Open’er Festival is the biggest music festival in Poland. Every year, the four-day event with several huge stages hosts world-renowned stars representing a wide variety of musical styles and genres (we’ve included the repertoire below for confirmation). Do you know how many Open’er people came to Kosakowo in 2023? As many as 110,000! Scroll down to: read our impressions and opinions; get to know this year’s line-up; find out why each of you should go to Open’er at least once in your life; and find answers to all the most bothering questions related to the festival.
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Open’er Festival in Poland – is it worth going?
If you are still wondering if it’s worth going to Open’er at all, we are here to dispel all your doubts. Go! In the Travel-Mates team, the situation is more or less that Patryk is an Open’er veteran, and in 2022 Wiolczi was at the real festival for the first time. In short: expert and amateur level. How do we feel after our common trip? Patryk remains faithful to his love. Wiolczi fell in love totally at first sight. Why? Open’er is total chill for us. We are quite busy people but during the festival we completely forgot about the multitude of duties. There were at least a few reasons…
First: music. Really good music. And on several stages at the same time. We guarantee you that there will come a moment when you will want to split up and be in two places at the same time. We won’t write that ‘here everyone will find something for themselves’, because fans of heavy metal or jazz could have a big problem. However, if you listen to pop, rock, alternative, rap or various types of electronic music, this is the event for you. All artists are from the category: must see or rather must hear. Concerts start in the afternoon and end in the morning, which means many hours with a really good live beat. Great job.
Second: the atmosphere. Wiolczi is not a superfan of the ‘instagram festival look’ but Opener outifts are really impressive. Both women’s and men’s. You know, such a Slavic Coachella. But even if you don’t stick mini-diamonds on your face (girls) or dye your hair all the colors of the rainbow (guys), you’ll still feel that holiday vibe. Here full summer is in the air. Even during the traditional Open’er rain.
Third: the sea. Festivals in big cities are cool, cause you can combine concerts with a city break. (Although it seems to me that after a whole night of partying, hardly anyone finds the motivation to visit museums but of course I could be wrong). However, I have a feeling that Open’er’s location is the best in the world. Can you imagine a more epic festival day schedule than ours? After many hours of concerts, you sleep off the night. Then you go straight to the sea to splash in the Baltic Sea. Next you lie on the hot sand in the rays of the summer sun. Then go to the concerts again. You repeat all the steps four times, from Wednesday to Sunday. For us, it’s just a fairy tale.
Fourth: no alarm clock. I’m sorry to all festival stars and organizers, but the most pleasant connotation with Open’er is the ability to get up at any time of the day. No morning alarm and naps. Our schedule of the day totally changed during these few wonderful unforgettable days. We would come home after concerts just before sunrise, cover the windows with a thick curtain, go to sleep and get up when our rested brains want it. Unique feeling. Then breakfast, obligatory sunbathing with a view of the Sopot pier and then… direction: Kosakowo. Blissful.
Who will play at Open’er Festival 2024? – schedule
Traditionally, the most sought-after stars of the Polish and world music scene will perform at Open’er Festival 2024. Below is a list of the artists announced so far. Don’t worry, it will be much longer until July.
DAY 1 – 03/07
ORANGE MAIN STAGE: FOO FIGHTERS, GUNNA, MANESKIN, OKI
TENT STAGE: ASHNIKKO, KWIAT JABŁONI, PG$, PRO8L3M
ALTER STAGE: AMAARAE, KIM GORDON, NONAME, TOM MORELLO
FLOW STAGE: FAT DOG, LORDOFON, MIŁY ATZ, STICXR
DAY 2 – 04/07
ORANGE MAIN STAGE: DISCLOSURE, DON TOLIVER, DUA LIPA, ZALEWSKI
TENT STAGE: MABEL, MARGARET, MICHAEL KIWANUKA, SOBEL, TINASHE
ALTER STAGE: BENJAMIN CLEMENTINE, GLORIA GROOVE, GRUBY MIELZKY, L’IMPÉRATRICE, ZAMILSKA
FLOW STAGE: DAWID TYSZKOWSKI, KOSMONAUCI, NATALIA PRZYBYSZ, YUNE PINKU
DAY 3 – 05/07
ORANGE MAIN STAGE: 21 SAVAGE, DOJA CAT, ICE SPICE, SAM SMITH
TENT STAGE: AIR, CLAPTONE, OTSOCHODZI, SAMPHA, SLOWDIVE
ALTER STAGE: ŁONA X KONIECZNY X KRUPA, KAZ BAŁAGANE, MODESELEKTOR, SKALPEL, SOFIA KOURTESIS
FLOW STAGE: CATCHUP, JULIA POŚNIK, MATYLDA/ŁUKASIEWICZ, RUBENS
DAY 4 – 06/07
ORANGE MAIN STAGE: HOZIER, MASEGO, SKRILLEX, TYLA
TENT STAGE: CHARLI XCX, KUKON, LOYLE CARNER, SOFI TUKKER, TWO FEET
ALTER STAGE: ALEC BENJAMIN, ARTEMAS, D4VD, FLOATING POINTS, KASIA LINS
FLOW STAGE: DARIA ZE ŚLĄSKA, KARIN ANN, NIEVE ELLA, TOMASZ MAKOWIECKI
Where will Open’er 2024 be?
