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SUMMARY:Let’s meet at Gdynia’s 100th birthday – the city is celebrating all year round!
UID:https://instytutpolski.pl/london/2026/06/12/lets-meet-at-gdynias-100th-birthday-the-city-is-celebrating-all-year-round/
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DTSTAMP:20260101
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Warsaw:20260101
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Warsaw:20261231
DESCRIPTION:For more information visit: https://100.gdynia.pl/pl
It all started with the sea…
For centuries, Gdynia, as a small farming and fishing village, developed in
the shadow of larger centres. Its fortunes were transformed by the decision
to build a port in 1920. The national mobilisation was so great that both
the port and the city were built in just over a decade. And so, on the
Kashubian coast, a city grew out of a summer resort – Poland’s
‘window to the world’, the country’s maritime capital, the star of
the Second Polish Republic, a symbol of ambition and of a modern, open
Poland. In its centenary year, it continues to dazzle with its modernist
heritage, its blend of urban life and nature, its openness, and the
extraordinary energy of its residents.
Celebrating as a community
The founding spirit, a vision for the future, working together, and
boldness in design – these continue to define Gdynia to this day. And it
is precisely around this idea that the city’s centenary celebrations have
been built. Gdynia’s anniversary is not a story about the past, but about
the relationship between the city and its people. The idea behind the
celebrations is community – understood as gatherings, co-creation, and
being together in the urban space. That is why the centenary programme
spans the whole year and comprises dozens of events – from large
concerts, through cultural and sporting events, to local initiatives. Each
one is an invitation to get into the rhythm of the city.
The centenary of Gdynia being granted city rights will not go unnoticed,
just as the city itself did not enter history unremarked. Throughout the
year, our city will be buzzing with music, art and sporting events,
creating a space for us all to celebrate together. This is a perfect
opportunity to visit our beautiful Gdynia and to talk about its history and
the people who shaped it. We invite everyone – from near and far – to
celebrate this anniversary with us! May it be an unforgettable experience
and a memory passed on to future generations, says Aleksandra Kosiorek,
Mayor of Gdynia.
Following the official celebrations and the wonderful community music
events that took place in February, Gdynia is not slowing down and is
offering further opportunities to celebrate its 100th birthday.
A city of festivals in its centenary year
The summer highlight of the celebrations is a time when Gdynia truly
radiates its positive energy. The city hosts numerous festivals and major
outdoor events – from film and music to literature – which attract
global attention.
This anniversary edition will feature events that have become permanent
fixtures on the city’s calendar. Among the most eagerly awaited are the
Cudawianki in June – concerts, a space for communal celebration and
discovering local creativity – and the Sea Festival, which in this
anniversary year will be accompanied by the Shanty Festival marking
Gdynia’s centenary.
After a 20-year hiatus, the World Kashubian Congress will also return to
Gdynia on 11 July, bringing together several thousand people. One of the
many highlights of the day will be a concert featuring, among others, the
singer with Kashubian roots, Natalia Szroeder.
Another unforgettable event is one of Europe’s largest music festivals
– the Open’er Festival – which traditionally takes place in early
July. It would be difficult to name a world-class music star who has not
yet performed in Gdynia.
It is also worth remembering that for many years now, with the arrival of
the summer season, Gdynia has become the capital of women’s jazz. The
Energa Ladies’ Jazz Festival, during which you can hear the greatest
divas of this musical genre from both Poland and around the world, takes
place here.
At the end of August, the centenary edition of the City of Words Festival
– Gdynia Literary Award will also be held, and in September, the Musical
Theatre, together with the Gdynia Film Centre, will introduce the city to
the world of cinema through the Polish Film Festival.
