Międzyrzec Podlaski to host the 1st National Sława Przybylska Song Festival

Author/Editor Maria Anna Furman

In June 2026, Międzyrzec Podlaski will host a unique musical event bringing together lovers of Polish song. It is here that the 1st National Sława Przybylska Song Festival will take place, with Wyspa TV serving as the event's media patron. The initiative is dedicated to the work of one of the most respected and recognisable artists of the Polish music scene.

The festival will be both a competition event and a symbolic tribute to an artist whose interpretations have held a special place in the history of Polish musical culture for decades. Through this event, the organisers wish to remind audiences of Sława Przybylska's artistic achievements while also creating space for young performers to expand their repertoire to include works of exceptional literary and musical value.

The organiser of the event is the Municipal Cultural Centre in Międzyrzec Podlaski, while the co-organiser is the Sława Przybylska Foundation “Sława”, which nurtures the memory of the artist’s legacy and promotes Polish literary song.

Soloists who wish to present their own interpretations of songs from Sława Przybylska’s repertoire are invited to participate in the festival. The competition has a nationwide character and is open to performers who wish to take on a repertoire that requires not only vocal skills but also interpretative sensitivity.

Participants may submit their applications from 1 March to 10 May 2026. The application consists of sending a recording, either as a video or an MP3 file, presenting an interpretation of a selected song from the artist’s repertoire. Competition materials should be sent by email to the organiser’s address.

The selection process will allow the organisers to choose the finalists who will present themselves during the final concert before the audience and the festival jury.

The culmination of the event will be the final concert and the laureates’ gala, scheduled for 12 June 2026. The event will take place in the auditorium of the “Sława” Cinema in Międzyrzec Podlaski, which on that day will become a nationwide stage for artists and audiences gathered around Polish song.

During the final, selected performers will present their interpretations before the jury and the audience. The evening will conclude with the announcement of the competition results and the laureates’ concert.

Financial prizes await the winners, including 5,000 PLN for the first-place laureate, as well as the prestige associated with participating in an event dedicated to one of the most important figures of Polish song.

The patron of the festival is Sława Przybylska, an artist who for many decades has remained a symbol of interpretative elegance and extraordinary musical sensitivity.

Her work is primarily connected with literary and cabaret song, and her repertoire includes songs by outstanding Polish lyricists and composers. Among them are Agnieszka Osiecka, Wojciech Młynarski, and Władysław Szpilman.

Her greatest popularity came with the song “Pamiętasz, była jesień”, which to this day is considered one of the most recognisable songs of post-war Polish music. The song became not only the artist’s signature piece, but also an important element of Polish musical heritage.

Throughout her long career, Sława Przybylska recorded numerous albums, performed both in Poland and abroad, collaborated with many outstanding composers and poets, and gained the recognition of successive generations of listeners.

Her artistic work remains an example of a remarkable combination of literary sensitivity, interpretative elegance and stage class, which continues to inspire new generations of artists.

The organisers of the festival emphasise that the event aims not only to commemorate the achievements of an outstanding artist but also to create a platform for young performers who wish to explore the ambitious repertoire of Polish song.

In times of rapid change in musical culture, initiatives such as the Sława Przybylska Song Festival remind us of the importance of songs of high literary value, which for decades have been one of the pillars of Polish musical culture.

Międzyrzec Podlaski has the chance to become a meeting place for generations, both those who remember the golden era of Polish literary song and young artists seeking inspiration in the masters' works.

1st National Sława Przybylska Song Festival

Final date: 12 June 2026

Submission period: 1 March – 10 May 2026

Venue: “Sława” Cinema, 37 Warszawska Street, Międzyrzec Podlaski

Organiser:

Municipal Cultural Centre in Międzyrzec Podlaski

Co-organiser:

Sława Przybylska Foundation “Sława”

Media contact:

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Author/Editor Maria Anna Furman

Who: The festival is co-created by the Municipal Cultural Centre, the City of Międzyrzec Podlaski and the Sława Przybylska Foundation, with Wyspa.TV confirmed as a media patron.

What: It is the first event in Poland devoted exclusively to the life and work of Sława Przybylska.

When and where: The final takes place on 12 June 2026 at 6:00 PM at Kino Sława, 37 Warszawska Street.

Why it matters: The project honours an iconic artist while opening space for new interpretations of Polish song.

The 1st National Sława Przybylska Song Festival is more than a vocal competition. It is a cultural memory project that connects the local identity of Międzyrzec Podlaski, the artist’s hometown, with a nationwide celebration of ambitious Polish song. At a time when music is often consumed quickly, the festival restores attention to interpretation, language and emotional authenticity. It also creates a bridge between generations: audiences who remember the golden era of literary song and younger performers searching for repertoire with depth, elegance and artistic meaning.