INFORMATION PORTAL OF THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE OF THE KUJAWSKO-POMORSKIE Region IN TORUŃ

Last Friday (22 May), the 19th edition of the International Rhythm and Percussion Arts Festival Drums Fusion Festival 2026 was officially launched in Bydgoszcz.

The festival opened with a loud and colourful event – the 1st Paderewski Music Parade under the slogan “Marching for the Earth.” Young and older residents of Bydgoszcz marched in a vibrant procession from the campus of Kazimierz Wielki University to the new campus of the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, where an outdoor performance titled “Cultural Recycling” took place.

When the festival was founded in 2007, its creators aimed primarily to showcase local artists and the achievements of the Bydgoszcz percussion school. However, they soon decided to present percussion art in all its global richness and diversity. The key idea behind the festival became rhythm – in all its forms – as a universal element of human life. In recent years, the Drums Fusion stage has hosted artists representing rhythmic traditions from around the world, including Cuban, flamenco, Hindu and American music. This year, the organisers focused on the rhythms of fado.

On Sunday (24 May), Opera Nova hosted the festival’s opening concert featuring Ana Moura, one of the biggest stars of contemporary fado and an international ambassador of Portuguese music. Combining tradition with modernity, Ana Moura creates performances full of emotion and vibrant energy. Vice-Marshal Zbigniew Ostrowski attended the concert and wished the audience that the rhythm would not only quicken their pulse and heartbeat, but also remain with them long after the festival ends.

As part of the “Icons of Polish Jazz” concert series, the festival welcomed renowned jazz vocalist Urszula Dudziak to the Municipal Cultural Centre in Bydgoszcz on Tuesday (26 May). Regional Councillor Anna Niewiadomska presented the artist with a commemorative angel statuette.

The following day, the same venue hosted a concert from the “PoliRhythmia” series. Organisers invited twelve outstanding drummers, who performed Polish music classics together with a live band. This year’s participants included Artur Malik, Tomasz Krzyżaniak, Wiktoria Jakubowska, Robert Markiewicz, Cezary Konrad, Krzysztof Dziedzic, Adam Marszałkowski, Kuba Jabłoński, Marek Surzyn, Tomasz Torres, Michał Dąbrówka and Paweł Jaroszewicz.

Special awards were also presented during the event. Three more artists – Tomasz Goehs, Maciej Starosta and Andrzej Dąbrowski – were inducted into the Polish Percussion Hall of Fame, established as part of the Drums Fusion Festival three years ago. Andrzej Dąbrowski received a commemorative cymbal from Vice-Marshal Zbigniew Ostrowski.

The final concert of this year’s festival will take place on Friday (29 May) at 8:00 p.m. at the Municipal Cultural Centre in Bydgoszcz. The performer will be Tiken Jah Fakoly. This time, the festival will present music rooted in deep African traditions – a kind of legacy of Bob Marley – addressing many issues important to the African continent.

Marshal’s Cabinet

28 May 2026