More Ars at Ars? Why not! The dust and excitement from this year's edition have barely settled, and we are already inviting you to the next one, which will be... longer. We are happy to announce that Ars Independent Festival 2026 will start on Friday, October 2, and will last until Sunday, October 11.

The multimedia and pop culture festival of film, animation, music videos, and video games will return in 2026 in a slightly modified format. First and foremost, we are extending the duration of the festival to 10 days. We guarantee you two weekends full of festival attractions so that you can enjoy the pleasures of Ars to the fullest, from morning (well, maybe noon) until night. The schedule will be even more user-friendly, allowing everyone to find the time and place to enjoy their favorite part of the festival, and to easily find a moment or two to discover what they may not have had time for before.

In addition to the four competition sections of Czarny Koń and the well-known and beloved special events and events accompanying various sections, we promise several surprising new features, including in the program. And lots of meetings and time and opportunities to share impressions and festival energy.

Work is already underway, the program is taking shape, and more details will be available soon. In the meantime, be sure to save the new festival dates: October 2-11, 2026, and you can start counting down to the purchase of the first passes, which will go on sale, as usual, in mid-February.

The Ars Independent Festival has been around since 2011, and since 2024 it has been organized jointly by the Katowice City of Gardens cultural institution and the Silesia Film Institution in Katowice. In the fall of 2026, the festival will once again be hosted by Silesia Film cinemas in Katowice: Kino Światowid and Kinoteatr Rialto, as well as Drzwi Zwane Koniem, while the section devoted to games will be concentrated in the spaces of Piąty Dom.