The 24th WOŚP Grand Finale in Wrocław

On 10 January, more than 120 thousand volunteers of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity will take to the streets for the twenty-fourth time, collecting money for medical equipment for Polish hospitals in cities both in Poland and abroad. More than a thousand will be volunteering in Wrocław alone. Thanks to donors’ generosity, the WOŚP Foundation has purchased equipment worth over PLN 650 million during its years of activity. This year, the Foundation is raising funds to buy equipment for paediatric wards and to ensure dignified medical care for older people. Money collected during the Grand Finale will support, among others, persistently underfunded general paediatric wards across Poland and severely neglected long-term care facilities for the elderly. Above all, the Orchestra’s mission is to provide effective, thoughtful support for the healthcare system.

Wrocław’s WOŚP Finale begins two days earlier: on 8 January at 19:00, Stary Klasztor launches the Folkowe Granie dla Wielkiej Orkiestry mini-festival! Performers are BUBLICZKI, NADIJA, JOÃO DE SOUSA, KAPELA TIMINGERIU, HENRYK CZEKAŁA “SZKOT” of Mechanicy Shanty, ORKIESTRA SAMANTA, ZA HORYZONTEM and W STRONĘ PORTU. Shanty legends, a fado shaman, a Kashubian turbofolk gang and funky Lemko folk make a lethal mixture guaranteeing fun almost until morning.

The next day at 19:00, a second musical marathon begins at the same venue. This time, the main attractions are musicians from legendary Eastwest Rockers, who made Poland’s modern-roots, raggamuffin and dancehall scene a real powerhouse: CHEEBA I PRZYJACIELE and GRIZZLEE/DRYSKULL PROJECT. Also appearing are ROMANTYCY LEKKICH OBYCZAJÓW, freely mixing folk, rock, pop and cabaret song; eclectic collective ŚWINKA HALINKA, sailing cheerful waters of reggae, ska, punk and rock ’n’ roll; and WODA SKI BLA and NON STOP.

But this is only the prelude to the Grand Finale, taking place simultaneously on two stages: outdoors in Nowy Targ Square and indoors in Stary Klasztor’s Gothic Hall. On 10 January, things will get truly wild! Nowy Targ will offer catering stalls, food trucks and hot-drink stands. The youngest visitors in particular can look forward to numerous attractions, with the organisers preparing the greatest number of surprises for them this time. There will be enormous soap bubbles, heart-shaped face painting and other activities. The Orchestra’s traditional auctions will also provide an ideal opportunity to support this exceptional initiative. All WOŚP volunteers can enjoy hot tea with cordial served at Stary Klasztor.

There will be plenty happening on both Grand Finale stages: dance demonstrations and a trance-inducing performance by Foliba, accompanied by drumming workshops. GIRLS ON FIRE, finalists on X-Factor, and BeMy, finalists on Must Be The Music. Wrocław guitarist, singer and songwriter JANEK SAMOŁYK. Filipino CONRADO YANEZ, owner of Poland’s smoothest velvet voice and winner of Must Be The Music in 2015. HURT, giants of Polish melodic punk rock, led by the charismatic Maciek Kurowicki. CLOSTERKELLER, true legends of Polish gothic rock. Mainstays of Polish reggae, HABAKUK, and folk, DIKANDA. And DR MISIO, actor AREK JAKUBIK’s unruly crew, playing genuine rock’n’roll steeped in cigarette smoke. And of course, do not miss the event’s spectacular climax: a FIRE SHOW by BANDIT QUEEN CIRCUS.

An exceptional event will be the performance by LESZEK CICHOŃSKI and WROCLOVE GUITAR BAND, open to everyone to join regardless of gender, age, background or ability. The concert will be a prelude to Wrocław's annual Guitar Celebration, when thousands of guitarists from Poland and around the world will attempt to break the Guinness Guitar Record for the fourteenth time.

Three days of fun for the worthiest of causes. The Orchestra's success belongs to everyone who wants to help, donating both on collection day, 10 January, and throughout the Foundation's year-round activities. Before every Finale, the tireless Jurek Owsiak utters his magic words: “Oh, there's going to be a lot happening!” In Wrocław this year, there really will be a great deal happening.

Bubliczki
Nadija
João de Sousa
Kapela Timingeriu,
Henryk Czekała “Szkot”
Orkiestra Samanta
Za Horyzontem
W Stronę Portu
Romantycy Lekkich Obyczajów
Grizzlee/DrySkull Project
Cheeba and Friends
Świnka Halinka
Woda Ski Bla
Non Stop
Dr Misio
Closterkeller,
Hurt
Leszek Cichoński & WrocLove Guitar Band
Conrado Yanez
Janek Samołyk
BeMy
Girls on Fire
Foliba
Bandit Queen Circus
Positive Thursdays In Dub Live Band
Habakuk
Dikanda
and others

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