St Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk in 2021
It has been officially announced: St Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk in 2021 will not be cancelled despite the coronavirus problems. There will be some additional sanitary requirements, and maybe the fair will not be as spectacular as usual, but you may now start looking for hotels in Gdansk during the 760th St Dominic Fair in Gdansk in 2021!
St Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk is one of the biggest commercial open-air events in Europe. It was established in 1260 by Pope Alexander IV, and since then has been annually organized in the streets of Gdansk – with a short period of a break during and after the Second World War. In 2021, St Dominic’s Fair will start on the 24th of July and last for three weeks – until the 15th of August.
The details have just been announced, and although it may change a bit depending on the Covid situation, we would like to share with you all we know about the Fair.
You may find the detailed program of St. Dominic Fair in Gdansk in 2021 at the end of this article.
What will you find at St Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk?
For the three weeks of St. Dominic’s Fair Gdansk changes completely. The city is very popular during summer, but as the Fair starts it’s even more crowded than usual.
Most of the streets in the Main Town are closed for cars and are packed with stalls and shops. You will find everything here – clothes, amber jewellery, old German helmets and swords. The latter may be found at the oldies market – close to Motlawa River and Dlugie Ogrody Street. There are lots of souvenirs to choose from, too.
The commercial character of the fair is complemented by cultural, entertainment and music events every day. The most significant take place at the beginning of the Fair and in the end. There are also food stalls and food trucks through the streets, where you can eat local, Kashubian or Polish and European cuisine.
There is also an area with seats provided, where you may eat or drink what you have just bought.
Just be careful, as many of the seats are located under the trees and the trees host birds that sometimes drop something from above.
This year the fair has been located in more areas of the city – crossing Motlawa River and reaching Dlugie Ogrody Street. Below you will find a Map of Gdansk St Dominic Fair:
Gdansk followed Berlin bears idea, and you may find Gdansk Fair Roosters around the city. You are not allowed to sit on them, but feel free to take as many pictures as you want.
What should you avoid during St Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk?
Most of the city centre is closed for cars, so it’s definitely better to leave your car outside the Main Town. Main Town is also very noisy those days, with most of the bars open until late at night. So if you want to rest during your stay, you should book your hotel somewhere else.
Also, St. Dominic’s Fair is not only visited by tourists – the crowd is followed by pickpockets, who try to take advantage of the chaos at the tram stops, as well as the crowd gathering to see some unusual attractions – gambling being one of them.
St. Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk during coronavirus
This is the second, and hopefully, the last St Dominic Fair in Gdansk during coronavirus. Last year’s experience proved that it is possible to organize the fair without risking participants health. What measures will be taken this year to make the event safe for the public? What we know now is that the opening and closing ceremony will not be available for the public. It will be broadcasted on the Internet but you can’t attend it. Also, the number of stands will be limited (to be honest, I don’t think this will be noticeable), and they will be arranged in a way that helps to keep the social distance. They will be sanitary regimes at the stands and in the food areas, but that’s quite obvious.
During the events, you will need to keep the social distance, too, and the audience may be limited if needed.
There will be more free toilets in Gdansk Main Town – this is actually a very good idea and should be maintained regardless of the coronavirus.
Car access to the Gdansk city centre will be limited, but as parking in Gdansk is now very expensive, it’s better to leave your car at home anyway.
Main Events during St. Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk in 2021
Opening ceremony – passing on the keys to the city gates
24.07, Saturday, at 11.30 / ONLINE – watch on Facebook!
At noon on Facebook you will be able to watch the broadcast of the opening ceremony of the St. Dominic Fair in Gdansk AD 2021. Without the participation of the public, the Mayor of the City of Gdansk will hand over the keys to the gates of Gdansk.
