Visit Krakow

  • Sightseeing In Kraków
  • Restaurants In Kraków
  • Hotels In Kraków
  • Nightlife In Kraków

Events In Kraków

Kraków is a great destination for culture, with festivals and art events taking place every month. Here is a calendar of the most interesting, with details of where to find out more.

Procession of the Three Kings in Kraków copyright Joanna Adamik
Procession of the Three Kings in Kraków – image © Joanna Adamik / Public Domain

From traditional holy parades to a celebration of the mighty dachshund, Kraków has a full annual calendar of public events and festivals. See below for a chronological list of when these events take place.

Jazz, pop, and classical are well covered, and there are a number of festivals representing one of Poland’s main artforms – film, as well as photography and literature. Kraków has also been home to a sea shanty festival for over 30 years! And the festival of Jewish culture is one of the world’s biggest.

Kraków is, of course, a great city for food and August’s Pierogi Festival pays tribute to the famously diverse dumpling. Eating is a big part of the excellent Christmas markets – a great reason to visit in December.

Kraków Holiday Essentials

  • Where To Stay In Kraków: See our guide to the best areas and the best hotels to stay in Kraków.
  • Things To Do In Kraków: Check this huge list of Krakow activities that you can book online.
  • Flights to Kraków: Find the cheapest flights to Kraków and flight times from scores of airlines with 12go.
  • Kraków Packing List: Don’t forget to take any of the essentials with our comprehensive Packing List For Poland.
  • Travel Insurance: World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Claim online anywhere in the world.

Aside from fixed public holidays, most of the events listed below have different dates depending on, for example, where Easter or the weekend falls. We’ve listed festival websites, so you find out the specific details around when you plan to travel.

January

  • January 1: New Year’s Day – New Year’s Day is a public holiday in Poland and many things are closed. However, many venues have a tradition of a special concert to kick off the year.
  • January 6: Three Kings / Epiphany: Three Kings Day ends the Christmas festivities, and is traditionally celebrated with three parades, congregating on Kraków’s main square shortly after 11am – see image above.

February

  • Shanties – Every February, for over 30 years, Kraków’s Shanties has entertained the city with songs of the sea.

Europa Galante - Misteria Paschalia copyright Mrug
Europa Galante – Misteria Paschalia – image © Mrug / CC BY-SA 4.0

March / April

  • Misteria Paschalia – Misteria Paschalia is one of Europe’s most important festivals of early music, which takes place to coincide with Easter every year.

May

  • Photomonth – Kraków Photomonth is an annual, four-week photography festival, starting at the end of May. It ranges across the entire city, with a fringe event running alongside. 2020 was the festival’s 20th anniversary.

Parade of dragons in Cracow copyright APN-PL
Parade of dragons in Cracow – image © APN-PL / CC BY-SA 3.0

June

  • June 8: Corpus Christi – Corpus Christi is an important religious festival in the Polish calendar with an impressive morning procession from Wawel Cathedral through the Old Town.
  • Dragon Parade – Every year, the dragon escapes its lair under Wawel Castle and kicks off this weekend of pageant and parade. There are river floats and spectacular puppets, and lots of music and noise.
  • Kraków Film Festival – From the end of May, Kraków Film Festival is just over a week of the best contemporary international and Polish cinema.
  • Jewish Culture Festival – Since 1988, the Jewish Culture Festival has been one of the world’s biggest, with artists from all over the Diaspora.
  • Cracovia Cantans – Cracovia Cantans is an annual music competition, that brings choirs from all over the world to perform in some of the Kraków’s most iconic churches and venues.
  • Wianki – Traditionally a midsummer solstice festival and pagan ritutal, Wianki has been adapted into a fascinating music festival with folk and medieval elements, such as the floating of wreaths – after which the event takes its name.

Check Krakow Hotel Availability

Destination

Check-in date

Thu 15 May 2025

Check-out date

Fri 16 May 2025
Booking.com

July

  • Summer Jazz Festival Kraków – Jazz has a huge heritage in Poland. Summer Jazz Festival Kraków features artists from around the world at the Kabaret Piwnica Pod Baranami in the Old Town.
  • Wawel at Dusk – The castle courtyard provides an iconic setting for Wawel at Dusk, a series of weekend classical performances.

Ellie Goulding - Kraków Live Festival copyright Paweł7
Ellie Goulding – Kraków Live Festival – image © Paweł7 / CC BY-SA 4.0

August

  • Kraków Live Festival – One of Kraków’s big pop events of the year, Kraków Live Festival takes place over nights on two stages.
  • Pierogi Festival – The second week of August is when the annual competition to find the tastiest Polish dumpling takes place. It’s a chance to taste hundreds of varieties.

