A railway carriage travelling between Warsaw, Poznań and Berlin will once again become a temporary cultural venue this autumn, with concerts, literary events, discussions, workshops and exhibitions taking place during selected PKP Intercity services.
The 2026 edition of Pociąg do Kultury, or Train to Culture, begins on 24 September and will run across eight journeys between Warsaw and Berlin. Poznań is an important part of the route, with local cultural institutions and artists contributing to the programme.
For passengers, the concept is straightforward: board a normal international train and find a specially arranged carriage hosting a programme of live cultural events along the way.
Jacek Jaśkowiak, Mayor of Poznań, said:
Poznań lies between Warsaw and Berlin not only on the map. It is an important place of cooperation and exchange between Poland and Germany. Europe needs not only good connections today, but also good relations. That is why projects which bring together mobility, culture and cooperation between cities are particularly important. Pociąg do Kultury shows very well that travelling can be about more than simply getting from one place to another. It can be an opportunity to meet, talk and discover other cultures.
Culture on the Warsaw-Berlin railway
The project began in 2016 as a cultural initiative connecting Berlin and Wrocław. Last year, its format moved to the long-distance Berlin-Poznań-Warsaw route, putting Poznań directly into the programme.
Over the past decade, more than 130,000 passengers have taken part in the project, with over 1,000 artists, civil society representatives and political figures involved in its programmes.
The organisers describe the Train to Culture as a European festival taking place on the railway, using the journey itself as a setting for cultural exchange.
The programme is deliberately multilingual, allowing Polish and German passengers to participate together. Artists and cultural organisations from Berlin, Poznań and Warsaw are contributing to this year's edition.
“Closer than you think”
The 2026 programme has been shaped around several anniversaries in Polish-German relations.
This year marks 35 years of the partnership between Berlin and Warsaw, 35 years since Poland and Germany signed the Treaty on Good Neighbourship and Friendly Cooperation, and 20 years of the Oder Partnership.
The anniversary theme is reflected in a programme that combines music and performance with discussions about history, society and contemporary relations between the two countries.
Dr Christian Johann, Director of the European Academy in Berlin, said:
“Good neighbourliness is not something that is signed once and then simply exists. It is built step by step, and in the case of Pociąg do Kultury, kilometre by kilometre. It requires creativity and enthusiasm. And so you board the train in Warsaw, listen to music, start a conversation and get off in Berlin a little closer to one another.”
First journey leaves Warsaw on 24 September
The first 2026 journey will depart from Warszawa Wschodnia at 14:49 on Thursday, 24 September, travelling towards Berlin. The train is scheduled to arrive in Poznań at 17:31.
The inaugural programme brings together performers and speakers from all three cities.
The Warszawskie Combo Taneczne will recreate the atmosphere of pre-war Warsaw through music, while Opera Poznańska will offer passengers an insight behind the scenes of the opera house.
Berlin jazz singer Emily Intsiful will perform a concert dedicated to German singer and actress Hildegard Knef.
The programme will also look at some of the darker chapters of European history. Anna Krenz from the Pilecki Institute Berlin will present the stories of Polish women living in Berlin and their resistance to Nazi terror.
Contemporary Polish-German relations will be discussed by Małgorzata Kopka-Piątek, head of the European programme at the Institute of Public Affairs in Warsaw. Her session will focus on the latest findings from the Polish-German Barometer research.
Poznań's role in the project
The city's Department of Culture is involved in the initiative, with the Jeżyckie Centrum Kultury responsible for coordinating the Poznań element of the cultural programme.
The project is being delivered in cooperation with PKP Intercity and Europäische Akademie Berlin e.V., with support from the Culture Office of the City of Warsaw and German partners.
The project was conceived and is curated by Ewa Stróżczyńska-Wille, Natalie Wasserman and Oliver Spatz.
For Poznań, the project adds a cultural dimension to one of the city's most important international rail connections. The Warsaw-Berlin route carries commuters, business travellers, tourists and students, while the Train to Culture offers passengers a chance to encounter artists and ideas from the cities linked by the railway.
Eight journeys in September and October
The cultural programme will take place during eight selected journeys.
Warsaw to Berlin, EC 42
24 September
26 September
7 October
9 October
Berlin to Warsaw, EC 45
25 September
27 September
8 October
10 October
Events take place inside a specially arranged carriage and are open to passengers travelling on the respective services.
See more: New Poznań Musical Theatre Rises Above Święty Marcin
Source and image credit: poznan.pl
