Now in its 27th year, the Gdańsk Carillon Festival opens with concerts by music academy students and runs through the end of August.
The event, organised by City Hall and the Museum of Gdańsk, features weekly performances from the towers of St. Catherine’s Church and the Main Town Hall.
It is the only festival of its kind in Poland, drawing crowds of residents and tourists each year.
This year’s lineup includes top Polish carillonists and guest performers from the Netherlands and the United States.
August concerts will spotlight the legacy of Lithuanian composer and painter Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, marking the 150th anniversary of his birth, according to organisers.
A carillon typically consists of at least 23 bronze bells, which are played manually or with pedals to produce melodies or chords.
Gdańsk, with a tradition of carillon playing dating back to the 16th century, is the only Polish city with two carillons—one in the Main Town Hall and another in St. Catherine’s Church, the oldest church in Gdańsk's Old Town.
Poland's only other carillon is housed at the Jasna Góra monastery in Częstochowa, in the country’s south.
The Gdańsk Carillon Festival largely coincides with the city’s iconic St. Dominic’s Fair, one of the world’s oldest street festivals, first held in 1260.
This year’s 765th St. Dominic’s Fair will run from July 26 to August 17 and is expected to be one of the largest outdoor summer events in Europe.
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Source: IAR, muzeumgdansk.pl