Ogólnopolski Studencki Przegląd Piosenki Turystycznej YAPA
YAPA, officially the Ogólnopolski Studencki Przegląd Piosenki Turystycznej YAPA, is one of Poland’s oldest student music festivals and the oldest music festival in Łódź, with roots tied to Lodz University of Technology. In recent editions, it has been staged at Zatoka Sportu, the university’s sports and events venue in Łódź. Its musical focus spans student song, tourist song, poetic songwriting, folk and original author-performed repertoire, built around a competition, headline concerts and a winners’ finale. In its own official communication, YAPA presents itself as Poland’s largest review of student, poetic and folk song.
coroczny studencki przegląd / festiwal muzyczny, obecnie realizowany głównie jako wydarzenie indoor.
Łódź, PL
No editions announced for this festival yet.
About the brand
YAPA dates back to 1974 and grew out of the student tourism community around the “PŁazik” Student Tourist Club at Lodz University of Technology. Festival materials describe its origin as a 1970s idea to bring the atmosphere of mountain music gatherings into an urban academic setting.
The event remains firmly rooted in Łódź and on the university campus rather than operating as a touring or multi-city brand. Earlier editions were held in university facilities on al. Politechniki, while recent editions have centered on Zatoka Sportu.
Its structure combines a competition segment, featured concerts and a closing winners’ concert. The musical identity is clearly defined around student song, tourist song, poetic songwriting, folk and original repertoire rather than a mainstream commercial festival formula.
What sets YAPA apart is its long continuity, its strong student identity and its close relationship with Poland’s sung-word and acoustic festival culture. The 50th edition took place in 2025 and the 51st edition was confirmed for March 2026, underscoring its annual continuity.
Recent institutional materials state that YAPA attracts more than 1,000 attendees from across Poland each year. It also operates as a ticketed event built around full-festival passes rather than single-day ticketing.
Event Character
YAPA is geared toward listeners who value lyrics, acoustic or author-led songwriting, student culture and a strong sense of community over a mainstream festival bill. To a fan, it can feel like a crossover between a student gathering, a curated song competition and Poland’s tourist-song and poetic-song scene. Its long continuity, strong Łódź identity and lasting connection to Lodz University of Technology make it distinct within the Polish festival landscape.
History & Evolution
YAPA began in 1974 and emerged from the student-tourism milieu centered around the PŁazik club. Across the decades, it has retained the YAPA brand and an annual cycle, as confirmed by the 49th edition in 2024, the 50th in 2025 and the 51st in 2026. What changed over time was the exact campus venue, with the current format centered on Zatoka Sportu.
Cities & Locations
This is a single-city festival centered in Łódź. Historically, the event used university venues on al. Politechniki, while recent editions have been based at Zatoka Sportu, al. Politechniki 10. No confirmed evidence was found for a multi-city model or separate satellite city editions of the brand.
Brand Facts
- Founded1974
- Event Typecoroczny studencki przegląd / festiwal muzyczny, obecnie realizowany głównie jako wydarzenie indoor.
- OriginŁódź, PL
Genres
Singer-songwriterFolkFolk Pop
Practical Info
The festival usually takes place on the Lodz University of Technology campus, with recent editions centered on Zatoka Sportu.
It is typically scheduled in March.
Admission is sold through festival passes, and official sales were handled via Biletyna.pl through the YAPA website.
No confirmed campsite information was found in the verified materials.
This is a ticketed indoor event rather than a classic open-air festival.
Verified materials also confirm accessibility support, including volunteer assistance requests and dedicated space for wheelchair users.
Trivia
- •YAPA has been running since 1974, making it not only one of Poland’s oldest student festivals but also the oldest music festival in Łódź.
- •The 50th anniversary edition took place in March 2025.
- •The 2026 edition was billed as the 51st installment of the event.
- •The festival has been closely tied to Lodz University of Technology since its beginnings.
- •In recent years, YAPA has been hosted at Zatoka Sportu, a modern university venue.
- •The event format spans four concerts across three days.
- •Official admission is based on full-event passes rather than single-day tickets.
- •Organizers have also offered full online streaming through the festival website and the “OSPPT Yapa” YouTube channel.