In April 2026, Katowice will pulse with the rhythm of blues. The European Blues Challenge (EBC) is the largest European competition for blues artists. Over three days, performers will take the stage in front of audiences, music fans, and an international jury composed of eight respected experts. At the very heart of this event will be KATO Blues FACES – the official festival club and one of two city OPEN STAGE venues. Here, in a space full of energy and authenticity, blues will resonate from midday until the evening hours, creating a vibrant, open, and accessible festival atmosphere for everyone. On this occasion, KATO Blues FACES announces a nationwide competition for blues bands. It is an invitation for artists who want to become part of a unique musical world. Katowice, as a UNESCO City of Music and host of the European Blues Challenge 2026, perfectly fits this narrative.
– “ I warmly encourage bands from all over Poland to enter the competition and become part of the international European Blues Challenge community. It is a great opportunity to present your work in a city where blues music holds a special place,” says Marcin Krupa, Mayor of Katowice. “It is a great chance to celebrate together, enjoy music, and spend time with one another. Create this event with us!” he adds.
The selected bands will perform on two festival stages, becoming part of the international European Blues Challenge community. This is not just a concert — it is an opportunity to step into the heart of extraordinary blues events, meet artists from across Europe, and experience an atmosphere that is created only once a year. Blues bands from Poland are eligible to participate in the competition. As part of the application, it is required to submit: 3 audio or video recordings, 3 photos, a short biography, the band lineup, and contact details. Participation in the competition is free of charge. Bands will not receive a performance fee, but they can expect partial reimbursement of travel costs. They will also receive tickets to the European Blues Challenge final concert and a video recording of their performance. Details of participation can be found in the regulations available at katobluesfaces.pl in the “COMPETITION” section. Applications can be submitted until March 27, 2026. The results will be announced by April 7, 2026. A total of six bands will be selected. The concerts will take place on April 16–18, 2026.
The OPEN STAGE at KATO Blues FACES is more than just concerts. It is nine days of events that will create a true festival atmosphere in Katowice. From April 11 to 19, there will be jam sessions, workshops, film screenings, broadcasts, guest meetings, and dance parties. In addition to the main events at Miasto Ogrodów and NOSPR, the organizers aim to bring blues out into the streets of the city.
– “We want everyone who creates this beautiful celebration of music — artists, residents, and festival guests — to meet and experience blues together: spontaneously, closely, authentically,” says Łukasz Gawroński, Head of the Promotion Department at the Katowice City Hall. “Blues will pulse in the city, in people, and in encounters,” he adds.
–“We created KATO Blues FACES as a space dedicated to the history and people of Silesian blues — a gallery where this story is preserved, presented, and passed on. Over time, it has also become a living organism, full of music and meetings, a place that truly breathes blues. We are located in the very heart of Katowice, where this music has its roots. Becoming the official festival club of EBC 2026 is a great honor for us. We want everyone who comes here to feel that they are entering a world where history connects with the present, and blues has both its memory and its living, contemporary energy,” says Michał Rutkowski, co-creator of KATO Blues FACES.
– Blues is a music of encounter. That is why we want the OPEN STAGE to be a space where artists and the audience are truly close to each other. We want to create an environment full of spontaneity, authenticity, and energy that happens here and now,” adds Joanna Rutkowska from KATO Blues FACES.
Poland will be represented at the European Blues Challenge by Red. Chirowski & Pan Wydro — a Silesian blues duo formed by Rafał Chirowski (radio journalist and guitarist) and Krzysztof Wydro (multi-instrumentalist and blues promoter). They are the winners of the Polish Blues Challenge 2026, which took place during the Suwałki Blues Festival 2025. Rafał Chirowski previously performed with Krzysztof Wydro in the band KSW Blues. In 2018, they won the main prize at the Rawa Blues Festival competition. The first edition of the European Blues Challenge took place in 2011 in Berlin. Over the years, the event has been hosted by European cities such as Toulouse, Riga, and Brussels. Last year, EBC was held in Split, Croatia.
The European Blues Challenge will take place on April 16–18 in Katowice. The semi-finals, Blues Market, and Blues Expo will be held at the Krystyna Bochenek Cultural Institution Katowice Miasto Ogrodów, while the Grand Final will take place in the spectacular Concert Hall of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice. Tickets for the semi-finals, final, and festival passes are available at tickets.ebc26.eu, and holders of the Katowice Resident Card can purchase them with a 20% discount.
Prepared by: Communication Department of the Katowice City Hall
