Upper Oder Festival

The Upper Oder Festival is a three-day summer celebration of the Upper Oder Land – the western part of the Silesian Voivodeship – spread over dozens of places along the river and in nearby towns. In 2025 it drew 200,669 visitors, with a programme of more than 130 attractions at over 30 locations across 13 municipalities. Its best-known feature is the Pływadła – a parade of home-built and often wildly inventive craft floating down the Oder.

One festival, many places

The festival has no single stage or site. Each municipality prepares its own part of the programme, and visitors pick one town or tour several. The 2026 programme included Racibórz, Rybnik, Jastrzębie-Zdrój, Czerwionka-Leszczyny, Rydułtowy, Radlin, Chałupki, Rudy, Kornice and Turze, among others. The event has been running for six years and aims to promote the natural, tourist and cultural assets of the Oder riverside.

In 2025, under the slogan "Tourism flows in us", it featured kayak trips, cycling rallies, concerts, a show on the water, art and nature workshops and sports competitions, among other things.

Pływadła and the waterside finale

The Pływadła parade has a long tradition – 2026 saw its 27th edition. Crews set off on Saturday from Racibórz along the route Racibórz – Turze – Kędzierzyn-Koźle. Entries included "Barbie Land", "River Casino", "Oder Catamaran" and a replica of the Przewóz ferry, and after the event internet users vote for their favourite craft. Meanwhile, the Oder boulevards in Racibórz hosted nature workshops for children and a kayak-and-bike rally with registration.

The finale of the 6th edition (26–28 June 2026) took place at the Ruda lido in Rybnik: a "Disco Lido" ran during the day, there were dance parties on Friday and Saturday evenings, and on Sunday a DJ concert featuring C-BOOL among others. The finale's evening events were free.

Tripto tips

The festival usually takes place at the end of June, at the start of the summer holidays: the 2025 edition ran 27–29 June, the 2026 edition 26–28 June. Dates and programme are published on the official festival website, usually a few weeks in advance. Choose one or two towns, as the distances between programme points are considerable. Some attractions are free, but kayak trips and rallies require registration, and normal pool tickets apply at the lido during the day. Bring swimwear, sunscreen and a rain layer – most events are outdoors.