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Inside Poland's Soviet-era festival that's now a thriving music hub

Euronews

5 days ago

Entertainment
Euronews

Inside Poland's Soviet-era festival that's now a thriving music hub

The origins of the Jarocin Festival date back to 1970, when it began as Wielkopolskie Rytmy Młodych (Wielkopolska Rhythms of the Young) - a regional music competition to promote amateur rock bands. Taking place in the small town of Jarocin, the event quickly gained popularity, attracting young people from all over Poland. In 1980, the festival changed its name and evolved into a platform for alternative and underground music. The festival gained a unique status in the Eastern Bloc. Unlike most communist countries, where rock music was suppressed, Jarocin became an officially tolerated (though closely monitored) space. It was one of the few places where bands could express themselves artistically freely, and give vent to frustrations about authoritarianism, censorship and social norms under the repressive communist regime. Jarocin in the 1980s was both a musical and socio-political phenomenon, offering a subversive voice for Polish youth during and after martial law. It became a breeding ground for Polish punk and rock icons such as Dezerter, Kult and Armia. With the fall of communism in 1989, Jarocin entered a period of transformation. The festival's original role - as a sanctuary of freedom of expression in a repressive regime - was no longer so necessary. The 1990s brought increased commercialisation of Polish culture, and Jarocin struggled to redefine itself in a more open, market-driven society. But the event went experienced a renaissance in the 2000s, fuelled by a growing nostalgia for the 1980s and a revived interest in alternative music. The festival is now organised by the Good Taste Production agency from Poznan, which has festivals such as NEXT FEST, SALT WAVE BY PORSCHE and BITTERSWEET Festival under its wing. In the beginning Edgar Hein, the festival spokesman explained more about the importance of event's past: "This is an absolute legend. A festival that dates back to 1970, where the careers of the biggest Polish bands began, and not just the rock ones. It was here that a kind of social revolution took place, you could say, because the subcultures of the 80s, 90s were here to find a place to show off. We always try to give a nod to the history of the festival, (and mark) things like the 40th anniversary of Darek Malejonek, the band Hunter or Kobranocka." Indeed, Darek Malejonek who's also known as "Maleo" was one of the first acts to perform at Jarocin: "In '84 we came to Jarocin for the competition with the band "Israel" and "Culture" to compete in the preliminaries. We managed to qualify for the big stage and that was the start of my artistic activity which continues to this day." "Today it is a commercial festival but my heart always beats stronger in this place, because this is where it all started." "There were a lot of security service agents and there were different, strange people in civilian clothes who sometimes even provoked riots. Television was filming such these riots and at that moment they were [portrayed as] disgracing in the eyes of the nation these dirty punks, metalheads." "Those communist times are now just a memory but they were difficult enough to give us the strength to cope in all times." Playing to perform Competition for young bands is still a very important part of the festival. Wirefall are one of the few bands who qualified to perform on the small stage. "We play very alternative, I think, that kind of alternative metal, new metal," explains Tomasz Piesiak. The musicians noted that many bands here play heavy, alternative music and yet the festival gets a family feel. "There are a lot of children, for example Mateusz and Konrad read Tuwim poems to the children as part of the festival," he said. "For the next Jarocin festival, when we play I will definitely take my family." Away from the music, there are a series of accompanying events and an exhibition to bring the events from the communist era closer to home Today's Jarocin combines nostalgia with modernity. It pays homage to its heritage while presenting contemporary punk, rock, indie and hip-hop artists. This allows Jarocin to maintain a bond with its roots, support independent musicians and alternative voices, and remain a symbol of youth rebellion and artistic freedom in Poland. It is not only a celebration of music, but also a living archive of Polish socio-political changes, reflecting changing identities, values and artistic expressions across generations. It is considered part of Poland's cultural heritage, with documentaries, exhibitions and academic studies dedicated to its history. From a subversive gathering of youth during the communist era to a dynamic music festival in democratic Poland, Jarocin's evolution reflects the country's historical trajectory.

