The festival's wide-ranging scope is clearly evident from its themed zones. Film, literature, comics, manga, anime and cosplay, RPGs, and board games, you name it, it's all there. You'll also find science zones, dedicated spaces for Star Wars, fantasy, and post-apocalyptic fans, plus stalls packed with memorabilia and gadgets on pretty much every subject under the sun. If it's not at Pyrkon, chances are it doesn't exist in the fantasy multiverse. Alongside the official schedule, there is plenty of room for festivalgoers to jump in with their own spontaneous contributions.
Literature and Science
One of the most eagerly anticipated bits of Pyrkon each year is the celebrity guest list. This time around, the film and TV zone welcomes Bonnie Wright - best known for playing Ginny Weasley in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and throughout the rest of the series. Among the big Polish names, there is Michał Żebrowski - a most familiar face in fantasy circles for his role as Geralt in the original Polish adaptation of The Witcher, and also the voice of Johnny Silverhand in the Polish version of Cyberpunk 2077. Another notable guest is Xawery Żuławski - director, screenwriter and producer, known for his distinctive take on filmmaking. At Pyrkon, he'll be discussing his creative process in cinema.
Fantasy book lovers are in for a treat on the Literary Stage, with appearances from the likes of Radek Rak - winner of the Nike Literary Award for Baśń o wężowym sercu albo wtóre słowo o Jakóbie Szeli (A Tale of a Serpent's Heart, or Another Word about Jakub Szela), Rafał Kosik - best known for the children's and young readers' sci-fi series Felix, Net and Nika, and Agnieszka Miela, author of the Dzieci Starych Bogów (Children of the Old Gods) fantasy trilogy. From the UK, there's Kaliane Bradley, who moved last year from short stories to publishing her first novel, The Ministry of Time - critically hailed as one of 2024's most exciting literary debuts. And if anyone deserves the title of Tolkienologist, it is Nick Groom - the academic who led the UK's only university-level Tolkien course and has written extensively on the author's legacy.
But Pyrkon isn't all wizards and dragons - there is a fully-fledged science zone as well, where complex ideas are made approachable and genuinely engaging. Adam Mickiewicz University will have a strong presence, led by Rector Prof. Bogumiła Kaniewska - a literary expert and translator. Representing the University's Faculty of History are Prof. Józef Dobosz, a medievalist, and Maciej Michalski, whose research spans female saint cults and echoes of the Middle Ages in modern culture. On the more technical side, the "Physicists' Drop-In" team made up of students from the Wrocław and Gdańsk Universities of Technology will be showing off a miniature model of a superconducting train which floats using magnetic levitation. You'll also find people like Jaga Moder - aka Legendystka (the Legendarist) - in the science zone. She's a myth and legend populariser, popular online, and a fantasy author to boot. Rounding out the section are crime writers Robert Małecki and Michał Larek.
Masquerade
Cosplay is absolutely central to Pyrkon - you really can't imagine the festival without it. Every year, some of the best cosplay artists in the game head to Poznań. This time, one of the judges for the Masquerade - Pyrkon's signature cosplay competition - is Shirak, a top-tier British cosplayer who is also a professional make-up artist. Her work has featured in music videos for bands like Bring Me The Horizon and Enter Shikari, as well as on screen in Gladiator 2, Aquaman 2, Willow, and Doctor Who. Of course, everyone's welcome to take part in cosplay at Pyrkon, and you'll see brilliant costumes around every corner. Some come as classic pop culture icons, while others show off their own completely original creations. Just remember - dressing up doesn't mean consent. Always ask before touching, bothering, or snapping pictures of cosplayers (or anyone else).
Music at Pyrkon
Music has been part of Pyrkon for years, and this year there is a real standout: The Witcher: Music of the Continent - a live concert celebrating ten years of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The show will feature an orchestra and the Polish folk-metal band Percival Schuttenbach performing music from the game. That is not all though - plenty more gigs are lined up. Among the Polish acts are Dziwoludy, Leśne Licho, and Echo Rodu. From further afield, you have got the British-Swiss power metal outfit Gloryhammer, South Korean all-girl band Rolling Quartz, and anime music legend Atsushi, known for his solo project Centimillimental.
The Choice is Yours
The above is only a tiny subjective taste of Pyrkon - this year's programme features over 1,500 events. For the full lowdown, head to pyrkon.pl, where you'll find a handy search tool and filters to help you find exactly what you are into in that maze of events.
To celebrate its 25th birthday, Pyrkon has even been honoured with a mural on Pavilion 6 in the Poznań International Fair grounds, visible from ul. Bukowska. Created by artist Oliwia Kruszka, the artwork was picked from a competition that drew in a whopping 87 entries. When the first Pyrkon back in 2000 took place in a primary school on ul. Łozowa, no one could've guessed that in just a quarter of a century it would grow to become one of Europe's biggest fantasy festivals. And most importantly, even with all the growth and commercial success, Pyrkon has never lost that spark of spontaneity and pure joy that makes it truly special.
Mateusz Malinowski
translation: Krzysztof Kotkowski
Pyrkon Fantasy Festival
13-15 June,
Poznań International Fair grounds
admission: PLN 119-549
for more, see: Pyrkon Fantasy Festival
© Wydawnictwo Miejskie Posnania 2025