THE 26TH WOŚP GRAND FINALE IN WROCŁAW

14 JANUARY 2018

An incredible 26th Wrocław WOŚP Finale lies ahead. During the celebration running from 12–14 January, several dozen performers will appear, representing every generation and almost every musical genre! We can confidently say that the event grows in scale and quality each year: Wrocław’s WOŚP Finale has developed from a single-day event into a major festival lasting several days. But let us not forget its purpose: raising funds to give newborn babies equal opportunities for treatment. Neonatology has already been the focus of seven WOŚP Finales. Thanks to the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, 3,844 medical devices worth over PLN 120 million have reached neonatal wards throughout Poland!

This year, we are adding another stage, so concerts will take place in three locations: Stary Klasztor, Stara Piwnica and Nowy Targ Square. Friday’s concerts begin with folk sounds. To start us dancing, Poland’s loudest Balkan gang, Bubliczki, will take the stage: sitting still at their concerts is simply impossible! Next, Kapela Timingeriu will match them musically. This Wrocław family band, known to folk enthusiasts in Poland and Europe, draws the very best from Romani, Balkan and Jewish music.

Next, we will see a truly energetic combination of dub, folk and punk from Radykalna Wieś. From an entirely different, hypnotic and electronic world comes SHAMANIKA, Natalia Norko of Zebra, who will also appear on stage that day. Meanwhile, Stara Piwnica invites you to Metalgirls vol. 2, an explosive dose of metal performed by women! Warsaw’s RUNIKA and Wrocław’s ISSEL have also confirmed their participation.

On Saturday 13 January at Stara Piwnica, we can savour the finest sea shanties from Wrocław bands and others. Performing are Szkocka Trupa, Orkiestra Samanta, W Stronę Portu, Za Horyzontem and Znienacka Project.

Saturday evening at Stary Klasztor is a treat for fans of heavier sounds. We will hear bands including Wrocław punk act Hurt, Koniec Świata with their mix of punk, rock and ska, and Wrocław's Trzynasta w Samo Południe, known from “Must Be the Music. Tylko muzyka”. The excellent rock lads from Szczecin, Chorzy, will of course also be there.

Finale day, Sunday 14 January, marks the festival’s culmination. For the twenty-sixth time, over 120,000 Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity volunteers will take to the streets of Polish and international cities to raise money for medical equipment for Polish hospitals. More than 1,000 will appear in Wrocław!

Wrocław will be transformed that day. The Grand Finale takes place simultaneously on two stages: outdoors in Nowy Targ Square and indoors at Stary Klasztor. Nowy Targ will offer catering stalls, food trucks and hot drinks. The youngest participants in particular can expect numerous attractions and surprises prepared by the organisers. The Orchestra’s traditional auctions will provide an ideal opportunity to support this exceptional undertaking. As usual, all WOŚP volunteers can enjoy hot tea with cordial.

Both Finale stages will offer plenty of attractions, with something for everyone. A major event will be legendary Dżem’s first Wrocław Finale-stage appearance. With a 45-year history, the band will sing their best-known songs with local residents, including “Whisky”, “Sen o Victorii” and “Kaczor, coś ty zrobił”! Nowy Targ Square will also welcome Dr Misio. The all-male crew led by Arkadiusz Jakubik, one of Poland’s most recognisable actors, will play genuine rock ’n’ roll.

The world’s only Dwarf Guitar Orchestra will also perform as part of preparations for the Guitar Guinness World Record 2018, under the slogan “In Wrocław, even the dwarfs play guitars!”. The icing on this impressive cake will be a concert by LIPALI, a rock locomotive driven by the brilliant engineer Tomek “Lipa” Lipnicki, storming along Poland’s tracks for almost 20 years! There will also be plenty of attractions for those choosing to celebrate inside Stary Klasztor’s Gothic Hall.

Every year on Finale day, diverse musical genres mingle there. This year, we will see Wolna Grupa Bukowina and Osiecka Jazzowo, Krzysztof Żesławski Quartet with Natalia Lubrano, presenting their superb tribute to Agnieszka Osiecka. The monastery stage will also welcome one of the younger generation’s most interesting and promising guitarists and singers, Wojtek Kiełbasa, performing Ed Sheeran songs.

Three days of fun for a worthy cause, supporting Jurek Owsiak's magical Orchestra initiative. This year, we will show that Wrocław plays loudest in the world with the world's largest Orchestra!