Open’er Festival 2024 will traditionally take place at the Gdynia-Kosakowo Airport, just 10 kilometers from the center of Gdynia. It hosts the event continuously until 2006 and covers as much as 700 hectares (you will take a lot of steps circling between the stages, the food&drink zone and other attractions).
When is Open’er 2024?
The Open’er Festival 2024 concerts will start on Wednesday, July 3 and will last until the early hours of Sunday, July 7.
How many hours does Open’er Festival last?
Concerts at the Open’er Festival start around 5pm and end around 1-2am. Remember that at the entrance you may (but don’t have to) meet a long queue, so if you want to hear and see the whole show, make a time backup. On the first day, it will also take you a long time to exchange tickets for badges (in the form of wristbands). And one more important information for people commuting by free festival buses from Gdynia: it will be difficult for you to precisely calculate the travel time to Kosakowo (you can read about it in detail below in the ‘Open’er Festival – how to get?’ section).
Where to buy tickets for Open’er Festival 2024?
You can buy tickets for Open’er:
- at authorized sales points.
- on the organizer’s website www.altersklep.pl
- on the website www.eBilet.pl.
- at ticket offices.
How much is a ticket for Open’er Festival 2024?
The price of the Open’er Festival ticket depends on when you buy it, how many days you are going for and whether you want to set up your festival camp on a camping site or use Sleephuts (the latter are unfortunately sold out).
I Early Bird
We bought our 4-day passes in November and then they cost PLN 839. So if you are sure that you will go to Open’er, always buy tickets from this pool. You can be sure that you will never pay less later.
II Regular (sale lasts until June 10)
- 4-day pass: PLN 1039.
- Weekend pass (Friday-Saturday): PLN 759.
- 1 day ticket: PLN 495.
- 4-day pass + campsite: PLN 1305.
- Weekend pass (Friday-Saturday) + campsite: PLN 935.
III Final Call (sale from June 11 or the end of the Regular pool)
- 4-day pass: PLN 1089.
- Weekend pass (Friday-Saturday): PLN 799.
- 1 day ticket: PLN 529.
- 4-day pass + campsite: PLN 1349.
- Weekend pass (Friday-Saturday) + campsite: PLN 979.
First time at the Opener – how to move around the festival area
Let’s face it, moving around the festival area – especially the fenced one – is not too complicated. But if you’re going somewhere for the first time, it’s nice to know in advance what the place looks like and what cool things you can do there. Here are some practical tips from us to you.
Tip number 1: how to get right in front of the stage. This may seem obvious to most of you, but not everyone really knows about it. If you want to be as close to the performing artist as possible, use the gates shown in the photo above and below. They lead to the area right under the stage. You will not bring alcohol into this sector, but you will have a good view of the performers.
The festival town is full of various tents, and each one holds something interesting. Open’er sponsors, food producers and media companies open their points here. It’s worth visiting – even if you are not interested in a given topic, you can always win a prize. 😉
Large brands, instead of pitching small tents, build entire zones – for example, we took a photo of Rossmann and Heineken. You certainly won’t pass by them indifferently, they are so large and so well lit that it’s hard not to notice them. Besides, there are always a lot of people inside and something interesting is happening.
