The Festival of Jewish Culture, held each year in late June and early July in Kazimierz, is one of the most important Jewish cultural events in Europe — an eight-day programme of concerts, film screenings, lectures, workshops, and art exhibitions that draws performers and audiences from across the world. It was founded in 1988, when the revival of Kazimierz as a Jewish cultural space was just beginning, and has grown steadily into a fixture on the European cultural calendar.
The festival's centrepiece is the outdoor concert on Szeroka Street — a traditional square bordered by historic synagogues — on the final night, where klezmer, cantorial music, and contemporary Jewish music converge before an audience of thousands. Concerts take place in synagogues, theatres, and open-air venues across Kazimierz throughout the week. The workshops, which include Yiddish classes, cooking, dance, and discussion, are open to participants of all backgrounds. It is the best time to visit Kazimierz — the neighbourhood fills with energy and the normally quiet Szeroka Street becomes a hub of conversation in a dozen languages.