OFF Festival at Dolina Trzech Stawow

There is only one place for alternative music lovers to be seen each August: OFF Festival in Poland. The award-winning musical mecca, isn’t just famed for booking an unparalleled programme of rock, indie, black metal, neo-folk and drone bands – its breaks them as well.

Taking over the beautiful greenery of the Valley of Three Ponds, an oasis a stone’s throw away from Katowice, a former European Capital of Culture, this annual extravaganza has a knack of showcasing international stars and pulling enough strings to make long-awaited debuts a reality too.

It’s all down to the ethos of organiser Artur Rojek, the former Myslovitz and Lenny Valentino band member, who is intent on bringing the best art, music and culture to the country. That’s why poets and artists and film-makers are all given space to shine here too.

The musical line-up keeps those in the know returning, and it’s often said that OFF Festival is the only place east of Berlin where real music-lovers can catch a glimpse of the boldest and most eclectic acts on stages worldwide.

With five stages of guitar-slingers, electronic mind-benders, hip hop pioneers and metal mayhem, plus a Literary Cafe and a wide selection of decent grub, cheap lager and life-changing performances, it’s no wonder its Best European Festival tag still rings true.