Friday showcased the full breadth of Malta Festival. The Second Woman began its extraordinary 24-hour performative marathon with Magdalena Cielecka, Pulverkopf celebrated its Poznań premiere, while HAAi, Worakls and The Blaze transformed the Malta Festival Music Stage into a night of electrifying electronic music. Saturday brings the finale of The Second Woman, another evening of concerts and the final chance to experience some of this year’s most talked-about outdoor performances.

Shortly before 18:00, Magdalena Cielecka will perform the hundredth and final iteration of the same break-up scene in Sala Ziemi, bringing the 24-hour performative marathon The Second Woman to its conclusion. For an entire day, she has repeated the same encounter with one hundred different scene partners, without rehearsals or prior arrangements. Each meeting lasts around ten minutes, yet every repetition reveals new gestures, tensions, emotions and relationships.

One of the most acclaimed theatre projects of recent years, The Second Woman has previously been presented in London, New York, Vienna and Barcelona. Audiences may stay for a single scene or spend hours with the performance, witnessing how repetition gradually generates entirely new meanings. A limited number of last-minute tickets will still be available at Sala Ziemi.

At 19:00, the Polish premiere of This resting, patience by Ewa Dziarnowska will take place. Although the performance is sold out, it remains one of the highlights of this year’s programme. The new work by one of Poland’s most exciting choreographers explores memory, endurance and the passing of time, creating an intense experience at the intersection of contemporary dance and performance.

In the evening, the Malta Festival Music Stage once again takes over the Poznań International Fair grounds. At 19:00, Danish band Efterklang will perform, renowned for their subtle fusion of electronic music, chamber sounds and indie. At 20:30, British singer-songwriter Charlie Cunningham will take the stage with his intimate, emotionally charged songs. The evening concludes at 22:15 with Beirut, one of the most distinctive names in contemporary indie folk, blending American songwriting with influences from the Balkans, Central Europe and world music.

This will be the third of four concert nights at Malta Festival. Only the grand Sunday finale remains, featuring King No-One, Kacperczyk and Two Door Cinema Club. Tickets are still available.

The city itself continues to be part of the festival stage. At 19:30, Półwiejska Street will host the final presentation of Special Effects by Luciana Acuña and Alejo Moguillansky. The Argentinian duo transforms an ordinary street into a live film set, where choreography, live music, cinematic rhythm and unsuspecting passers-by become part of a single performance. It is the last opportunity to experience one of the most original outdoor productions of this year’s festival.

At the junction of Szkolna and Paderewskiego streets in the Old Market Square, Lyrical Moments in the City returns at 12:15, 15:15 and 20:00. These brief operatic interventions once again transform everyday urban life into unexpected moments of music and song.

Throughout the day, keep an eye out for BANDAKADABRA. The beloved Italian street orchestra returns to Poznań, turning streets and squares into spontaneous celebrations of music wherever they appear.

The day traditionally begins with festival yoga. Due to the continuing heatwave, the session has once again been moved indoors to the Festival Club. Saturday’s practice will focus on stretching the posterior chain, while maintaining the gentle rhythm of hatha yoga centred on breath, recovery and musical inspiration drawn from the artists performing later that day on the Malta Festival Music Stage.

At 18:00, Teatr Polski will host the second performance of Pulverkopf, directed by Katarzyna Kalwat and starring Jacek Poniedziałek. Based on Edward Pasewicz’s Angelus Prize-winning novel, the production explores memory, history and the lifelong search for identity.

Women’s Cinema returns to Stary Browar Park in the evening. At 21:30, audiences will see Good Home by Wojciech Smarzowski – a film that begins as a great love story before revealing a powerful portrait of domestic violence hidden behind the façade of an apparently perfect life. The screening will be followed by a discussion with director Wojciech Smarzowski and Joanna Gryza-Iskandar from the Feminoteka Foundation.

Before heading to today’s events, be sure to visit the festival photo gallery.

See you at Malta!

To Love!