The 25th anniversary edition of the Great Dragon Parade (Wielka Parada Smoków) and accompanying events take place in Kraków on Saturday, 6th – Sunday, 7th June 2025.
This year the dragons river parade will take place at a new location, the audience will be on the South of the river, on Tyniecki Boulevard (accessed from Szwezka, Skwerowa and Tyniecka streets), with the stage on the North side at Rodło Boulevard.
IN BRIEF
The River Parade begins at 10pm on Saturday evening along the Wisła River with enormous, flying floating along the river, accompanied by music, a drone show, lighting and visual effects.
On Sunday 87th June, a Dragon Street Parade will set off at 12 noon from the Planty by the Royal Hotel, proceeding along Grodzka to the Rynek.
A Dragon Family Picnic will take place on Saturday and Sunday from 10am by the Dragons Den, at Czerwieński Boulevard, on the Wisła embankment below Wawel, with exciting dragon games and fun, as well as numerous competitions and attractions for all ‘dragonologists’
The parade is organised and the dragons are ‘animated’ by ‘Teatr Groteska’, Kraków, with the professional dragons joined on Sunday for the street parade by dozens of school kids with home made dragons from all over Poland.
The main events are:-
DRAGON FAMILY PICNIC
Czerwieński Boulevard at the Dragon’s Den
A two day picnic with exciting dragon games and fun await visitors, including putting your hand in a dragon’s mouth, tracking down dragons and rolling dragon eggs. In addition, a great archery tournament, stealth exercises and numerous competitions and attractions will take place in the tents of the picnic partners.
Saturday 6th June – 10am-7pm
Sunday 7th June – 10am-7pm
RIVER PARADE Great Outdoor Night Spectacle on the Vistula
Vistula Boulevards at the foot of Wawel Hill
Saturday 6th June – 10pm
Duration – 50 minutes.
The great outdoor show – “light & sound” on the Vistula (Wisła) combines pyrotechnic effects, music, light and water curtains. During the show large, flying dragons will be presented (up to 25m in length and 15m in height), amazing creatures ‘flying’ from boats are animated by the actors of the Groteska Theatre.
Environmentally Friendly Fireworks
As in previous years, this year’s show will have an environmentally friendly formula. This year’s night show will be more environmentally friendly than before. – Modern silent pyrotechnics – much quieter, but as visually attractive as the traditional ones, will be used. Quiet fireworks generate less sound, do not cause a bang, and the noise they emit is insignificant and are fully biodegradable
Entry is free.
There is a separate, ‘Honorary Lodge’ (Loża Honorowa), seated, ticketed area where tickets can be purchased for 250zł. At the time of publication, only 120 of the 600 tickets remain available.
STREET PARADE ‘Parade of Dragons’
Sunday 7th June 12-3pm
Route: Planty (by Royal Hotel) – ul. Grodzka – Main Market Square
More than 30 dragons, from all over the country take part in the Great Dragon Parade. The colourful parade with music and dragon roars – is accompanied by dancers, orchestras, as well as stilt-walkers and jugglers.
The dragons compete for the title of the most beautiful and ingenious dragon. The name of the Most Beautiful Dragon of the Parade will be announced around 1.30 pm on the Main Market Square.
25th Dragon Parade Facebook Event
Dragons Parade Facebook Page
Dragons Parade Website
If you missed previous dragon parades or can’t make it to this weekend’s 25th Great Dragon Parade, you can watch my video, of practically the whole performance, filmed from the banks of the river
Video & Photos from previous parades
The 2026 Dragons Parade has a spectacular finale.
Here are some images we took at a previous river parade.
KED Tips:-
Don’t forget the change of location!!!
Arrive early, grab a seat on the wall along the Wisła, or find a spot on the grassy embankment and throw down a picnic rug, then expect to be surrounded by an ever growing crowd as the time of the parade grows closer.
If coming by car, park well away from the Wisła area to avoid the post parade congestion.
If you are lucky or have planned ahead, then booking a table on one of the barges or rooftop bars/restaurants overlooking the river will guarantee the best view. Some charge a fee or require a minimum spend.
Traffic Disruption
Expect traffic and parking difficulties over the weekend, but the good news is that extra trams and buses are provided for the end of the river spectacle on Saturday evening.
Changes in public transport
Due to the great dragon picnic and the outdoor spectacle on the river, changes will be made to the running of trams and buses.
Details will be adde here when available
Enjoy, Kraków dragons, are friendly dragons!
A Scot in Kraków. The founder and editor of Kraków Expats Directory, and our sister sites Kraków TV and Kraków Stories Podcast.
David fell in love with Kraków 25 years ago, making it his home in 2011.
In 2020 he was awarded the title of Kraków’s Ambassador of Multiculturalism, by the President of Kraków, and is also a member of the GlobalScot network, representing Scottish culture and business abroad.
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