At the invitation of Polish choir Voces Gaudii, we travelled to Warsaw to perform two concerts and take part in Pride. A highlight in one of Europe’s least progressive countries when it comes to LGBTQI+ rights.
Last June, the Various Voices Rising show provided the opportunity for an initial exchange with the members of the Voces Gaudii choir , whose path we had already crossed the previous year at the Various Voices festival in Bologna. This time, we were guests of the choir in Warsaw for a long weekend.
The weekend began on Thursday evening with a welcome at the local LBTQI+ community centre, where we took part in a musical bingo featuring items from both choirs’ repertoires. On Friday, the choirs met in the Kino room for rehearsals, before a double concert in the evening. Paula, a member of our choir, is originally from Warsaw and introduced our songs in Polish, which was much appreciated by the audience and very moving for her. During the concert, we passed on a few messages, bearing in mind the political situation in Poland, where a very conservative and homophobic president has just been elected. The concert ended with two songs sung jointly by the two choirs.
Saturday afternoon saw the Pride march through the streets of Warsaw. The two choirs marched side by side, singing extracts from their repertoire separately or together. It was a festive afternoon in glorious sunshine. Pride is a controversial event in Poland, but it now takes place in safe conditions. We realised the importance of taking part. Belgium and Poland are at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to LGBTQI+ rights. Belgium is ranked 2nd in Ilga Europe’s Rainbow Index, while Poland is 39th.
We continued the afternoon in front of the stage where LGBTQI+ artists and DJs were performing. In the evening, the party moved to the banks of the Vistula. Finally, on Sunday, we took part in a Queer Tour of Warsaw, guided by a member of Voces Gaudii. It was an opportunity to discover the richness of local LGBTQI+ socio-cultural life, some of the key places and moments in the history of the Warsaw community, and to pay tribute to the memory of several prominent Polish figures, members of our community or allies.
The weekend was also an opportunity to make or strengthen friendships, celebrate in a different environment, discover the city’s rich and complex history and sample Polish cuisine! We’d like to thank the Voces Gaudii choir for their warm welcome and look forward to seeing them again in Brussels next year at the Various Voices Brussels 2026 festival!
(Photos Daria Krotova)