The calendar doesn’t lie: it’s Friday, June 20 – the first day of the 35th anniversary edition of the Malta Festival! At 3:00 PM on Plac Wolności, the festival will officially open with the performance “Open Lines” by Basinga. The program also includes the first showing of the mesmerizing “Embodying Pasolini” by Tilda Swinton and Olivier Saillard, the fierce show by Alaska Thunderfuck, the moving “The Death of Chopin”, and many other events!

The 35th anniversary edition of the Malta Festival will be inaugurated by “Open Lines”, a spectacle by the French group Basinga. The performance, featuring Tatiana-Mosio Bongonga walking a high wire, is not only a breathtaking display of superhuman acrobatic feats but also a story about transforming personal weaknesses into the strength that drives action. This truly spectacular show begins at 3:00 PM on Plac Wolności.

At exactly 5:00 PM, a vintage bus – affectionately called the “cucumber” – will depart from Bishop Jordan Bridge, taking the audience on a journey through the history of Poznań’s folk theater. “Once Upon a Time in Glutendorf”, directed by Ewa Kaczmarek and Daniel Stachuła, offers a refreshing perspective on the city’s creative communities and the power of grassroots social action. A second performance will begin at the same location at 7:30 PM.

At 6:00 PM in Hall 2 of the Poznań International Fairgrounds, one of this year’s most anticipated Malta events will take place – the performance “Embodying Pasolini”, in which Academy Award-winner Tilda Swinton and art historian and fashion curator Olivier Saillard will use costumes from the rich filmography of legendary director Pier Paolo Pasolini to reflect on the role of the body and clothing in shaping human identity. It promises to be a truly philosophical fashion show!

Audiences will also have the chance to explore the work of this influential Italian iconoclast through the “Hommage Pasolini” film series running alongside the festival. At 6:00 PM in the Pałacowe Cinema at CK Zamek, “The Canterbury Tales” – the second part of Pasolini’s “Trilogy of Life” and winner of the Golden Bear – will be screened. In it, Pasolini adapts erotic classics of literature for the screen.

At 7:00 PM on the stage of the Polish Theater in Poznań, “The Death of Chopin“, directed by Piotr Sędkowski, will be performed. This production offers a glimpse into the final moments of the legendary composer’s life and a meditation on the myth of the artist, loneliness, and the tension between genius and everyday life.

Things will get hot and electrifying during the evening show of Alaska Thunderfuck. One of the most popular contestants from the hit show RuPaul’s Drag Race, Alaska will present a fierce musical-cabaret performance titled “An Intimate Evening with Alaska Thunderfuck”. This burlesque hurricane will blow through Hall 6 of the fairgrounds at 9:00 PM.

Also at 9:00 PM, in Quadro Passage on the Old Market Square – in a cozy festival space curated by VOX, the partner of the series – the “Women’s Cinema” cycle will kick off. The first film to be shown will be “Imago” by Olga Chajdas. It’s a story about the relationship between mother and daughter, inherited trauma, and the attempt to break free from family patterns. After the screening, a discussion about the film will be led by Anna Serdiukow, joined by director Olga Chajdas, actress Justyna Wasilewska, and psychologist Dr. Anna Kubiak from SWPS University.

Malta evenings wouldn’t be complete without wild dancing. The first of the Silent Disco events in the Festival Club will be brought to life – just like last year – by the trio NOS made of Michał Nogaś, Agnieszka Obszańska, and Agnieszka Szydłowska. From 9:30 PM to 3:00 AM, they’ll deliver a curated selection of hits across a wide range of genres.

And brass bands are back on the streets of Poznań! We’re starting at full speed – the Catalan funk orchestra La Dinamo will ride through the city on bicycles, sharing energy powered by muscle alone in their unique mobile show.

For full details of all events, visit the “Programme” section and download the official Malta Festival 2025 app, available for iOS and Android devices.