Up To Date Festival 2026 is relocating its main weekend events to the parking areas surrounding Chorten Arena.

Over the past few days, some of you may have followed the widely discussed controversy surrounding the Circoloco event at Wilanów Palace, as well as the broader debate around organizing music events in protected natural and historical areas. This discussion also extended to our festival planned in Park Lubomirskich.

From the very beginning, we acted transparently and responsibly. All formal procedures were completed, all required permits were obtained, and city institutions and public services were ready to support the event’s realization. Even after information regarding the presence of protected bird species appeared, it was still formally possible for the festival to proceed.

However, after many conversations and internal discussions, we decided to relocate the main part of the event. This was our decision, and we take full responsibility for it.

Park Lubomirskich remains an important natural area, especially during the nesting season of strictly protected bird species. We do not want to build culture at the expense of the environment that helps shape the character of this place. We simply cannot organize a festival knowing that its realization could negatively affect defenseless animals — even if it would still be legally possible.

For years we have tried to operate responsibly and with environmental awareness. We limit mass production of festival merchandise, develop intergenerational and senior-oriented initiatives, and continue our mental health activities through Don’t Worry Be Yourself. Staying with the original location would simply feel dishonest towards the values we have been building together with you.

However, after many conversations and internal discussions, we decided to relocate the main part of the event. This was our decision, and we take full responsibility for it.

The new location for the festival’s weekend events will be the grounds surrounding Chorten Arena – a place very familiar to the Up To Date Festival community. Six previous editions of the festival took place there in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, alongside the first Stadium Ambient event in 2025. We know that for some of you this news will also be a reason to celebrate. For us, above all, we are simply relieved and happy that despite the enormous challenges, we managed to make it happen.

Relocating a festival just two weeks before the event is an enormous logistical, administrative and production challenge. We would not have been able to do it without the support of city institutions, the Chorten Arena team and our own crew, who managed to accomplish within 48 hours things that would normally take months of work. Thank you for being with us.

We understand that for some people the change of location may feel inconvenient or disappointing. However, we hope that our 17 years of experience in producing events will show you that regardless of the venue, we are still able to create a truly unique experience.

Practical info:

festival dates remain unchanged
the line-up remains unchanged
all purchased tickets remain valid
PARK Passes and PARK single tickets are now renamed to STADIUM Passes and STADIUM single tickets
updated organizational information and festival maps will be published in the coming days

We understand that after this change some people may no longer wish to attend the event, and we fully respect that. If the change of location has affected your decision to participate, we are offering refunds for Friday and Saturday single night tickets as well as PARK Passes via eBilet. Full Passes are non-refundable, though we encourage the use of TicketSwap.

Up To Date Festival is organized by an independent non-profit association. There are no major investment funds or corporate budgets behind us. Ticket sales have never fully covered the costs of the festival – for years we have relied on partnerships, grants, community work and mutual trust.

Thank you to everyone who sent a message, shared a post, or simply stood by us over the past few days. Without you, this festival simply would not exist. If you are still coming to Białystok, we also kindly ask you to support our decision — every comment, share or message sent to friends genuinely means a lot to us right now.

Slogans such as “Music is Everything” or “United We Rave, Divided We Scroll” have never been empty branding for us. They have always been followed by actions, relationships and real decisions. We believe that when we gather together on the soil of Białystok, we truly are united in rave — and that not only music, but community is everything.

See you in Białystok, as always. Together.

Up To Date Festival Team

For all media inquiries please contact:
Paulina Żaczek
Head of Communication — Up To Date Festival
+48 509 729 623
[email protected]

Photographs by Krzysztof Karpiński & Maciej Korsan

PS:

We also know there are people who would like to support both our decision and the future of the festival, even if they ultimately cannot join us in Białystok this year. For those asking about such a possibility, we are sharing the bank account details of the Pogotowie Kulturalno-Społeczne Association:

Pogotowie Kulturalno-Społeczne Association
ul. Słonimska 24
15-028 Białystok
PL 48 1140 2017 0000 4802 1239 4443

Reference: Donation

We do not see this as a “rescue fundraiser,” but rather as an opportunity to support independent culture and a decision rooted in real values and real organizational consequences.