Lublin is the largest Polish city on the east of the Vistula river. Lublin is also a candidate for the title of European Capital of Culture in 2016. Strong academic life, lots of clubs and pubs, and the biggest cluster of students in the eastern half of Poland. A city with a population of 350,392 (June 2009), and one in three citizen is a University student, (ca. 100,000 of students). That is a cause of large number of concerts, performances, galleries and other cultural institutions in the city. Lublin is a pilot city of the Council of Europe and the European Commission Inter-cultural Cities programme - because of its largest multicultural community. The major ethnic minorities came from Eastern Europe.
Since accession of Poland into the EU, Lublin is called "Gate to the East", and that's true. Since then, lot's of important big international events had happened here, involving Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Russian and Belorussian artists, researchers and politics. Lublin connects West with the East. Even antique frescos at the Holy Trinity Chapel in Lublin are mixture of West Catholic motives with east Russian-Byzantine style.
In the subject of Music, Lublin is sometimes called, "Death Metal Capital", because, citizens from all sorts of metal prefer Death Metal the most. There's lots of clubs where we can enjoy rock music. There are also Rock parties in lot of clubs on one special day in every week, called "Rockoteka", the day of Rockoteka depends on club.
Lublin has got one independent academic radio-station, which since 2005, play only rock music. The station is called "Radio Centrum" (Radio Centre). Interesting is a fact that whole crew of RC, are voluntary students. www.centrum.fm
The oldest typical Rock Club in eastern half of Poland is called Graffiti. Lot's of important artists gives concerts there regularly.
Lublin is also a folk city, with large achievement on the alternative scene. Well known in whole Poland folk music group "Orkiestra Świętego Mikołaja" and festival "Mikołajki Folkowe", are natural part of Lublin's cultural life.
One of the most prestigious festivals is "Strefa Inne Brzmienia" ("Different Sounds Area" International Music Festival, which connects Lublin's and Ukrainian Lviv's citizens together. Presents top-quality alternative artists from whole world.
Almost every sort of music is represented in the city, through a festival, lot of them have a whole bunch of festivals/concerts and other events related.
It needs to be highlighted, that majority of events is free of charge (no admission fee). The biggest mass festivals usually take place in May, it's a time of "Kozienalia"/"Juvenalia"/"Medykalia"/"Feliniada" etc.
Every University specialises itself into typical sort of music. So, e.g. Lublin Technical University organises lot of Rock Concerts, Medical University mainly Electronic, Natural Science University organises folk and disco concerts. And a lot more... because Lublin is a city of Students.
That's why, during the year, many alternative groups, have a possibility to play gigs in clubs and squats.
Whole music underground is rapidly growing, not only hip-hop music, but also reggae, electronic, and jazz.
More information about concerts, and festivals and cultural events, you can find there:
http://www.lublin2016.eu/ .
