European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016 closing weekend

We are going to witness the four-day long finale of the most cultural year in the history of Wrocław, starting with unique concerts during the Friendship Festival – a celebration of the 15th anniversary of OCN and a silent concert of We Draw A taking place as part of the WROsound festival. In the upcoming days of this hot weekend, culture will be present at every step, with parades walking on the city streets and plays taking place in various squares around the city. The Centennial Hall with The Sky Web performance, the largest Silent Disco in Europe and the great Sound Play featuring Małgorzata Foremniak, Arkadiusz Jakubik and Robert Więckiewicz will be the central point of all events of the Closing Weekend. In the meantime, residents of Wrocław and the tourists will have an opportunity to visit the most interesting exhibitions of the European Capital of Culture thanks to the Open Art Days, as well as taste the dishes featured in the Wrocław Cookbook in selected cafés and restaurants around the city. Admission to the majority of events is free.

Phenomenal and glamorous finale at the Centennial Hall

The Centennial Hall will host the main events of the programme, including the most important of all – the Closing Ceremony. The audience will have an opportunity to see The Sky Web performance three times (on 16 and 17 December). All free tickets were claimed at an astounding speed. The audience of the show will experience an incredible play of lights and sound, live orchestra, dozens of artists and the Spirits of Wrocław. The Centennial Hall will also host the Silent Disco. Under the largest dome in Wrocław, the N.O.S. collective (Nogaś. Obszańska. Szydłowska.) will lead the large silent disco party for 2,300 participants (17 December, 10:30 p.m.). Then on Sunday (December 18, 4:00 p.m.) the audience gathered at the Hall will see the Polish theatre and cinema stars, participating in the Sound Play. Małgorzata Foremniak, Arkadiusz Jakubik and Robert Więckiewicz will read pieces written by Sławomir Mrożek – for the first time with active participation of the audience, for whom we reserve the role of the choir commenting the text and sound effects creators. Of course, everyone should feel welcome to attend the event – even if you just want to listen.

The musical feast at for the end of the year of culture

The Closing Weekend will be full of musical events. One of the first ones to come will be the Friendship Festival (15 December, starting at 6:00 p.m.) or the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the OCN band from Wrocław (formerly known as Ocean), featuring their guests: Happysad, Raz Dwa Trzy, Muchy and Lech Janerka. The WROsound festival will also start in Wrocław with a silent concert of We Draw A at Barbara. Other events of the festival on 16 and 17 December will take place at Impart. We are going to see artists such as Christian Löffler & Mohna, Pink Freud, Legendarny Afrojax and MIN t. We are also going to celebrate at the National Forum of Music, where on December 18 we will listen to a concert on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the NFM Choir. The Capitol Musical Theatre will host the final concert of the Wrocław Commenting Choir (December 18, 4:00 p.m.). The audience is also going to see the musical summary of the “Samoróbka” workshop series (December 18, 6:00 p.m.) led by Paweł Romańczuk (Małe Instrumenty), and the Wrocław Opera is going to host the first premiere of this season, Giuseppe Verdi’s Il Trovator (December 16-18, 7:00 p.m.)

Culture – now accessible by anyone

The Closing Weekend will also be combined with Open Art Days. On December 16-18, exhibitions such as Photography Never Dies at the Main Railway Station, Wrocław 1945-2016 – a permanent exhibition at the Zajezdnia History Centre, as well as Lviv. 24 June 1937. City, Architecture, Modernism at the Museum of Architecture will be available free of charge. Additionally, the admission fees for the famous Summer Rental exhibition at the Four Domes Pavilion and The Wrocław Europe at the National Museum will be entirely symbolic (1-3 PLN). Those who are interested will be also able to take a look behind the scenes of the Wrocław Opera. Apart from all the official events of the Closing Weekend, it is also worth paying a visit to the various cafés and restaurants in Wrocław. On December 15-18, selected establishments will serve some of the special dishes straight from the Wrocław Cookbook published this year, as a culinary insight into the ECoC. Grandpa Karol’s egg paste, keselica with potatoes, tomato soup from Oporów, Silesian Heaven and buckwheat blintz – these are just some of the examples of the cultural cuisine, which will be available at selected cafes: Etno, Bema Café, Borówka, Nadodrze as well as restaurants: Mama Manoush, Szynkarnia, La Maddalena, Jasna, Mleczarnia, Olszewskiego 128 and Machina Organika. The price of each dish will be no higher than 20.16 PLN!

Celebrating the Closing Weekend with the entire city

Large-scale events and performances will make up only part of the attractions. During the Closing Weekend, the squares and streets in the city centre will turn into stages for artistic performances for children and adults. Street theatres will perform on the University Square, in front of the Main Railway Station and on the Pigeon Square. On December 16-18, ten ECoC Infopoints will operate around the city centre and the Centennial Hall, warming the residents and guests up with live music. Information, maps, lunch and coffee will also be available every day at Barbara (Świdnicka 8c) – the heart of the European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016. And now... Let us meet during the Closing Weekend of the ECoC Programme!