About KBF

We are a municipal cultural institution *, we work for creative industries development ©, business &, cultural tourism #, the meetings industry + leisure industries …

This is what KBF means. But it means much more besides. It means people behind hundreds of events held in the city every year. It means meetings with representatives of culture and business. It means emotions evoked by performances at huge outdoor stages. It means unforgettable memories of concert halls. It means countless events at venues throughout Kraków: the well-known ones which have long been bringing culture to the city, and the small, hidden ones which illuminate alternative themes and directions. It means all the thoughts and gestures exchanged everywhere – in the front row, in the ticket line, behind the scenes, on the way to and from. KBF is an open book, and the colon in our new logo is an invitation to ask: what should follow it? We know what we are capable of, but the final say is always with you. The colon is for you, because your feelings are what make all our events special.

Literature, film, music, visual arts, tourism, local initiatives, education and business – these are the eight main areas of our operations.

We work in and for Kraków, for its residents and tourists, brief visitors and those who end up staying for longer. Kraków draws people in, and we have been helping it do just that for over twenty years.

Professional, open, cultural

In 2000, Kraków was granted the prestigious title of European City of Culture. Our institution was founded to implement the Kraków 2000 programme following the motto Thought – Spirituality – Creativity. Plenty has changed since then, and our scope continues to expand.

We organise major festivals, spectacular shows for tens of thousands viewers, artistic events acclaimed at home and abroad, and low-key, niche projects. We support grassroot civic initiatives and listen to the voices of Cracovians. We create flagship festivals which form part of Kraków’s rich cultural life, stimulate cultural tourism and local businesses, bring a breath of fresh air and transport audiences to different worlds.

We focus on diversity, accessibility, creativity and culture. We look after the city’s image, and work hard to make it open to people like us: curious about the world and happiest when their lives are filled with culture.

Our long-running programmes and cyclical projects are rated highly by critics and audiences, Cracovians and tourists alike. By exploring our eight key areas, we reach diverse, constantly expanding audiences, participants and clients. We fully support equal access to culture by striving to make all our events interdisciplinary and inclusive. As a transparent public institution, we provide a creative environment for our team and extensive network of partners and collaborators. We promote values of pluralism and dialogue as being at the foundation of an open and creative society. But we are also constantly learning, responding to changes around us and observing our environment. We continue to revise the shape and vision of all the things that follow the colon.

Key brands, events and festivals

We develop many of our projects and programmes ourselves. We also foster strong partnerships, patronages and collaborations. We want all our partners to know that they can always count on us. We are open to partnerships, and being engaged in myriad initiatives brought forward by the city and its residents is fundamental to our mission by supporting Kraków.

We organise major festivals showcasing early (Misteria Paschalia, Opera Rara) and contemporary music (Sacrum Profanum). The Krakow Film Music Festival, one of Poland’s most important festivals spanning the boundaries of music and cinema, is famous the world over. Our Conrad Festival, winner of the prestigious EFFE Award 2019-2020 for outstanding art festivals, is the most important literary event in Central and Eastern Europe. The Miłosz Festival is a major annual event for poetry fans. We also host outdoor summertime events including the Wianki Music Festival and the St. John’s Fair.

We are the operator of the UNESCO City of Literature programme – Poland’s first urban strategy promoting reading and supporting authors and local book markets. KBF also manages the Regional Film Fund, International Film Fund and Kraków Film Commission which all support domestic and international film productions in Kraków and Małopolska.

As the operator of the ICE Kraków Congress Centre, manager of the InfoKraków Tourist Information Network, publisher of the “Kraków Culture” quarterly and founder of the Kraków Network of representatives of the local meetings industry, we accumulate knowledge on cultural life, initiate meetings between representatives of different fields and contribute to the sustainable development of leisure and business tourism in Kraków by bringing together the worlds of culture, entrepreneurship and tourism.

When the reality of living under a pandemic hit last year, we responded immediately. In spring 2020, we launched the campaign “Become a Visitor in Your Own City! Explore Kraków”. We were also commissioned by the City of Kraków to develop and launch Poland’s first VOD platform, PLAY KRAKÓW.

Since 2021, KBF has been responsible for implementing Kraków Culture’s policies. It is a guide through all the city has to offer, a tool of international communication, a trove of articles on the most important cultural sectors, a new quarterly magazine “Kraków Culture” borne out of the old favourite monthly “Karnet”, and a sales platform for the cultural industry. Diversity is power!

We are here for you. We are KBF.

Culture – Business – Festivals