13th January – 2nd March, Various events & locations, Aberdeen

The Polish-Scottish Mini Festival, organised by the Polish Association Aberdeen and supported by Polish Cultural Institute in London, once again shows that a vibrant community can be built by embracing and combining diverse cultural environments.

Open to everyone from all over Scotland and beyond, the Polish-Scottish Mini Festival is each year drawing an increasingly larger audience for a unique series of cultural events.

As the organizers say “It’s a great opportunity to build bridges between different communities and to celebrate our diversity”.

The highlights of the 2025 festival include: the exhibition “City of Living, City of Dead” at Aberdeen Central Library, “Polish-Scottish Ceilidh”, concerts of “Strachy Na Lachy” – our headliner, a folk concert of “Kapela PoPieronie”, a sea shanty concert “Własny Port and Harbour Voices”, a singing workshop from the Beskid Mountains led by Brygida Sordyl and a novelty – “Weekend of Polish Cinema with IFF Tofifest”, the weekend of Polish cinema in Aberdeen with a special guest, the film director Agnieszka Smoczyńska.

Take a look at this year’s lineup and make sure to mark your calendars!

13 January to 15 February 2025 – “City of Living, City of Dead” exhibition @ Aberdeen Central Library & Exhibition Talk 27 January 2025 at 6 p.m.

By combining archival photographs of people and places from the Warsaw Ghetto (from the collection of the Warsaw Ghetto Museum) with images of modern-day Warsaw through double exposure photography, Robert Wilczyński brings to life and makes visible a dramatic period in the city’s history.

Join us for the Exhibition Talk on 27 January 2025 at 18:00 with Chava Nissimov, a social activist, writer, and Holocaust survivor. Known for her poetry and prose that reflect her personal experiences during and after the war, Nissimov is a renowned and award-winning writer. She has been socially active in sharing knowledge about the Holocaust and highlighting examples of Polish help to Jews during the German occupation.

18 January 2025 – Concert by ”Własny Port & Harbour Voices” @ The Blue Lamp at 7:30 p.m.

The band, consisting of Rafał Ordak (guitar, vocals), Piotr Gąsiewski (guitar, vocals), Michał Stropa (accordion, vocals), and Marcin Kijak (bass guitar, vocals), creates a distinctive musical experience, blending acoustic instruments with four powerful male voices.

Also featured is the Harbour Voices Choir, a community group led by musician Sarah Boyle, who gathers every Wednesday evening at the Fittie Community Hall to rehearse.

Together, Własny Port and the Harbour Voices Choir will deliver a memorable night of music and collaboration.

Book your tickets HERE

1 February 2025 – “Polish-Scottish Ceilidh” @ the Pittodrie Stadium at 6 p.m.

This is the second and most inclusive element of the festival, where we will celebrate the birthday of Scottish poet Robert Burns with both Polish and Scottish dances. Traditional Scottish dishes, such as haggis, neeps, and tatties, will be served alongside classic Polish dishes. The ceilidh band Danse MaCabre will provide the music for the dancing.

Book your tickets HERE

7 February 2025 – “Strachy Na Lachy” @ Lemon Tree at 8:00 p.m.

The band brings an exciting mix of rock, punk rock, folk, and alternative sounds, along with their unique take on sung poetry. The original lineup featured bassist Lo and guitarist Mariusz Nalepa, and in 2003, after signing with the independent label SP Records, they were joined by Kuzyn on drums and Zane on keyboards.

Book your tickets HERE

15 and 16 February 2025 – singing workshop entitled “Songs of the Beskid Highlanders”, led by Brygida Sordyl @ the University of Aberdeen 

Brygida Sordyl is an ethnomusicologist, violist, and singer, dedicated to preserving and promoting the traditional music of the Żywiec Highlanders. As a lecturer in folk violin and traditional singing at the Faculty of Traditional Music, Brygida brings her deep knowledge and passion to this unique workshop.

21 February 2025 – Concert of the string quartet “Kapela PoPieronie” @ The Blue Lamp at 8 p.m.

Hailing from Żywiec, Kapela PoPieronie is made up of four talented and experienced musicians, bringing together traditional Highlander songs and original compositions influenced by Polish, Slovak, and Hungarian musical traditions. Their unique blend of classical, jazz, and improvised music is sure to captivate both classical music enthusiasts and fans of more experimental sounds.

Book your tickets HERE

28 February to 2 March 2025 – International Film Festival “Tofifest” 

This year’s special guest is Agnieszka Smoczyńska, a visionary director known for her genre-blending work. She made her debut in 2015 with “The Lure”, a horror and music hybrid that won awards worldwide, including at the Sundance Film Festival. Her second feature, “Fugue”, premiered at Cannes in the prestigious Critics’ Week section. In 2022, Smoczyńska stepped into English-language cinema with “The Silent Twins”, starring Letitia Wright and Tamara Lawrance, which was showcased in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival.

With a diverse lineup of events celebrating music, art, and culture, this year’s festival offers something for everyone.

Mark your calendars, join us, and experience the rich blend of creativity and heritage that makes this festival truly special.

For more information visit:

Polish-Scottish Mini Festival Facebook Page

Polish Association Aberdeen Facebook Page

as well as the Festival Website