Opening parade
24.07, Saturday, at 12.00, streets
On that day, colourful characters will appear on the fair streets throughout the Fair area, playing scenes and showing off their craftsmanship: Hermes (patron of merchants), Gdansk Merchant with the key to the city gates, town criers, and Crimson Rooster (the symbol of the Fair). In this small festival of Fair theatres we will also see a young Lady From the Window, a tarantula, a shepherdess, mimes and clowns.
Amber Museum open weekend
XXVI Feast of bread
25.07, Sunday / Dlugi Targ at the Green Gate
The feast will be full of events during the day – including concerts, competitions and advice by experts.
Sound of history
08.08, Sunday, Basilica of St. Nicholas / CELEBRATION OF SAINT DOMINIC
at 11.30 – mass in honor of St. Dominic, founder of the Dominican Order
Organ concerts: 26th of July (8 pm), 1st of August (2pm), 2nd of August (8 pm), 8th of August (2 pm), 9th of August (8 pm)
From July 24 to August 15, from Tuesday to Sunday at 13.00 presentation of the historic organ in St. Nicholas and the jubilee exhibition “Dominicans in Gdańsk. 800 years of the Dominican Order in Poland” in the Main Town Hall
Tower Concerts – XXIIIth Gdansk Carillon Festival (accompanying event 23.07-28.08)
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 15.08. Concerts performed by carillonists and carillonists from around the world. Friday concerts end with a Heweliusz Fountain show to live music, approx. 21.15. All of them concerts broadcast live on the Carillony Gdańsk fb fanpage – Gdańsk Museum.
Closing ceremony
15.08, Sunday at 16.00 / ONLINE – watch on Facebook!
The key to the city gates will be returned to the City Mayor, the bugle call of the Fair will be played for the last time. The ceremony will take place without the public.
On the closing day, colourful characters will appear on the market streets again: Hermes (patron of merchants), Gdańsk merchant with the key to the city gates, costumes in stilts, burghers and Crimson Rooster.
Swietopelk Park Station
Fairy tale Fest
30th of July to 7th of August (except 1st, 4th of August), 3 pm – 5 pm
Summer Chillout
30.07, 01, 06, 07, 13, 14.08. / 6pm-9pm
Chillout with DJs
Under the blue sky concerts
July 27, Tuesday, at 19.00 / Under the musical sky
August 3, Tuesday, at 19.00 / Behind the scenes of opera
August 10, Tuesday at 19.00 / Three guys and one gal
Pomeranian Street
Pomerania cuisine (24-25th of July)
This is the area prepared by Pomorskie Voivodeship. Our cuisine, culture and attractions will be presented here. It’s worth visiting!
Museums of Pomerania (24-25th of July)
As part of Pomerania Street, our best museum will promote their collections
Hevelius Square
Gdansk Towers Music
Mondays: July 26, August 2, August 9 / Thursdays: July 29, August 5
The tradition of high-rise music-making dates back to the 16th century. We are restoring the tower custom music-making combined with parade marches from tower to tower with the participation of musicians in period costumes and a group of reenactors playing the role of bourgeois figures from the 18th century.
- 17.30 – concert at the tower of the Church of St. Katarzyna
- 18.45 – concert at the tower of the Church of St. John
- 20.00 – concert at the tower of the Main Town Hall
Carillon Concerts
03.08, Tuesday, at 6 pm, 8 pm
Gdansk is the only city in Poland that has a unique mobile carillon. It is an instrument installed on the platform of an antique truck and consists of 48 bells with a total weight of almost five tons (the heaviest weighs 845 kg, the lightest 9 kg). How is the music played? The carillonist punches the wooden pegs, reminiscent of their arrangement piano keys and connected with the hearts of stationary bells. In addition to manual play, it also uses a foot pedal similar to the organ. The tradition of market concerts is to combine carillon with other instruments.
Thursdays: 30.07, 06.08, 13.08, at 19.30-20.00
The duo of two friends: Maks Pabjanczyk (vocals, trumpet) and Olek Jelonek (guitar, backing vocals).