September

  • Dachshund Parade – On the first or second Sunday of September, dozens of well-dressed dachshunds take to the streets of Kraków for the Marsz Jamnikow, vying to become king and queen of the festival.
  • Kraków Film Music Festival – With previous visits from Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore, and Cliff Martinez, the Kraków Film Music Festival celebrates the art of the score.
  • Sfogato Festival – Kraków’s annual tribute to Frederic Chopin, the Sfogato Festival takes place over four days every September.
  • Sacrum Profanum – Sacrum Profanum is an experimental music festival with contemporary classical composition mixed with other modern genres.

October

  • International Royal Cracow Piano Festival – The International Royal Cracow Piano Festival showcases some of the world’s greatest piano masters and prodigies.
  • Unsound Festival – Unsound Festival features electronic, experimental, and dance music at a number of venues across Kraków, alongside other art events.
  • Conrad Festival – Some of literature’s biggest names assemble each year at the Conrad Festival. The festival coincides with Kraków Book Fair.
  • Jazz Autumn – Taking place across a number of locations, Jazz Autumn is a festival with the best of contemporary and improvisatory music.

All Saints' Day - Salwator cemetery, copyright annaspies
All Saints’ Day – Salwator cemetery – image © annaspies / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

November

  • November 1: All Saints’ Day: A day for remembering the departed with candlelit vigils in Kraków’s cemeteries. All Saints’ Day is an intensely atmospheric experience.
  • Jazz All Souls’ Day – Jazz All Souls’ Day is the oldest jazz festival in Kraków.
  • November 11: Independence Day: This is a public holiday with parades and a show of patriotism.
  • Etiuda & Anima International Film Festival – Etiuda & Anima aims to highlight the work of film students around the world and to bring the best in animation to the city.

December

  • Christmas Markets – Kraków has some of the best Christmas markets in Europe. See Kraków Christmas Markets for more details.
  • Szopki Krakowskie Nativity Scenes – You’ll find Kraków’s distinctive nativity scenes displayed around the city throughout December. Entrants to this annual competition first get to display their work around the Adam Mickiewicz monument at 10am on the first Thursday in December, before moving to an exhibition in the nearby Krzysztofory Palace for the rest of the season. See Christmas in Kraków for more details.
  • December 31: New Year’s Eve – Sylwester is one of the biggest nights out in the Polish year. See New Year’s In Kraków for more details.
  • Silent Film Festival – Every December, Kino Pod Baranami – a cute art cinema tucked into a palace on the main market square – organises a festival of silent films, accompanied by live music.

More Information

  • List of Kraków Public Holidays
  • When Is Best To Go To Kraków?
  • Christmas In Kraków
  • New Year’s In Kraków
 

Things To Do In Krakow

Start Planning Your Kraków Trip Now!

:: Find available Kraków hotels on Booking.com - usually you can reserve a room with no upfront payment. Pay when you check out. Free cancellations too.

:: Wondering where to stay in Krakow before you book your hotel? See our comprehensive guide to the city's most convenient areas for visitors.

:: Find the cheapest flight to Kraków with 12go - one search will show you the prices and times from scores of airlines for your trip. A real timesaver.

:: Book an airport transfer to take you hassle-free direct from the airport to your hotel with the driver meeting you in Arrivals.

:: Find out how to get your phone set up with a SIM card in Kraków.

:: Make sure you don't forget to bring any of the essentials with our comprehensive Packing List For Kraków.

:: World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world.

:: Get a KrakowCard 1-, 2- or 3-day pass that gives entry to almost 40 of the Kraków's fantastic attractions and unlimited use of the city's bus and tram network.

:: Need inspiration? Check our Kraków Itineraries for two-day, three-day, and four-day trips, as well as our Things To Do In Kraków guide for ideas of where to do and what to do.

