| Pol'and'Rock Festival | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Genre | Rock,punk rock,reggae,rapcore,folk music,heavy metal,electronic music . |
| Dates | The end of July/beginning of August |
| Locations | Czaplinek,Poland |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Founders | Jerzy Owsiak |
| Attendance | 750,000(2019) |
| Website | en |
Pol'and'Rock Festival, formerly known asWoodstock Festival Poland (Polish:Przystanek Woodstock; "Woodstock Station") is an annual freerock music festival inPoland, inspired by theWoodstock festival. The festival has been held since 1995. In 2009, Woodstock Festival Poland gathered an audience of over 400,000 people,[1] in 2011, the attendance was above 700,000,[2] in 2012, about 550,000 people,[3] in 2013, about 500,000,[4] and in 2014, the attendance reached a record high of about 750,000.[5] In 2019, the aggregate attendance of the festival was 750,000, making it one of the biggest music festivals in the world.[6][7]
The festival was initiated in 1994 byJerzy Owsiak after his trip to the United States where he attended the Woodstock Festival, which was held after a 25-year hiatus.[8] The festival's official motto isLove, Friendship, Music.[9] The event is held by theGreat Orchestra of Christmas Charity as a way of thanking its volunteers. Generally a weekend-long event, its two stages are in continuous use from early afternoon to dawn, featuring performances by around 30 bands every year. Many Polish musicians and bands have made several appearances, includingIRA,Decapitated,Myslovitz,Maria Peszek,Kamil Bednarek,Dżem,Acid Drinkers,Lessdress,Hey,Riverside, andThe Analogs. International bands are also invited every year – Skunk Anansie,Sabaton,Judas Priest,Within Temptation,Shaggy,The Stranglers,Papa Roach,The Prodigy,Kaiser Chiefs,Ugly Kid Joe,You Me at Six,Guano Apes,Kontrust,Clawfinger,Nigel Kennedy,Gentleman,Korpiklaani among many others.[10] Festival promoters also aim to promote emerging talent – and a competition is held prior to the festival, and the winners are given a chance to perform at the festival. The main musical theme is generally rock, but genres range fromfolk through experimental tometal. Recent years have also seenreggae,electronic music and evenclassical music represented.[11][12][13]
The namePrzystanek Woodstock – "Woodstock Station" – refers to peace and friendship symbolized by theWoodstock Festival and the TV seriesNorthern Exposure, aired asPrzystanek Alaska (Alaska Station), immensely popular in Poland at that time. The name of the festival was changed to Pol'and'Rock Festival on March 8, 2018. The change was motivated by licensing dispute with the agency representingMichael Lang. The new name reflects both the rock'n'roll roots of the event and the strong ties to the heritage of the Polish democratic and freedom fighting movement. The organizers of the festival claim that even though the name of the festival has changed, the ethos behind the event remains unchanged.[14]
Along with the concerts on five stages there are many other events organized during the festival. TheAkademia Sztuk Przepięknych ("Academy of Finest Arts") is a place where young people participate in panel discussions with well-known politicians, artists, journalists, musicians, actors and religious leaders. The guests have includedLech Wałęsa,Bronisław Komorowski,Joachim Gauck, Kesang Takla (theDalai Lama's Northern European representative),Olga Tokarczuk,Tadeusz Mazowiecki,Marek Belka,Andrzej Wajda,Marek Kondrat,Joanna Kulig,Janusz Gajos,Jerzy Buzek,Kuba Wojewódzki,Agnieszka Holland,Bogusław Linda,Dorota Masłowska,Leszek Balcerowicz,Włodek Pawlik,Magdalena Środa,Jerzy Stuhr,Szymon Hołownia,Wojciech Pszoniak andAdam Bodnar.[15][16][17][18] The festival also showcases dozens ofNGO organizations such asGreenpeace,Polish Humanitarian Action,animal rights activists and many other 'third sector' organizations and initiatives.[19][20]
First Woodstock Festival Poland took place on 15–16 July 1995, in the town ofCzymanowo (near Gnewin), located near the Żarnowieckie Lake. The performers includedCarrantouhill,Skankan, Żuki,Myslovitz,Ira, andUrszula. During the festival no alcohol was sold, which was similar to theJarocin festivals.[21]
The second festival was held inSzczecin-Dąbie, Szczecin in 1996. This time the first Woodstock's "prohibition law" was partially lifted and beer was sold.[22]
The third festival took place the next year, on 16–17 August in the town ofŻary, which became the setting of the Przystanek Woodstock festivals until 2003. Initially, the festival was planned to be held in July, but because of the 1997 flood, which affected much of Poland, the festival was postponed until August.[23]
The 1998 Woodstock Festival Poland featured the performances of nearly 50 bands. The band list includedClosterkeller,Akurat, Oddział Zamknięty, Kobranocka, andAcid Drinkers. Almost 150,000 people attended the festival.
The 1999 Woodstock was held on 6–8 August. This time the attendance record was broken. The audience reached almost 200,000 people.
The 2000 festival was planned to be held inLębork, but due to permission uncertainties, and protest of local committees (Komitet obrony Moralności - The Committee for the Defense of Morality) it had to be cancelled. Nevertheless, over 1000 people showed up and organized an unauthorized "rock'n'roll picnic" without any professional music bands. This happening was later referred to as the "Dziki Przystanek" ("The Wild Station").
In 2001 Żary was again the setting for the festival. The 2002 Woodstock was significant, because it was filmed, and the footage was used to produce "Przystanek Woodstock. Najgłośniejszy Film Polski" ("The Woodstock Station. The Loudest Film In Poland"), a concert film, which was screened in movie theatres across the country the following year, and also took part in a number of international film festivals.[24]
The 2003 Woodstock was the last one held in the town of Żary. Because of controversy surrounding some incidents during the festival, thatJerzy Owsiak was part of, it was decided that Żary would no longer be a setting for the concerts.
From 2004 to 2019, the festival took place in the town ofKostrzyn nad Odrą.[25] In 2011 the festival featured such bands asThe Prodigy andHelloween.[26] In 2012, the Swedish power metal bandSabaton performed at the festival, recording the set as alive album,Swedish Empire Live.[27][28] In the following years the festival hosted such famous artists asAnthrax in 2013,Accept in 2014,Black Label Society in 2015,Arch Enemy andJudas Priest in 2018 orProphets of Rage on the last edition in Kostrzyn in 2019. Performances by stars such asLimp Bizkit andStatic-X were announced for 2020, but due to the pandemic, these concerts did not take place.
In 2020 an online festival was held due to the covid pandemic, livestreamed from Transcolor Studio inSzeligi near Warsaw.[29] The 2021 edition was held on theMakowice-Płoty airfield in Western Pomerania with limited attendance.
Since 2022 the festival has been held on theBroczyno airfield inCzaplinek, Western Pomerania.
52°36′41″N14°40′05″E / 52.61139°N 14.66806°E /52.61139; 14.66806
