"La Folle Journée" Festival

The "La Folle Journée" Festival ("The Crazy Days of Music") was established in France in 1995 at the initiative of René Martin – a cultural animator and impresario. What distinguishes the festival is its concept aimed at attracting large numbers of new listeners to concert halls: several dozen short concerts featuring an appealing repertoire take place over the course of a few days, and ticket prices are affordable. Currently, in addition to the French edition (Nantes, Loire region) and the Polish edition (Warsaw), the festival is also held in Japan (Tokyo). For several years, Russian and Spanish editions were also organized.

The Polish edition of the festival was launched in 2010 at the initiative of Sinfonia Varsovia – an orchestra that had been invited to perform at festivals in France, Japan, Russia, and Spain from the very beginning. Every year, thousands of listeners gather at the Grand Theatre – Polish National Opera in Warsaw, in the adjacent concert pavilion, and in the Church of the Artistic Community to attend symphonic and chamber music concerts performed by both the biggest stars of the international music scene and young, talented artists. The festival also features educational events.

Maria Kominek-Karolak (2025)