Kraków Itineraries

  • First Time In Kraków
  • Things To Do In Kraków
  • Kraków Weekend Itinerary
  • Kraków Two Day Itinerary
  • Kraków Three Day Itinerary
  • Kraków Four Day Itinerary
  • Kraków Food Tours
  • Kraków Drink Tours
  • Kraków Walking Tours
  • Kraków Vistula River Cruises
  • Kraków Events Calendar

Kraków Museums

  • Rynek Underground Museum
  • Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory
  • Czartoryski Princes Museum

Kraków Day Trips

  • Day Trips from Kraków
  • Auschwitz-Birkenau – Kraków Day Trip
  • How To Get To Auschwitz-Birkenau From Kraków
  • Wieliczka Saltmines – Kraków Day Trip
  • How To Get To Wieliczka Saltmines From Kraków
  • Zakopane – Kraków Day Trip
  • How To Get To Zakopane From Kraków
  • Bukovina Thermal Baths – Kraków Day Trip
  • Katowice – Kraków Day Trip
  • How To Travel From Kraków To Katowice
  • UNESCO World Heritage Sites In Kraków

Kraków Hotels

  • Where To Stay In Kraków
  • Best New Kraków Hotels 2025
  • Recommended Kraków Hotels
  • Luxury Hotels In Kraków
  • Mid-Range Hotels In Kraków
  • Budget Hotels In Kraków
  • Romantic Hotels In Kraków
  • Best Boutique Hotels In Kraków
  • Family Hotels In Kraków
  • Business Hotels In Kraków
  • Chain Hotels In Kraków
  • Kraków Airport Hotels

Kraków Airport

  • Kraków Airport Guide
  • Getting From Kraków Airport To Kraków City Centre
  • Getting From Kraków City Centre To Kraków Airport
  • Kraków Airport Hotels

Kraków Essentials

  • Kraków Basics
  • Packing List For Kraków 2025
  • How Much Money Do I Need For Kraków?
  • Where To Get A SIM Card In Kraków
  • KrakowCard Museum and Travel Pass
  • Shopping In Kraków
  • Why You Need Travel Insurance For Poland
  • Guide To Staying Safe In Kraków
  • How To Deal With An Emergency In Kraków

Explore Kraków

  • How To Get To Kraków
  • Kraków Central Train Station
  • How To Travel From The UK To Kraków
  • Getting Around in Kraków
  • Kraków Food and Drink
  • Michelin Restaurants In Kraków 2024
  • Jewish Kraków
  • Galeria Krakowska
  • Kraków Climate – The Best Time To Go To Kraków
  • Polish Currency – a practical guide for your trip to Kraków
  • Kraków Piano Recitals
  • Kraków Public Holidays
  • Christmas In Kraków
  • Kraków Christmas Markets 2025
  • New Year’s In Kraków
  • Kraków Sports

Kraków Districts

  • Kraków Old Town Area Guide
  • Kazimierz Area Guide
  • Piasek Area Guide
  • Nowa Huta Area Guide

Kraków Maps

  • Kraków Map
  • Map Of Recommended Hotels In Kraków
  • Map Of Museums Included With the KrakowCard
  • Kraków Shopping Map
  • Kraków Nightlife Map
  • Zakopane Map

Beyond Kraków

  • Visit Zakopane – Poland’s Outdoor Activity Capital
  • Guide To Mt. Gubałówka – Zakopane
  • How To Travel From Kraków To Other Polish Cities
  • How To Travel From Kraków To Neighbouring Countries

Visit Warsaw

  • Visit Warsaw
  • Things To Do In Warsaw
  • How To Travel From Kraków To Warsaw

Visit Gdańsk

  • Visit Gdańsk
  • How To Travel From Kraków To Gdańsk

Visit Łódź

  • Visit Łódź
  • How To Travel From Kraków To Łódź

Kraków And COVID-19

  • Can I Travel To Poland? May 2025
  • Flights to Kraków May 2025
  • How To Help The People Of Ukraine And Poland

Krakow Essentials

  • Kraków Basics
  • Packing List For Kraków 2025
  • How Much Money Do I Need For Kraków?
  • Where To Get A SIM Card In Kraków
  • KrakowCard Museum and Travel Pass
  • Shopping In Kraków
  • Why You Need Travel Insurance For Poland
  • Guide To Staying Safe In Kraków
  • How To Deal With An Emergency In Kraków

Krakow Trip Planning

  • First Time In Kraków
  • Things To Do In Kraków
  • Kraków Weekend Itinerary
  • Kraków Two Day Itinerary
  • Kraków Three Day Itinerary
  • Kraków Four Day Itinerary
  • Kraków Food Tours
  • Kraków Drink Tours
  • Kraków Walking Tours
  • Kraków Vistula River Cruises
  • Kraków Events Calendar

Krakow Airport Guide

  • Kraków Airport Guide
  • Getting From Kraków Airport To Kraków City Centre
  • Getting From Kraków City Centre To Kraków Airport
  • Kraków Airport Hotels

Disclosure: VisitKrakow.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program
designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and amazon.co.uk.

World Nomads provides travel insurance for travellers in over 100 countries. As an affiliate, we receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link.
We do not represent World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.

© 2013–2025 visitkrakow.com. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy