Whether we like it or not, in recent years much of urban life has shifted from Krakow’s traditional Old Town market square to modern shopping centres spread across the city. These centres now offer far more than shopping: they are lively meeting places where culture, entertainment and retail come together.
Bonarka City Center, one of Krakow’s largest shopping centres, is a good example. At the heart of the complex is a stylish open terrace equipped with a stage and surrounded by a picturesque pond. A wide variety of musicians perform here, although the repertoire is generally far removed from traditional church music.
The distinctive feature of the stage is that it does not depend on a conventional seated audience. Instead, thousands of visitors to the shopping centre encounter and enjoy the performances informally, making Bonarka City Center an unusual cultural venue in the city.