A mix of genres such as soul, funky or gypsy jazz is their element.
Olowianka Station
Youth Wave Project – Zero-Waste Fashion Show
24.07, 12 am-2 pm
Upcycling fashion show and information campaign on production and costs of creating clothing. Volunteers will show the effects of work from the creative sewing workshops and present gadgets made from used banners.
Summer Chillout
26.07; 10, 11.08 / 6pm-9pm
Chillout with DJs
Volleyball festival
7th of August, Saturday, 8th of August, Sunday, 12.00-20.00
Gdansk will host the 2021 Men’s European Volleyball Championship, and during this weekend expect competitions and games here.
Piano in the city
12th of August, 7 pm / next to the GDANSK inscription
Baltic Sail Gdansk (International Ships Rally)
13th of August, Friday, 14th of August, Saturday, 12-10 pm
15 of August, Sunday 10 am-6 pm
Details yet to be announced.
Olowianka Cinema
Outdoor cinema shows with a view of the Motława River. The cinema will be located at
Olowianka, in the parking lot in front of the Baltic Philharmonic. This year’s edition: “Various flavours of cinema” will present French, Spanish and Italian movies. The program includes a lot of comedies and films perfect for warm holiday evenings.
24.07 – Saturday, at 9.30 pm / Qu’est-ce qu’on a encore fait au bon Dieu? / director: Philippe de Chauveron,
28.07 – Wednesday at 9.30 pm / Finchè c’è Prosecco c’è Speranza / director: Antonio Padovan
29.07 – Thursday at 9.30 pm / Mon roi / director: Maïwenn,
04.08 – Wednesday at 9.30 pm / La odisea de los giles / directed by: Sebastián Borensztein,
05.08 – Thursday at 9.30 pm / La pazza gioia/ director: Paolo Virzì,
06.08 – Friday at 9.30 pm / Ce qui nous lie / director: Cédric Klapisch,
09.08 – Monday at 9.30 pm / Julieta / director: Pedro Almodóvar
3D Exhibition: Impressionists & Post-Impressionists
07–08 Aug, 14–15 Aug / 10 am–6 pm / F. Chopin Polish Baltic Philharmonic
Tickets: Adults: 39 PLN, concessions: 34 PLN
The only such exhibition in Europe, with nearly 60 works by the most popular
Impressionists and Post-Impressionists transformed into a 3D version with Anaglyph
Red/Cyan technology. Come and see paintings that come alive, by classics including:
Monet, Manet, Morisot, Degas, Cezanne, Renoir, Sisley, Whistler, Gauguin and Vincent
Van Gogh.
Fish Market Station
Mascots miniparades
25, 31.07; 01, 07, 08, 14.08. / hour 12.30 pm-1.30 pm, 2.30 pm-3.30 pm, 4.30 pm-5.30 pm / Fish Market – market streets
Everyone likes mascots! Starring “Dominikanski Rooster” and his friends. Characters special: good mood, willingness to play, mischief and pose for souvenir photos
Barrel Organ
24, 25, 27, 28, 30 of July; 03, 04, 05, 06, 09, 11, 12, 13, 15 of August at 12.30 pm-5.30 / Fish Market – the streets of the fair
A mobile organ wandering along the streets of the fair, assisted by roosters and organ grinders
Kajko and Kokosz at the St Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk
24.07-15.08./ Fish Market and the Motlawa river waterfront
Kajko and Kokosz are for us what Asterix and Obelix are for French. An open-air exhibition of the classics of Polish comics in the master series by Janusz Christa. Even though it’s a children area of the Fair, I bet you’ll find a lot of adults here as well.
Creative Dominic
29.07, 09.08. / hour 4 pm – 7 pm – workshops for children and parents, painting a huge picture on a banner, decoupage, making floral ornaments on the wheel, postcards and keyrings and leaves with macramé.
