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 Podlaskie 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 Podlaskie 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)Informations from founder's Website
2012 Lifemotiv (Poland) Palina Respublika (Belarus) Alina Orlova (Lithuania) Sébastien Schuller (France) Ludzi Na Bałocie (Belarus) Lech Janerka (Poland) Low Roar (Island) The Mountain Goats (USA) Kapela ze Wsi Warszawa (Poland) FolkRoll (Belarus) Re1ikt (Belarus) The Loom (USA) Vasya Oblomov (Russia) Chłopcy kontra Basia (Poland) Haydamaky (Ukraine) Sin Fang (Island) Great Lake Swimmers (USA) Woven Hand (USA)
Tickets and schedule There are two kinds of tickets available: three-day passes for the whole festival and one-day passes.
There are places in Białystok where the participants can find rooms for lower prices, as well as discounts at artistic cafés, restaurants, and pubs that cooperate with Halfway and its organizers.
All concerts start early in the evening. Prior to them, it is possible to enjoy the attractions prepared by the organizers, e.g. meet & greet with the bands, writers, yoga trainings and many others – depending on the edition of the festival.Informations from the main site
Artists about the festival Lisa Hannigan: "Lovely venue and audience! It was just really lovely... (…) I’m hoping I will be invited back." Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) – asked why she came to Europe without a European tour, only for the festival – answered: "I was invited. (laugh) I’s that simple. I heard how lovely this festival was so I thought it was a great opportunity to finally come to Poland. So I did." Matthew Houck (Phosphorescent (band)): "It's gorgeus here! It's way more gorgeous than I thought it could be!" Theodore: „One of the best gigs in my life!"
References
External links The Official Website Press conference 2014 HFB 2014 Review