The 59th Beskidy Highlanders’ Week of Culture

The Beskidy Highlanders’ Week of Culture is a major international folklore festival. It was initiated by cultural activists and folklore lovers from Wisła. It was in 1964 that Beskidy Highlander’s Week of Culture was held for the first time. It was a response to the need of highlanders to meet in a festive, friendly atmosphere, play music together, dance, share their cultural wealth and talk about ‘highland’ topics. As it soon turned out, Wisła’s idea inspired activists from other Beskid towns and so the festival began to grow.

Nowadays, the Beskidy Highlanders’ Week of Culture (TKB) is a gigantic undertaking that takes place in the Silesian, Zywiec Makowski, Miedzygórze Jablonkowskie Beskids and their surroundings in the middle of summer. During the festival, there are five large stages in Wisła, Szczyrk, Żywiec, Maków Podhalański, and Oświęcim, where concerts lasting several hours are held for nine consecutive days. There are also street parades and short concerts in marketplaces. 

Concerts also occur in other towns such as Ujsoły, Istebna, and Bielsko-Biała. Selected ensembles participating in TKB also give concerts in the Czech Republic, during the Gorolski Festival in Jablonkov in Zaolzie, which is organized by the Polish minority. During the Beskidy Highlanders’ Week of Culture, there are usually about a hundred ensembles performing, several are foreign groups, from all over the world. In addition, there are also concerts by bands, folk singers and instrumentalists. There are exhibitions of folk art, handicrafts, and photography. Furthermore, organizers prepare fairs of folk art, workshops and competitions. It can be said that the entire region comes alive for the duration of this colourful folklore gathering. 

People for whom native tradition is a great, undeniable value, building their identity, and who devote their time, talent and strength to its protection, meet at TKB. Those who are eager to take the opportunity to listen to folk music, watch traditional dances, and learn about the customs and rituals of their region, country, as well as various parts of the world come to the concerts. 

The Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship Jakub Chełstowski invites everybody to that amazing festival:

“Beskidy Highlanders’ Week of Culture is an excellent opportunity to see how diverse Silesia is. The culture, tradition and beauty of Beskids distinguish, define and build our common identity. You are cordially invited to participate in this unique event,” he wrote on Twitter.

The Beskidy Highlanders’ Week of Culture will be held from July 30 to August 7, 2022.  

Visit also the official website of the festival ➡️ here