An inseparable element of the festival town is the gastronomy zone. Although the prices of products are sometimes very high and the quality of the dishes served is highly questionable, we would like to thank all owners of restaurants on wheels for coming to Open’er. Without you, there would be no us. Or even if we were, we would be very hungry.
One of the most popular points on the map of the festival town is the Fashion Stage. Don’t expect a small Fashion Week, but the initiative itself and the way this zone is organized are really interesting and worth your attention. Especially if you are fashion victim.
Fashion Stage is not only attractive models on the catwalk, but also interesting workshops with industry specialists. ‘A tent full of clothes’ is also an ideal opportunity for young artists to present themselves to a larger audience. Who knows, maybe you will also find an original clothing gem there?
The festival organizers have also prepared alternative entertainment for those who do not like live concerts. 😉 Namely silent disco. The rules are the same as at every silent disco you have ever been to. You put on your headphones, choose the channel color and have a great time. Note: the dance floor is almost always full here, so you’ll be forced to cuddle with friends (or anyone else).
Finally, the toilets. While the entire festival town was really nice and neatly prepared, the Toi-Toi toilets (specifically their cleanliness) left much to be desired. But something has changed. Recently, a much more hygienic and comfortable solution has appeared. We recommend them wholeheartedly!
Open’er – food and drink prices
Gastronomy at Open’er is a really profitable business for the owners of all food trucks. In the era of raging inflation in Poland, we are already considering whether to start making our own sandwiches for concerts. But seriously – be prepared that either you will lose weight at the festival or your wallets.
- Food. We’ll only speak about veggies, because we don’t eat meat, but it should give you a real picture. A year ago, in Krowarzywa (veg bar) in Warsaw we paid about PLN 25 for a wrap. The same dish costed about PLN 40 at Open’er. That’s about 150%. We suppose that this year it may be even more expensive.
- Soft drinks. We paid PLN 10-20 per bottle. A lot. Especially since the end of June can be very warm and you need to stay hydrated all the time.
- Beer. Up to PLN 20 for small one (0.3 liters).
Open’er Festival – how to get?
Are you the lucky ones who rented Sleephut? Or maybe you chose a wild adventure with a campsite? We envy you the distance from the last concert to the bed or sleeping bag. Patryk is a superfan of Sopot, which is why he always stays there during the festival. How to get from Sopot (or any other city) to Kosakowo?
- Plane. If you are from abroad, you must first be in Poland. It will be best for you to fly to the airport in Gdansk.
- Train. It doesn’t matter what airport you fly to. From any city in Poland, go straight to Gdynia Główna station. From Sopot city we got on the SKM train, paid +/- PLN 5 for a single ticket and we were in Gdynia in 30 minutes.
- Bus. Near the Gdynia Główna station, free festival buses will be waiting for you. They’ll take you straight to the gates of Open’er paradise. (You will easily find them – the festival hosts shouting through a megaphone will show you the way.) It’s the best and the worst means of transport at the same time. The best, because with a ticket to the festival, you go for free. The worst, because poorly organized. On the first day, during rush hour, we waited in line for the bus for over an hour. Once he pulled up, the race to the seats began. Those who didn’t get a seat were squeezed into the crowd. The last ones were ‘pushed’ by the automatic door. The road to the festival in such conditions takes 40 minutes in traffic jams during the day and 20 minutes without traffic jams at night. Pros? The bus will certainly come and pick you up, and you can easily meet new friends while driving.
How old do you have to be to enter Open’er?
To participate in the Open’er, you must be at least 16 years old on the day of exchanging your ticket for an identifier. That means that if you were born after July 1, 2007, you will not be able to enter the festival on your own on any day. Don’t worry, all kids under the age of 16 who dream of Open’er can take part in it under the care and responsibility of an adult. However, it must be a legal guardian or a person authorized by him (a random older colleague is excluded).
What should you take to Open’er?
Patryk, as a regular visitor of Open’er, knows perfectly well what you will need at the festival. Here is a list of things that for your own good and comfort you should take with you.
- Rain boots – rain at Open’er is already a tradition (the culmination took place in 2022). Be sure to take waterproof shoes with you, preferably over the ankle. If you enter the festival in traditional rubber boots, no one will be surprised.
- Raincoat – even if you like rain, it’s better not to get wet, especially when the sea breeze comes and you have a whole night of concerts ahead of you.
