8 Best Performing Arts in Krakow, Poland

Narodowy Teatr Stary

Stare Miasto Fodor's choice

Kraków's oldest and most renowned theater stages mostly Polish and international classical dramas—but it has found more recent fame for creative and contemporary takes on the classics, and for not avoiding "difficult" subjects. Although plays are in Polish language, English translations are often (but not always) provided in the form of supertitles screened above the stage. "Stary" enjoys the status of a national theater and is named after Helena Modrzejewska, a 19th-century Polish actress who performed on the American stage.

"Divine Comedy" Theatre Festival

Over the last decade, crowds of people storming the venues of the "Divine Comedy" festival have been the testament to the fact that drama theater in Poland is alive and well; and indeed, it is very much loved. Each December theater groups from all over Poland compete in the "Inferno" competition for prizes, but the festival is also a showcase of the best, most exciting, intriguing, and sometimes controversial plays of the year from all over the country. Most performances are hosted at the Łaźnia Nowa Theatre, and they typically sell out far in advance.

"Materia Prima" Theatre Festival

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This wide-ranging performance festival enlivens Kraków in the winter of every odd-numbered year. It is a unique international event focusing on the "theatre of forms"—puppets, masks, shadows—from genre classics to contemporary experiments. When traditional water puppets from Vietnam rub shoulders with Compagna Finzi Pasca (the creator of the Cirque de Soleil), the effect is magical indeed. The festival is organized by Groteska Theatre, also known as Kraków's children's theater, but "Materia Prima" is an adult affair.

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Bagatela

Stare Miasto

The popular Bagatela is a venue for children's theater as well as adult drama and farce.

Scena pod Ratuszem

Stare Miasto

A tiny theater in the cellar of the Town Hall Tower, it stages small-scale dramas in front of a bare-brick backdrop.

Street Theatre Festival

Every summer in July, street performances associated with this popular festival can be found all around town, but mostly at Kraków's biggest outdoor stage, Rynek Główny.

Teatr im. Juliusza Słowackiego

Stare Miasto

The stunning Teatr im. Juliusza Słowackiego is well worth visiting, if only to see the architecture and feel the atmosphere of the historical theater, which has been continuously operating since 1893. Słowacki hosts dramatic performances by the local theater group, as well as visiting performances of concerts, opera, and ballet. Although the main opera stage moved to a modern building in Lubicz street, if you manage to catch one at the Słowacki, it's a treat.

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Łaźnia Nowa

This excellent theater hosts its own repertory as well as concerts and festivals in an interesting post-industrial location in Nowa Huta. Although an ambitious avant-garde theater, Łaźnia is is also active within its immediate community. The theater's in-house bar is also worth a visit.