Poznań's older residents are once again taking centre stage this autumn as Senioralni. Poznań returns for its 16th edition. From free health checks and practical workshops to concerts, talks and the popular Viva Seniorzy! (Viva Seniors!) fair, events will take place across the city between 26 September and 31 October.
The programme gets under way on Saturday, 26 September, with the traditional symbolic handover of the keys to Poznań. The ceremony will take place at noon on the Wolny Dziedziniec (Free Courtyard) at Poznań City Hall.
The opening day will also give visitors the chance to combine the celebrations with some practical health checks.
A day focused on health and wellbeing
Between 10.30 am and 1 pm, visitors to the courtyard at Plac Kolegiacki (Collegiate Square) and the ground floor of the City Hall will be able to take advantage of a range of free consultations and preventative health services.
These will include checks of:
eyesight and hearing
bone density
skin lesions and moles
general dietary needs
medicines and pharmaceutical issues
There will also be advice on respiratory health, nutrition and tick-borne diseases. Volunteers will demonstrate basic first aid, while other stands will focus on personal safety and staying secure online.
For anyone considering a stay at a Polish health resort, there will also be information about how to arrange a sanatorium (health spa) stay.
Visitors will be able to speak to the Poznańskie Centrum Świadczeń about obtaining the OK Poznań - Poznańska Złota Karta (Poznań Golden Card), which provides senior residents with access to discounts at a range of venues and services around the city, including theatres, the cinema, the zoo and events at CK Zamek.
Music, awards and a battle of tenors
The opening programme combines the practical with the celebratory.
The Miejska Rada Seniorów (Municipal Senior Council) will present its annual award, while organisations and institutions recognised for creating particularly welcoming services and activities for older people will receive Fest Miejscówki (Great Places / Senior-Friendly Places) distinctions as part of the Senioralna Mapa Poznania (Poznań Senior Map) project.
Music will provide the grand finale, with Pojedynek Tenorów (Tenors' Duel) bringing together six singers from Poland and Lviv.
Bartosz Kuczyk, Mirosław Niewiadomski and Mariusz Ruta will perform alongside Roman Chava, Igor Radwański and Andrej Stetsky. The programme will feature opera and operetta arias, musical theatre and familiar film themes, including Brunetki, blondynki, Bella Ciao and Volare.
The participation of performers from Lviv also gives this year's programme an international dimension, reflecting the links between Poznań's senior community and the wider cultural life of the region.
A full month of activities across Poznań
The opening weekend is only the beginning. Senioralni. Poznań runs until 31 October, with activities organised throughout the city in cooperation with universities, cultural institutions, NGOs and local businesses.
This year's programme brings together almost 200 event proposals, covering a wide range of interests. The programme includes lectures, workshops, meetings and cultural activities, giving older residents plenty of opportunities to discover something new, stay active and meet others.
Rather than following a single festival schedule, participants can choose from the different activities and events offered by organisations across Poznań.
For older residents who are already active in the city's cultural and community life, the programme offers new ways to meet people and explore local organisations. For others, it provides an opportunity to discover activities and services they may not have encountered before.
Viva Seniorzy! returns to MTP
One of the largest events within the programme will be the 15th edition of Viva Seniorzy!, taking place at the Poznań International Fair (MTP) on 9 and 10 October.
The fair will feature dedicated zones covering areas including education, workshops and physical activity, alongside concerts and other entertainment.
The programme will address practical issues relevant to later life, from inheritance and maintaining independence to the growing role of artificial intelligence in everyday life.
For international residents of Poznań with older Polish family members, the fair and Senioralni programme may also be useful places to discover local services, organisations and activities available to older people in the city.
Poznań puts older residents at the heart of city life
Speaking about this year's programme, Poznań Mayor Jacek Jaśkowiak highlighted the contribution made by the city's older residents.
“The experience and knowledge of the city's older residents are very important to us. Their good initiatives, combined with the city's openness, mean that our senior policy has become a model for many local governments across Poland. ‘Senioralni’ is a project prepared especially for them. I am convinced that, with such a rich programme, everyone will find something for themselves.”
The programme reflects the breadth of senior life in Poznań, from health and lifelong learning to culture, sport, technology and social activities.
The full Senioralni. Poznań programme will be published in the September issue of Senioralny Poznań and on the website of the Centrum Inicjatyw Senioralnych (Centre for Senior Initiatives) from 26 September.
Senioralni. Poznań 2026: key dates
26 September: official opening at Poznań City Hall, including the symbolic handover of the keys to the city
26 September, 10.30am-1pm: free health and preventative services at Plac Kolegiacki and City Hall
9 - 10 October: Viva Seniorzy! at MTP
31 October: Senioralni. Poznań programme ends
For Poznań's senior community, the next few weeks offer a packed calendar of opportunities to learn, stay active, meet others and enjoy the city's cultural scene.
See more: Getting Older Does Not Mean Slowing Down
Source and image credit: poznan.pl