- Sunglasses – imagine that your favorite star is on stage, and you… you can’t even look at him/her because the sun is shining on you. Straight in your face. This is probably a sufficient argument not to forget about stylish glasses.
- Cream with UV filter – we like SPF 50+ and we recommend it to you, for health and beauty. There’s a good chance the sun will come after the storm. Really strong sun. You don’t want to shine with a red face, do you?
- Cap – preferably with a visor. Or any other headgear. So that you can survive until the end of the party without having a stroke.
- Antibacterial gel – soap in the toilets zone? Maybe until 8pm. Later – forget it. All liquids that will help you disinfect your hands before eating and drinking are recommended and even desirable.
- Wet wipes – toilet paper in the toi toi zone? It happens as often as soap after 8:00. Wipes will also be a godsend if you just get your shoes dirty in mud or something.
- Powerbank – imagine that your phone is discharged. No videos or photos. Lost connection with friends. No flashlight (useful in dark toi-toi). For us, it’s an apocalyptic vision. Simply take a powerbank and there is a good chance that a tragedy will not happen.
What cannot be brought to Open’er?
Now, it’s time for something we don’t like the most: copy-paste from the regulations of the festival’s organizer. Especially for you, a list of items with which security will not let you through the gate: weapons, knives, umbrellas with a sharp end, pyrotechnics (crackers, sparklers, flares), alcohol, psychotropic and narcotic substances, cameras with optical zoom above 6x+ professional cameras (including interchangeable lens), video cameras, laptops, tablets, selfie stick, camera tripods, perfume in a large glass bottle (less than 50 ml allowed), aerosol deodorants, scissors (small nail clippers allowed), tents, tourist backpacks, portable tourist chairs, drones, skateboards, scooters, tourist fridges, sandwiches in aluminum foil in large quantities (single items allowed), animals (guide dogs for the blind allowed), thermos flasks, cups (plastic, non-closing and non-screwed cups allowed), drinks in plastic or glass packaging, drinks in cardboard packaging (up to 0.2 liters allowed), flags (on poles, shafts, masts and arches), (advertising) leaflets not related to the event and not approved by the organizer, large type batteries R20, R12 “flat”. Source: Regulations – Open’er Festival (opener.pl)
How to dress for the festival?
First of all: dress comfortably. Like any other concert. Just remember that it can be extremely hot during the day and very cold during the night. So be sure to take something warm to wear. Remember about comfortable shoes – sneakers, trainers, boots or cowboy boots will be perfect. Now some practical advice for girls – forget about stilettos or heels. First of all: you will be cruising between several scenes and you will do a lot of kilometers. Second: if it rains even a little, you will get stuck in the mud. Also, don’t follow the celebrity-instagram guides that say that you must have long braids, colorful make-up, glued crystals, lots of jewelry, provocative outfit, perfect tan, and exposed breasts, stomach and buttocks. The most important rule: you have to please yourself, feel good and have fun. The only thing you really need to have at the festival is a ticket. (Smile is also a good option.)
Open’er Festival – the best outfits
We have something extra for you: an overview of our favorite Open’er outfits. See the best dressed people, whom we picked out from the crowd.
- The 3rd place was taken by a man with a warm smile and a stylish crownet of pink flowers, emphasizing his optimism and serenity. It perfectly contrasted with a denim set totally unsuited to weather conditions. Wiolczi liked this stylization very much – you can see her face and eyes slightly closed with delight.
- The 2nd place was taken by Mister Invisible T-shirt. Wet T-shirts are a thing of the past. Now the muscular chest is best emphasized by the lack of clothes. In order not to reveal too much, it’s good to cover your legs with vintage jeans and your head with a modest, simple hat. We guarantee – in this outfit you will catch the eye even with dark glasses.
- The 1st place was taken by Mr. Golden Eye (or actually Golden Face). It is impossible to pass by it indifferently – it hurts the eyes and glows in the dark. Feels like a glitter tester. A real star. The question “Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?” seems very appropriate to his outfit.
Open’er Festival – tips
- Try not to be late for concerts. First of all: you can offend your festival companions who don’t tolerate lateness and are always on time. Second: you can lose a unique show.
- You hear Open’er – you think Gdynia-Kosakowo. Did you know that the first edition of the festival was organized at Tor Stegny in Warsaw? The name of the event was phonetically identical, but spelled differently. In 2002, it was the Open Air Festival.