Kult Launches India's First Perfume Trial-at-Home Service

Fashion Value Chain

03-07-2025

Business
Fashion Value Chain

Kult Launches India's First Perfume Trial-at-Home Service

Luxury fragrance retailer Kult has launched a first-of-its-kind 'Perfume Trial at Home' service in Delhi and Gurgaon, transforming how Indians discover and shop for premium scents. This innovative service brings 150+ full-sized luxury perfume testers directly to customers' homes via a trained fragrance expert, creating an immersive, zero-pressure discovery experience. Unlike typical retail counters or online guessing games, Kult's format encourages at-home scent exploration—solo or with friends—at your own pace. Shoppers can make instant purchases, with 48-hour doorstep delivery, or simply enjoy the session with no obligation to buy. Karishma Singh, CEO & Founder, Kult, shared: 'This isn't just a new service—it's a category rethink. We're making luxury fragrance discovery joyful, social, and personal.' The service is currently live in Delhi-NCR, with plans to expand to Mumbai, Bangalore, and Pune soon. As a 'store-at-home' format, Kult's perfume trial service eliminates the typical rush of in-store testing, offering a free, curated, and personalized scent experience that blends luxury with accessibility. Explore more at or book your home trial via the Kult app.

Beauty tech platform Kult raises $20 million in funding round led by M3M Family Office

Fashion Network

01-05-2025

Business
Fashion Network

Beauty tech platform Kult raises $20 million in funding round led by M3M Family Office

Beauty tech platform Kult has raised $20 million (Rs 170 crore) in its series A funding round led by Payal Kanodia and Aishwarya Bansal from the M3M Family Office. With this investment, Payal Kanodia and Aishwarya Bansal will be joining the brand's leadership team as board members. Kult plans to utilise the funds to accelerate its growth by onboarding 700 premium products from around the world. It also plans to scale its workforce by hiring more than 200 professionals across functions like sourcing, engineering, product development, and user experience. Commenting on the investment, Payal Kanodia in a statement said, 'Kult's data-driven, customer-first, tech-led model signals the next evolution in the online beauty space—where deep personalisation and human insight converge to deliver instant, precise solutions. The strong traction from repeat users in this early stage validates the timing and necessity of launching such a sharply focused, super-niche platform.' Founded by Karishma Singh and Ruchika Pallavi, Kult is a beauty platform that uses technology and artificial intelligence to offer personalised skincare recommendations.

Time of India

29-04-2025

Business
Time of India

M3M backs Kult with $20 mn to expand beauty tech and brand portfolio

Beauty tech and discovery platform Kult has raised $20 million in a Series A funding round led Dr. Payal Kanodia and Aishwarya Bansal from the M3M family office. The round also saw participation by Venture Catalysts. The beauty app , which has a presence on both iOS and Android, will be using the funds to expand the product categories along with building a team of over 200 top-tier talent across multiple functions, such as sourcing, engineering, product, and user experience. "Dr. Payal Kanodia and Ms. Aishwarya Bansal, who have acquired 55 per cent stake in the brand, will be joining Ruchika Pallavi and me as board members. Out of the $20 million that we have raised, we will be using $8 million during phase one, i.e., the initial 12 months, and take the brand to the valuation of Rs 5,000 crore," Karishma Singh said. "The investment comes at a time when India's beauty and personal care (BPC) market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10 per cent, reaching $30 billion by 2027. Within this, the online BPC segment is expected to account for $10 billion, representing approximately 33 per cent of the total market," she further added. Currently, the brand has a presence in categories like makeup, skin care, hair care, bath and body, and fragrance. "In the next 3-4 months, we will be foraying into 16 new categories. At present, we are working with 260 brands and plan to take this number to 800 by the end of this fiscal year," Singh asserted. "Out of these 800 brands, around 200 brands will be international brands," she further added. Currently, the beauty app has 20 exclusive brands listed on it, and 16 more are in the pipeline. 'Kult is uniquely positioned at the intersection of beauty and technology. What drew me in was the clarity of purpose - to create a platform that doesn't just sell products, but helps consumers make informed, confident choices,' said Bansal and Kanodia. "We plan to acquire the majority of the beauty market in the e-commerce segment. Currently, Kult is offering products only for women, and going ahead, we also plan to launch products for men," they further added. At present, the brand is processing 1,000 orders per month with an AOV of Rs 2,000 and plans to take it to 10,000 orders per month with an AOV towards the north of Rs 2,000 in the next 12 months. "In terms of GMV, we will be closing this fiscal at an ARR of Rs 700 crore," Singh said. The brand, which delivers to 5,000 pin codes in India, is eyeing EBITDA profitability next year when it reaches 12,000 to 13,000 orders per day When asked about foraying into the quick commerce space, Singh said, "Beauty as a category is very well placed in terms of unit economics for quick commerce. So, of course, we would be working on it in the future." Kult, a technology-led beauty platform that leverages AI to deliver personalized skincare recommendations and a seamless, inclusive shopping experience, was started by Karishma Singh and Ruchika Pallavi in 2022.

Beauty tech startup Kult raises $20 million from M3M Family Office, other investors