OFF Festival

This is one of the top events that draws crowds to Katowice, a city that just recently shed its image as the capital of the industrial mining region of Silesia and now bears the title of UNESCO Capital of Music — due in no small part to the excellent festivals it hosts. The OFF Festival began in 2006 in Mysłowice, and has since grown considerably, resulting in its relocation to the much larger Dolina Trzech Stawów (Valley of Three Ponds) in Katowice. Curated by Polish rock royalty Artur Rojek, the festival has a penchant for indie rock, but also invites plenty of hip-hop and experimental artists to its stages. It also has a more laid-back and family-oriented vibe than most summer festivals; thanks to the layout of the lush park it's in, you can really relax between sets in different areas, rather than stampeding across empty fields from stage to stage (ahem, Open'er Festival). Camping is also available in a separate part of the grounds.

So far the lineup of the 2024 edition includes Future Islands, Alice Longyu Bao, Bakar, Puma Blue, Debby Friday, blackwinterwells, Jasper Tygner and many more.