In 2026, Audioriver will celebrate its 20th anniversary

From July 10th to 12th, the Łódź Błonia park will host a truly unique edition of the festival: filled with magnificent musical highs provided by the best sounds in electronic music, as well as nostalgic moments for those who have been with the festival for many years. The first promotional batch of tickets has just gone on sale.

The history of the Audioriver festival is inextricably linked to the history of electronic music. Each edition has been a reflection of its time. Trends appeared and vanished. Genres returned from oblivion. Great careers began in the blink of an eye, and often ended just as quickly. Over the festival’s twenty years, clubs on the Polish scene have opened and closed, while various cities vied for the crown: Poznań, Warsaw, Kraków, the Tri-City… Yet, there was onlu capital of electronic music in Poland. First Płock, and later, Łódź.

In 2006, the festival’s headliners were Goldie, Mathew Johnson, and Desyn Masiello. The latter overshadowed Paul Kalkbrenner on the poster, though that may have been the last time the German artist’s name appeared in smaller print. Minimal reigned supreme. Catz ‘n Dogz were still playing as 3 Channels, and Leon and Glasse didn’t close the festival with a joint b2b set, but played separately. Back then, a specific dress code mattered: no tracksuits, white gloves, or whistles. And you didn’t find out about the festival through social media, but via Grono, a social network popular at the time.

Looking back at older lineups is fascinating from today’s perspective. In 2007, a promising Jamie Jones played what was essentially a warm-up slot. Even then, the festival was recognized by Resident Advisor, which listed it among the best events of July, a distinction that would be repeated many times. In 2008, Damian Lazarus visited for the first time, and Ricardo Villalobos played a four-hour set until 7 AM. Thus, the legend of the Circus stage was born. In 2009, Moderat came to Poland for the first time, and Chase & Status played on the Hybrid stage, where drum & bass was present only on Friday (Saturday belonged to experimental artists from Berlin). In 2010, the festival took second place in the RA ranking, and the first announced star was Richie Hawtin with his Plastikman project, marking a long-awaited return. Laurent Garnier and Four Tet also played live sets.

The beginning of the last decade was the moment Audioriver firmly established its position on the European festival map. It received nominations for the UK Festival Awards and European Festival Awards, and began winning “Munoludy” (Polish clubbing awards) annually. Subsequent years featured acts like Röyksopp, Trentemøller, Modestep, Kavinsky, Roni Size, Rudimental, Jeff Mills, Gesaffelstein, Amelie Lens, Tale of Us, Underworld, Charlotte de Witte, Crystal Castles, and Sven Väth. In 2016, the godfathers of Detroit techno descended on Płock: Carl Craig, Robert Hood, and The Belleville Three (Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson), along with their deep house neighbor, Moodymann. However, with each passing year, it was clear that the audience was seeking newer, heavier sounds. The Kosmos stage, focused on modern techno, joined the festival’s permanent repertoire.

By the pandemic year, Audioriver had sold out seven times, and the Płock beach was bursting at the seams. The same was true for the city’s shrinking accommodation capacity. In 2022, the festival celebrated its 15th anniversary with Solomun, Bicep, and Adriatique, but logistical problems had begun to mount. Artists had to sleep in Warsaw, and it was difficult to find lodging for staff, who, at that scale, numbered around a thousand.

The solution proved to be a move to Łódź. The festival found its new home at Łódź Błonia, where it presents increasingly bold ideas for adapting the terrain each year. This year will be no different. The jubilee edition promises to be a treat for fans of major artists and their audiovisual projects, intimate sounds played in a natural setting, and high-octane performances—whether in 4×4 music or drum & bass.

The first batch of tickets is now on sale at promotional “early bird” prices. A 2-day pass costs 500 PLN, a 3-day pass is 640 PLN, and VIP tickets are available for 1099 PLN. For more information, visit audioriver.pl/bilety. The first artists will be announced later this year.