Poland's National Independence Day will take on a distinctly retro feel at Centrum Kultury Agora in Wrocław this year, with a programme of live music, graphic art, film and creative workshops inspired by the country's cultural scene of the 1970s.
Taking place on Wednesday, 11th November, the annual event brings together several generations for a day of activities marking the anniversary of Poland regaining independence in 1918. The celebrations at CK Agora have been a fixture of the city's cultural calendar for more than 15 years, combining the national holiday with an accessible programme of arts and entertainment.
This year's theme draws on the distinctive design, fashion and music of the 1970s, with Polish funk, soul and big beat providing much of the musical inspiration.
Music, posters and a look back at the 1970s
The musical programme begins at 14:00 with performances by participants from CK Agora's vocal and instrumental workshops.
The evening's headline act is Grupa Torpedo, taking to the stage at 17:00 with Gra Polish Funk. The six-piece band will perform its own interpretations of Polish funk, soul, jazz, disco and big beat from the 1970s, drawing inspiration from the influential Polish Funk record series.
The musicians behind the project have connections to Warsaw's Spatif, Dwa Domy studio and the Soul Service collective.
Visual art will also have a prominent place in the programme. The exhibition Oko na Wolność (An Eye on Freedom) will present winning entries from a nationwide graphic design competition, while the centre's foyer will feature posters prepared in collaboration with Polish Poster Gallery.
A screening of the documentary Druga Strona Plakatu (The Other Side of the Poster) will provide a further look at Poland's poster-making tradition and the legacy of the Polish School of Posters.
The exhibition's opening, scheduled for 18:30, will include a guided tour led by curator Dr hab. Magdalena Wosik, followed by the presentation of prizes to the competition winners.
Creative workshops for all ages
The afternoon also features an extensive programme of practical activities, with eight workshop stations running simultaneously between 14:45 and 16:45.
Participants will be able to make decorative bags, wooden figures and pennants, wrap glass bottles in colourful wool and print designs inspired by the iconic Pewex shops, which became a familiar part of everyday life in communist-era Poland.
There will also be an opportunity to build cardboard models of the Ikarus bus, once a recognisable feature of public transport in Polish cities.
One of the competitions will invite participants to reinterpret a clothing design from an archived pattern published in the Polish magazine Filipinka.
Anna Borowska, head of the programme department at CK Agora, says the intention is to make the national holiday an occasion for different generations to spend time together.
"For more than a decade, 11th November has been a celebration at our centre that people come to with their whole families. We want to show that freedom can be talked about in many different ways: through music, art, doing things together and the joy of meeting one another."
She adds that the 1970s theme provides a natural starting point for conversations between children, parents and grandparents about the history, fashion and trends of the period.
Maria Zając, CK Agora's arts education specialist, confirms that advance registration is not required for the workshops, and participants do not need previous experience. Instructors will be available at each station to help visitors with their projects.
Independence Day at CK Agora: practical information
The celebrations take place on 11th November 2026 at Centrum Kultury Agora, ul. Serbska 5a, Wrocław.
The programme runs from 14:00, with the final exhibition opening scheduled for 18:30. All activities, including the concerts, workshops, film screening and exhibitions, are free of charge.
The event provides a cultural alternative to the more traditional ways of marking Poland's Independence Day, placing music, graphic design and shared creative activities at the centre of the celebrations.
Full programme details are available on the CK Agora website.