A gathering around Poland’s longest birthday table
One of the most special moments of the anniversary celebrations will
undoubtedly be the ‘Summer Birthday Night’ in August. On 22 August,
Marshal Piłsudski Avenue will be transformed into a space featuring a
kilometre-long birthday table, symbolising the community that has been
built over the last hundred years. It is a simple idea, but very
‘Gdynia-esque’: sitting side by side, without divisions, and
celebrating together. Food, music, conversation – everything that makes
up the city’s everyday life will be celebrated on a centenary scale. In
Central Park, we will be able to watch films about Gdynia, and there will
also be dance and music zones made available to Gdynia’s musicians and
music clubs.
On one of the nights in August, the sky above the city will be lit up by a
spectacular display of 1,000 drones. The city is organising this largest
show of its kind in Poland in collaboration with Gdańsk Airport. It will
be a symbolic tribute to the city, its history and its modern future.
Cultural infrastructure in the centenary year
Culture is also a key driving force behind and organiser of everyday life
in Gdynia. Theatres, galleries and arts venues offer a diverse range of
activities for everyone. In this anniversary year, Gdynia’s flagship
institutions – the city’s showpieces – invite you to enjoy new,
unique projects, performances and exhibitions.
The Witold Gombrowicz Municipal Theatre has created a theatrical gift for
Gdynia: the production “Gdynia. Fordewind”, and in June, as every year,
it will launch the Summer Stage on the beach in Orłowo – it’s worth
checking the programme at teatrgombrowicza.art.pl to catch a performance
with the sea as a backdrop whilst visiting Gdynia in its centenary year.
Meanwhile, the Danuta Baduszkowa Musical Theatre has prepared the
spectacular musical “The History of Gdynia Written in a Song”. The
premiere of this show is scheduled for early September, and excerpts from
the performance will also be shown in selected districts of Gdynia. The
Gdynia Cultural Centre is offering a real treat for the youngest audience
members, inviting them to a unique musical performance, 'Majka z Kajtkiem
jadą trajtkiem' (Majka and Kajtek are travelling by 'trajtek') to mark
Gdynia’s centenary.
The cultural events marking the centenary will also include the exhibition
‘Kachu totalny. The Life and Work of Kazimierz Ostrowski’ at the Gdynia
City Museum. The opening will take place on 4 July, and the exhibition will
run until the end of February next year.
Sport drives the centenary
In this anniversary year, Gdynia will also host national championships in a
range of sports and competitions that will attract the best athletes from
Poland and around the world. Several running events have already taken
place, including one of the most important competitions in the country in
this discipline – the Polish Half Marathon Championships, which took
place on April 25. Spanning 41 days of sporting excitement – from 20 June
to 31 July – will be Poland’s largest sailing festival: Gdynia Sailing
Days. June will also see the Midsummer Night Run – a regular running
event and part of the Gdynia Grand Prix. Furthermore, the city will host
one of the most spectacular forms of cycling for the first time – the MTB
Eliminator – and Poland’s first World Cup race in this discipline. It
is also worth mentioning that, after 12 years, Poland’s biggest cycling
race – the Tour de Pologne – is returning to Pomerania. To celebrate
Gdynia’s centenary, the first stage of the race will start in the very
heart of the city. It is worth checking the full calendar of sporting
events at gdyniasport.pl.
Let’s meet at Gdynia’s birthday celebrations!
To make sure you don’t get lost in the packed centenary calendar of
events and to plan at least a few trips to Gdynia, it’s worth visiting
the website 100.gdynia.pl. Here you can find plenty of information about
the programme of celebrations, events and inspiration for your visits.
It’s also worth remembering that Gdynia offers more than just centenary
events; it boasts natural beauty every day. It has wide, sandy beaches and
atmospheric walks right on your doorstep. Only here can you admire the
Modernist City Centre, awaiting a decision on its inscription on the UNESCO
World Heritage List, and at the same time almost immediately immerse
yourself in the greenery of the forests of the Tri-City Landscape Park. A
stroll along the Baltic Sea, a morning run in the woods, sailing or
relaxing on the beach – all this is part of everyday life here. Few
cities can boast such a harmonious blend of urban life and nature, and it
is precisely this balance that makes Gdynia a unique place to come back to.
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