// OFF Festival - Katowicek, Poland 5th - 7th August 2011
A truly unique boutique music festival, OFF Festival takes place from 5th - 7th August, in 'Three Lake Valley', Katowice - a beautiful green oasis in the heart of industrial Silesia. OFF Festival is a way of life, one that flies in the face of current trends and stays true to itself, and the ethos of organiser Artur Rojek is firmly aimed at supporting art and music with the festival bringing many acts to Poland for the first time. Growing in prominence year on year with this years event promising one of the strongest line-ups to date in line with Rojek’s forward-thinking, eclectic music policy. From the greatest alternative music stars from around the world to the increasingly strong Polish scene, OFF festival has inspiring music in abundance. This year’s edition will showcase over one hundred acts across four stages.
Amongst the first acts to be announced are; Primal Scream playing "Screamadelica", Gang Of Four, Mogwai, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Deerhoof, Low, Liars, Actress, Meshuggah, Kury playing "P.O.L.O.V.I.R.U.S.", Czeslaw Spiewa Tesco Value, Abradab plays Kaliber 44, Lech Janerka, Bielizna plays Taniec lekkich goryli, L.Stadt, Omar Souleyman, Junior Boys, Kode9 & The Spaceape, Warpaint, Glasser, Xiu Xiu, Destroyer, Neon Indian, Ringo Deathstarr, Oneohtrix Point Never, Factory Floor, Twin Shadow, Matthew Dear, Male Bonding, Igor Boxx, Olivia Anna Livki, DVA, Liturgy, GaBLé and Barn Owl. Plus a special opening show with Current 93 + guest.
Last year marked the 5th anniversary of Artur Rojek's loud brainchild and an exciting development for the festival as it moved from it's former home, the Skupna Water Park in Myslowice to a brand new location at Dolina Trzech Stawow, which translates to 'Three Lake Valley', in Katowice - a beautiful green oasis in the heart of industrial Silesia. Over the years, the OFF Festival has amassed its own demanding yet appreciative audience as well as a well deserved reputation in Poland and abroad. Not without reason has it been said and written that OFF is the best alternative festival in this part of Europe and the only place east of Berlin where one can catch a glimpse of the boldest and electic acts on stages worldwide. This year, over 15,000 music fans are expected to flock to Three Lake Valley to witness Artur Rojek's musical vision come to fruition once again. More than just music
OFF Festival is about more than just music. It also features a number of accompanying events: film, art, performance and poetry. It's also an event which keeps the environment in mind - all food and drinks come in environmentally-friendly packaging and there is a big emphasis on recycling. It's a completely safe place, an event where diverse tastes and appearances are welcomed and where everyone is the same because everyone is different.
So if you've not sorted your summer plans yet maybe have a cheeky look at going to OFF, after all that's what summer is all about for us, checking new, weird and wonderful places that are still off the beaten track.