African Adventure
04, 10 of August, Fish Market
A performance by the Miniatura Theater prepared especially for the youngest viewers at the age of 6 to 4 years. A performance without words, using language children’s sounds, colourful pictures, romantic music – it aims to stimulate all the senses of a small viewer by gently, gently drawing him into participation in theatrical illusion.
Lakowa Station
Summer Chillout
24, 25, 27, 29, 30, 31 of July, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 12, 13, 14 of August 6 pm-9 pm
Music by DJs
Grobla I Station
Children flea market
Every day 10 am to 7 pm
Special area for children. Here, the youngest will be able to exchange their treasures or check what it is like to be a seller.
Lithuanian Street
07-08 of August, 10 am-8 pm
Lithuanian crafts, sweets, smoked and salted meat products, homemade bread and homemade beer and locally produced kvass. During shopping, time will be pleasant performances by the Folkloristic Group and a tree cake (Sakotis) baking show.
Accompanying Events
Memories Storage
Best souvenirs in Gdansk🙂
Gdansk Tourist Organization’s stand
Targ Węglowy / 10.00-20.00
Night Pictures
Don’t forget to tag us!
A photo in an illuminated frame with a view of the Crane! #magiajarmark,
@jarmarkdominika
Non Stop
Soothing of senses
Kolawka & Lawkolo / Dlugi Targ
Listen to the sound of the sea!
In the Fair area, crowded by passers-by and visitors, two unusual benches are a refuge, offering more than just the rest – the opportunity to listen to the sounds of the fair, or the opposite – to calm down, detach from the sounds of the city and plunge into the sound of the sea. The choice is on the one who takes a seat.
The date tree / Swietopelk Park
Find your soul mate!
For accountants:)
Fifteenth Gdansk Gate / Dlugi Targ
Make it count!
Gdańsk is a city of gates. Since 2010, for the time of the St. Dominic’s Fair, as an addition to fourteen existing Gdansk gates, one more was established on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of the St. Dominic’s Fair.
The gate is equipped with a mechanism counting people passing through it and displays the current result.
For the crazy
Gdansk carousel / Fish Market
Here the time passes in retro style 🙂
It’s beautiful! It has two levels, 11.5 m high, 12 m in diameter and can accommodate 78 passengers at the same time. It was made especially for Gdansk, modeled on the Venetian carousel in a family Italian workshop. It is decorated with colorful, hand-painted sculptures. All figures are mobile – they gallop, sway and rotate to the rhythm of stylish music. The chariots are adapted for the disabled. The top of the carousel is decorated with hand-carved ornaments depicting the most important elements of Gdańsk architecture and landscape.
Ambersky / Olowianka
See Gdansk from an unusual perspective!
In London there is the London Eye, in Las Vegas High Roller, in Singapore Singapore Flyer, and in Gdansk we have AmberSky! The observation wheel, 50 meters above sea level, is equipped with 36 eight-person, air-conditioned and heated gondolas, including one VIP cabin with a glass floor. The ride takes about 15 minutes. AmberSky is the craziest attraction of Gdansk!
For Punctual
St. Dominic’s Fair Bugle Call, everyday at 12.12 / pre-door of the Town Hall / Długa Street
Don’t miss the city hall trumpeter!
Every day at On December 12, a trumpeter appears in the historical costume at the door of the Main Town Hall to play the St. Dominic’s Fair bugle call, composed of 760 notes (another note is added to the bugle call each year).
For ornithologist
The Rooster sculpture / Targ Węglowy – Amber Museum
Sculpture of a Rooster, which is a symbol of the St. Dominic Fair in Gdansk. It was made by blacksmith artists from all over Poland in 2010 on the occasion of the 750th jubilee of the St. Dominic Fair in Gdansk
Cookrookoo / Swietopelk Park
Check which rooster crows!
Gallery of Fair Cockerels in various designs and colours.
Rooster Mascots
They can be anywhere 🙂