17th Festival of Musical Tradition and Avant-garde KODY May 28 – June 1, 2025
KODY 2025 – A Festival of Traditional and Experimental Music in Lublin
Since 2009, Lublin has become a place of unique dialogue—between the old and the new, the local and the global, the acoustic and the electronic. The Festival of Musical Tradition and Avant-garde KODY is one of the most important cultural events in Poland, attracting lovers of experimental, avant-garde, and ethnic music every year. The event’s creators ask: what does “tradition” sound like in the 21st century? They create a space for experimentation, blending ethnic sounds with electronics, improvisation, and noise.
Experiment, Trance, and the Sacred
The 17th edition of the KODY Festival will feature a rich program of concerts, installations, and performances. One of the most anticipated moments will be the performance by Kali Malone—an American composer of minimalist music known for her monumental organ works that hypnotize listeners with their trance-like structure.
Also coming to Lublin is Oren Ambarchi, a legend of ambient and experimental guitar. The Australian artist will perform both solo and as part of Ghosted, a trio formed with leading figures of the global improvisation scene.
Between the sacred and digital sensuality, Kara-Lis Coverdale and Sarah Davachi will present music that translates Baroque inspirations and microtonal meditation into a contemporary language of ambient and electronics.
Music as a Manifesto
One of the special events will be Night of Dance, a festival rave featuring the Ukrainian collective HrayBery. It’s not just a club night—it’s also a political manifesto, proving that music can be a space of community.
Polish Accents and Local Identity
KODY also serves as a platform for outstanding Polish artists, including:
- Lumpeks – reinterpreting rural dances through jazz and experimental sounds,
- Michał Żak & Synnøve Plassen – exploring musical traditions of Poland and Norway,
- kIRk – masters of dub-techno and improvisation,
- Kompopolex – a project balancing between electronics and performance art.
Towards Contemplation
The KODY Festival also features striking figures of the contemporary experimental scene. Félicia Atkinson, a French composer and visual artist, will create intimate soundscapes woven from analog synthesizers, texts, and noise. Ellen Arkbro, in turn, will invite listeners to experience sound in an almost architectural way—demanding focus and attention.
In the Renaissance cloisters of the Dominican Monastery, visitors will find Szymon Wójcik’s sound installation I LOVE YOU HILDEGARD!, based on a 12-channel choir and the classic ARP 2500 synthesizer.
A Gift from the Artist
A special part of the program is Barbara Drazkov’s performance Present from the Artist. It is a silent, intimate concert for electronic piano and headphones, taking place in public space. Following in the footsteps of Marina Abramović, the artist invites passers-by to a personal encounter with music—without noise, without pressure, in respect of silence. It is a protest against noise pollution and, at the same time, a proposal for musical mindfulness.
Organizer: Centre for Intercultural Creative Initiatives ROZDROŻA
Co-organizer: National Centre for Culture
Partners: Galeria Labirynt, Dominican Monastery in Lublin, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Kicket
Media Patrons: Polish Radio Channel Two, Polish Radio Lublin, Folk Culture Radio Center, Nowamuzyka.pl, Polityka
The full program is available at www.kody-festiwal.pl
Funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund – a state special-purpose fund, under the “Music” program, implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance.
Co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage under the Cultural Program of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2025.
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