dr Katarzyna Ceklarz, dr hab. prof. ucz. Katarzyna Drąg, dr Piotr Drąg, dr Eugenia Grancarova (Bulgaria), Father Bernardo Maria Ibarra (Argentina), Zuzanna Raźniewska
Kino Miejsce (Cinema Miejsce), 2 Orkana Street, Zakopane
15:00 Highlander Wedding performed by the group “ Bartusia Obrochty” from Zakopane
“Wypytowiny” (“The traditional pre-wedding interrogation”)
Plac Niepodległości (Independence Square)
16:00 Highland wedding performed by the group “ Bartusia Obrochty” from Zakopane
Festival Village - open-air stage, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
20:00 CONCERT IN A FOLK NOTE – Roby Lakatos
Festival Village - open-air stage, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
August 23, Sunday
10:30 Holy Mass
Church of the Holy Cross, Zamoyskiego Street
11:30 Parade through the streets of Zakopane
Zamoyskiego and Krupówki Streets
13:30 Podhale Sheepdogs Exhibition - Kennel Club Zakopane Branch
Festival Village - Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
18:00 INAUGURATION CONCERT
Festival Village - open-air stage, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
August 24, Monday
10:00 Regional workshops – Painting wooden spoons
Festival village - open-air tent, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
11:00 Festival Promotion in Zakopane - Senegal
From the Zakopane City Hall to Oczko Wodne (“Water Eye” Krupówki Street)
12:00 Animations for children - The Role of Bats in Everyday Life
Festival village - open-air tent, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lowerr Rówień Krupowa)
12:00 The Władysław Trebunia - Tutka International Competition of Folk Bands, Instrumentalists and Singers
Festival village – open-air stage, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
15:00National Day - Bosnia and Herzegovina
Festival village – Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
17:00 Competition concerts: Romania, Poland, Portugal, Ghana
Festival village – open-air stage, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
20:00 Competition concerts: Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary,
Festival village – open-air stage, Górna Rówień Krupowa (Upper Rówień Krupowa)
August 25, Tuesday
10:00 Regional workshops – “Tradition and Craftsmanship-Porcelain from Bolesławiec”
Festival village - open-air tent, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
11:00 Festival Promotion in Zakopane - Turkey
From the Zakopane City Hall to the Tatra Museum and the PTTK building
12:00 Animations for children - Traditional rag doll on a wooden spoon
Festival village - open-air tent, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
12:00 The Władysław Trebunia - Tutka International Competition of Folk Bands, Instrumentalists and Singers
Festival village - open-air stage, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
15:00 National Day - Romania
Festival village - Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
16:00Outdoor concert:Bulgaria
Native Culture Center Villa Czerwony Dwór (The Red Mansion)
17:00 Competition concerts: Czech Republic, Poland, Italy
Festival village – open-air stage, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
20:00 Competition concerts : Croatia, Poland, Senegal
Festival village – open-air stage, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
August 26, Wednesday
10:00 Regional workshops – “Traditional brooms made of branches”
Festival village - open-air tent, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
11:00Festival Promotion in Zakopane – Italy
From the Zakopane City Hall to the Plac Niepodległości (Independence Square)
12:00 Animations for children - “Painting Folk Masks”
Festival village - open-air tent, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
12:00 The Władysław Trebunia - Tutka International Competition of Folk Bands, Instrumentalists and Singers
Festival village - open-air stage, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
15:00 National Day- Portugal
Festival village - Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
16:00 Competition concerts: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia, Turkey
Festival village – open-air stage, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
18:00 Concert “Music of the Carpathian Arc” - music by bands – festival participants: Poland, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia
Festival village – open-air stage, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
19:00 Concert - Jan Karpiel Bułecka and Friends
Festival village – open-air stage, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
21:00 Farewell Ball - a dance party for Zakopane residents and visitors - with music performed by the hosts and festival bands
Festival village - Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
August 27, Thursday
10:00 Regional workshops – “Herbs, Wreaths, and Tradition”
Festival village -open-air tent, Górna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
12:00 Animations for children - “Herbs, Wreaths, and Tradition”
Festival village -open-air tent, Górna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
13:00 Prayer for peace
National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Krzeptówki 14 Street
17:00 FINAL CONCERT - Announcement of the main competition results and The Władysław Trebunia - Tutka International Competition of Folk Bands, Instrumentalists and Singers
Award ceremony
Festival village - open-air stage, Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
ACCOMPANYING EVENTS:
- Folk Art and Handicrafts Fair
Festival village -Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
- Post-competition outdoor exhibition – Children’s Festival Poster
Festival village - Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
- Photography Exhibition from the Collections of the Tatra Museum (Poland)
Festival village - Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
- Photography exhibition from the archives of the National Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage at the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore, part of the Ethnographic Museum of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Bulgaria)
Festival village - Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
- Photography Exhibition – Gábor Nagy, “Hungarytravel@gmail.com”(Hungary)
Festival village - Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
- Photography Exhibition by Marcin Szkodziński
Festival village - Dolna Rówień Krupowa (Lower Rówień Krupowa)
- Open studios of Zakopane Artists, Galleries and Museums
- Fashion and Design Show “Krupówki: The Most Fashionable Street in Poland by Polki Folki”
