Halfway Festival is a music festival which takes place in Northeastern Poland, in Białystok in the last week of June every year. The festival's main organizer is the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic – European Art Centre. Its first edition happened in 2012.
Idea
Halfway Festival is a gathering involving songwriters, folk, and alternative musicians. "It's not the biggest, or the most important, or the best festival in the world, but it provides an indescribable and unique atmosphere for its enthusiastic audience. The festival is one of a kind, as it is created by both performers and the audience – according to its motto: “Close to people, close to music”. It is a festival with no headliners – all artists, along with the audience, share the utmost importance." – say the organizers. There are no complicated, restrictive regulations. It's all based on trust and a big culture of participants. There's time to talk to artists, to see them walking around, resting or listening to other performers amongst the audience. It's the festival where nobody should hurry; the artists can play for as long as they and their fans want, as there's no time limit for the performances. It's the festival which connects the music tradition of Western and Eastern Europe, and the US in one place.
Place
Halfway is a cameral festival which takes place in an amphitheatre with great, unique acoustics. The scenery sits really close, within the audience's reach. The amphitheatre is located at Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic – European Art Centre in Białystok – the largest institute of arts in Northeastern Poland, and the most modern cultural center in this region of Europe.
In between concerts it is possible to spend time in a green milieu around the amphitheatre. There is a DJ area to dance or listen to good electronic music. There are stalls with many kinds of tea, regional beer, grilled food, festival gadgets.
Artists
2019
Friday 28 June
Wędrowiec
Gyða
These New Puritans
Saturday 29 June
Kotori
Oxford Drama
KÁRYYN
My Brightest Diamond
Julia Holter
Sunday 30 June
Palina
Tęskno
Alice Phoebe Lou
Foxing
Strand of Oaks
2018
Friday 29 June
Seasonal
amiina
Low
Saturday 30 June
ugla
Annie Hart
Pia Fraus
Jane Weaver
Villagers
Sunday 01 July
Francis Tuan
TonqiXod
Anna Ternheim
Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp XXL
The Besnard Lakes
2017
Friday 23 June
Starsabout (Poland) Christine Owman (Sweden) Shuma (Belarus)
Saturday 24 June
Agata Karczewska (Poland) Cate Le Bon (United Kingdom) Juana Molina (Argentina) TORRES (United States) The Veils (United Kingdom)
Sunday 25 June
Coals (Poland) East of My Youth (Iceland) Nive & The Deer Children (Greenland) Cass McCombs Band (US) Angel Olsen (US)
2016
Friday 24 June
Byen (Poland) Ilya (United Kingdom) Destroyer (Canada)
Saturday 25 June
Coldair (Poland) Odd Hugo (Estonia) Eivør Pálsdóttir (Faroe Islands) Accolective (Israel) Ane Brun (Norway)
Sunday 26 June
Intelligency (Belarus) Giant Sand (USA) Mammút (Iceland) Julia Marcell (Poland) Wilco (USA)
2015
Friday 26 June
Nathalie and The Loners (Poland) .K (Belarus) Moddi (Norway) Gabriel Ríos (Belgium)
Saturday 27 June
JÓGA (Poland) Garbanotas Bosistas (Lithuania) She Keeps Bees (USA) Vök (Iceland) William Fitzsimmons (musician) (USA)
Sunday 28 June
Maggie Björklund (Denmark) Sister Wood (Poland/England) Oly. (Poland) Sharon van Etten (USA) The Antlers (band) (USA)
2014
Friday 27 June
Overdriven Group (Poland) Keegan McInroe (USA) Phosphorescent (band) (USA)
Saturday 28 June
Sonia Pisze Piosenki (Poland) Lord & The Liar (Poland) Fismoll (Poland) Pascal Pinon (Island) Theodore (Greece) My Brightest Diamond (USA)
Sunday 29 June
Navi (Belarus) Daniel Spaleniak (Poland) Hymnalaya (Island) Lisa Hannigan (Ireland) Ewert and The Two Dragons (Estonia)
2013
28 June
Wilhelm Jerusalem (Poland) Anna von Hausswolff (Sweden) Under Byen (Denmark)
29 June
Bobby the Unicorn (Poland) HandmadE (Belarus) Sóley (Island) SoKo (France) Sivert Høyem (Norway)
30 June
Markas Palubenka (Lithuania) Gin Ga (Austria) Domowe Melodie (Poland) Local Natives (USA) Emilíana Torrini (Island)