- For 11 years, the title sponsor of Open’er was the Heineken brand. Maybe some of you don’t remember, but from 2003 to 2013 the event was called Heineken Open’er Festival.
- It seems obvious, but people still do it. Don’t share your barcoded ticket on social media. Unfortunately, the Internet is full of scammers and you don’t want someone to copy your pass and party at your expense when you spend 4 days in front of the gate. Each ticket can only be scanned once.
- Open’er Festival is not only about music. Lots of companies take advantage of the opportunity to show themselves to an audience of thousands. For fashion fans, we recommend a visit to the Fashion Stage, where you can hunt down real works of art from both famous and novice designers. Thrill hunters and (not only) technomaniacs will certainly find themselves perfectly at the Jägermeister Deer Zone. Feel free to participate in lotteries and draws. There are usually no losers, for example we won 2 tickets for a small popcorn at Cinema City.
- We do not encourage anyone to drink alcohol, but we cannot resist the impression that vodka brings people together. For the taste, we took a bottle and gave it to a few strangers politely. Fast and effective integration guaranteed. Of course, this didn’t happen at the festival site – you cannot bring your own alcohol here.
- Do you want to hear your idol at Open’er next year? Fill out the festival surveys available in October six months before the event. Best with friends. Patryk did so and perhaps thanks to this he heard Machine Gun Kelly on the main stage in 2023.
- A lot of people from the media world come to Open’er. There is a good chance that you will meet someone famous and liked. Below is Patryk with a girl known from social media. Do you recognize her? They both work on YouTube and like Justin Bieber.
Open’er Festival – reviews
- Patrick – 8/10. Open’er is a symbol of holidays for me! Afternoons, evenings and nights I spend on cool concerts. Every morning I chill on the beach. I love the festival atmosphere, outifits, wildness, smiles of people around. Get lucky here! I could do that every day. In addition, taking into account the price of concerts in Poland (where Polish artists often cost around PLN 150, and foreign artists around PLN 400), the festival does not seem to be expensive. You have 4 days full of concerts. I love this festival. Unfortunately, the organization and pseudo-ecology didn’t appeal. People crammed into festival buses like fish in a can (tightening). It is also not possible to bring any amount of drinking water whereas 0.5 L bottle costs about PLN 10 at the festival, and you can drink several of them during a few hours. That’s expensive. Fake ecology also annoys me – the obligatory transfer of plastic bottled water to plastic paid cups is a joke about ecology, which the festival is proud of. Nevertheless… I highly recommend going to Open’er. Love it!
- Wiolczix – 10/10. I remember Open’er wonderfully – like a holiday postcard with really good background music. I close my eyes and hear The Killers, Måneskin, Glass Animals, Cigarettes After Sex… and from our Polish backyard Dawid Podsiadło, Vito Bambino or Natalia Szroeder. Buy tickets and go to Open’er. You will love it. And perhaps you will meet us.
Open’er Festival – frequently asked questions
What is Open’er Festival?
Open’er Festival is the largest and most diverse music festival in Poland. It is organized every year by Alter Art Festival Sp. z o. o. (with a break during the pandemic). It takes place at the end of June, the beginning of July, or at the turn of June and July. Polish and foreign artists representing various musical genres perform on several stages simultaneously. The event attracts even over 100,000 participants.
Where is the Open’er Festival held?
The Open’er Festival has been held at the Gdynia-Kossakowo airport since 2006. The first edition of the event in 2002 took place at the Stegny Track in Warsaw, and the next three editions, in 2003-2005, took place at Kościuszki Square in Gdynia.
What music at Open’er Festival?
Open’er Festival is an event open to many genres of music. In this case, the saying that “everyone will find something for themselves here” seems really accurate. Artists representing mainly rock, pop, hip-hop, indie rock, alternative rock, dance and electronic music play at Open’er.
Do you have to be 18 years old to take part in Open’er?
No, you do not have to be 18 years old to take part in Open’er. Minors aged 16-18 may enter the festival on their own. Children under 16 years of age may participate in the event under the supervision of an adult. The condition is that tickets must be purchased by both the ward and the guardian (this does not apply to children under 3 years of age – they enter for free).
Open’er Festival 2024 – map
Take a look at the map below – Open’er Festival takes place at the Gdynia-Kosakowo Airport.
