Even calling OPERA a "festival' can be somewhat misleading, as the term often carries associations of packed schedules, overlapping events, and the frustration of missing out. OPERA, by contrast, deliberately steers clear of that sense of frenetic pace. "There's no need to hurry from one event to the next. If you want, you can take in the entire programme, 100 percent - you don't have to choose between performances. And that's entirely deliberate. We want people to have the time to absorb what they're hearing and focus on the music," Krystian Piotr explains.

This is not to say that the programme lacks variety. "This year's line-up is exceptional," says Aleksandra Kołodziej, curator and producer at the Zamek Cultural Centre. "Artists are coming from all over the world - the United States, France, Egypt, and Australia. We also have a performer of Kenyan origin. "They are all outstanding artists. There are 14 concerts, as well as nine DJ sets and live performances - 23 performances in all."

Kołodziej and Piotr have curated the programme together, weaving a broad spectrum of sounds into a cohesive narrative that builds dynamically from day one. Audiences can expect everything from intense, high-energy performances to more subdued, intimate experiences. Experimental and avant-garde music features alongside independent and non-commercial work, although Piotr ultimately opts for the most straightforward label of all: contemporary music.

Among the festival's headline acts, highlighted as such by both the producer and the curator, are Divide and Dissolve, whose slow, immersive guitar drones draw on the sheer heaviness and intensity of post-metal. They will be joined by Moin, the London trio made up of Tom Halstead and Joe Andrews (of the duo Raime) alongside drummer Valentina Magaletti. William Basinski will also appear, bringing his singular approach to ambient music - an originality that has earned him the title of "the Iggy Pop of ambient'. And that is only a fraction of the line-up. aya will take the stage, while Simo Cell & Abdullah Miniawy will unveil their new project, Dying Is The Internet. Sam Slater & Theresa Baumgartner are also among the performers. Reykjavík-based Atlí Bolason, who performs under the name Allenheimer, will present an audiovisual show, having previously collaborated with the likes of GusGus. "We'll also be bringing Magma, a new project by Jacek Sienkiewicz and Robert Piernikowski," Krystian Piotr adds. He is equally keen to highlight artists who may be less familiar to audiences, offering a particular recommendation for the Vienna-based duo schtum, renowned for their incredible live performances. "They use bass and electric guitars in such an unusual way that, after a while, you stop hearing them as guitars at all. You lose sight of where the sound is coming from, and what you hear instead resembles contemporary electronic music." Aleksandra Kołodziej, for her part, singles out Justyna Banaszczyk, who performs under the name FOQL. "She makes beautiful, organic, and evocative music. She's created a lovely album, Bug Poems, which she'll perform in the castle's historic halls," says the producer.

"The venue is also a crucial part of what makes the festival possible. The acoustics in the castle's Grand Hall are clearly a huge asset, and the architecture brings something extra as well. And the castle's financial support is hugely important. It enables us to keep tickets and passes genuinely affordable," notes Krystian Piotr.

This year, OPERA is venturing beyond its usual venues. The Grand Hall will remain the main stage, while the Courtyard Stage returns with the livelier, more dance-focused atmosphere it established in previous editions. A new addition is Lokum Stonewall, which will host DJ sets from artists representing Poznań's local music scene. "We've felt for some time that such a space was missing - a spot where people could not just listen to music, but also sit down, chat, and hang out together," says Aleksandra Kołodziej. "As with any festival built around a particular music genre, OPERA seeks to foster these community encounters and, through them, help people discover new sounds," Krystian Piotr adds.

This is particularly true given that OPERA is not necessarily an easy festival to listen to. "This music demands something from you," says the festival's curator. OPERA is hardly the sort of event where you can stretch out on a sun lounger and let soothing ambient sounds wash over you in the background. One should expect something quite different. "We tend to programme very distinctive, powerful performances and projects that leave an impression," Krystian Piotr explains. "Anyone who has attended previous editions of OPERA will know what I mean. And if you're coming for the first time, you will be surprised - and hopefully pleasantly so."

Agnieszka Nawrocka

translator: Krzysztof Kotkowski

OPERA 2026
Zamek (Castle) Cultural Centre, 11-13.09
for more, see: Zamek Cultural Centre website

© Wydawnictwo Miejskie Posnania 2026