First held in 1964 in the mountain resort of Wisła, the festival has grown into one of Poland's leading celebrations of traditional folk culture.
Organized by the Regional Culture Center in Bielsko-Biała, this year's event will bring together around 4,000 performers, including more than 80 groups representing regions across Poland, including the Beskidy Mountains.
The international lineup includes ensembles from Europe and the Americas.
A highlight of the festival will be the 57th Festival of Polish Highlander Folklore in the southern town of Żywiec, where 29 ensembles will compete at the local open-air theater for the Golden Hearts of Żywiec awards, alongside vocal groups, soloists and instrumentalists.
Żywiec will also host the 35th International Folklore Meetings from July 29 to August 1, featuring performers from Mexico, Chile, Colombia, the United States, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Turkey, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Ensembles from the neighboring Czech Republic and Slovakia are also scheduled to participate, while organizers said a group from Ecuador may join the festival as well.
Meanwhile, the village of Ujsoły, near Poland's border with Slovakia, will host the 48th Wawrzyńcowe Hudy celebration, inspired by a 16th-century legend in which villagers burned tall wooden structures known as hudy to ward off the plague, according to Jolanta Kołodziej, director of the local Centre for Culture, Sport and Recreation.
(pu/gs)
Source: PAP