On the Night of Museums, we invite you to a special concert by Daniel Kahn—a charismatic vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and one of the most compelling interpreters of contemporary klezmer music. His work blends traditional Jewish sounds with punk energy, folk sensitivity, and a strong theatrical flair. In his musical pieces, Kahn freely weaves together languages—from Yiddish to English and German—creating moving and often ironic musical narratives.

In the course of the evening, the artist will present three short musical sets (10–15 minutes each), offering three distinct moods and stories—from reinterpretations of traditional songs, through poetic pieces, to more energetic original compositions.
The concert will be an intimate and emotional stop on the musical map of the Night of Museums—perfect both for connoisseurs of Jewish music and for those who are just beginning to discover it.

Timetable of the concerts:

• 8PM – part I
• 9PM – part II
• 10PM – part III

The concerts will take place at the temporary exhibition space and will last approximately 10-15 minutes each. For safety reasons, capacity is limited—admission is on a first-come, first-served basis.

During the tour, curator Dr Tamara Sztyma will introduce you to the multilingual world of Jewish culture whilst explaining the idea behind the exposition, talking about the artifacts on display and about how different linguistic traditions are rooted in them. You will have an opportunity to get acquainted with cultural contexts of the selected exhibited objects and to talk to the curator.

• Guided tour in Polish — 7:15PM
• Translation into the Polish Sign Language available.
• Meeting point: the main hall. Duration: ca 45 minutes.
• Limited capacity—registration at the information point before the tour is required; places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

We invite you to join guided tours of the POLIN Museum’s core exhibition. In line with this year’s Night of Museums theme, we will explore the exhibition along a trail of words and sounds. We will talk about the languages used by Jews in Poland: Hebrew—the “sacred language” of prayer and learning—and Yiddish, the language of the home, the shtetl, and everyday Jewish life. We won’t forget about Esperanto, a language created by Ludwik Zamenhof with the aim of bringing hope and lasting peace to humanity.

During the tour, we will see what the cymbals of Mickiewicz’s Jankiel looked like, listen to music accompanying a Jewish wedding ceremony, and hear the voice of Gershon Sirota—the renowned cantor at Warsaw’s Great Synagogue, known as the “Jewish Caruso.” Finally, we will recall some of the greatest hits of interwar Poland, composed by Artur Gold and Jerzy Petersburski, with lyrics by authors such as Julian Tuwim and Marian Hemar.

Timetable of the tours:

• Guided tour in Polish: 7:15PM
• Guided tour in English: 8:15PM 
• Guided tour in Ukrainian: 9:15PM
• Meeting point: the main hall. Duration of each tour: ca 45 minutes.

Look for interactive points in ‘In the Jewish Town’ gallery, where our guides will talk about Hebrew and Yiddish: how and where these languages can be learned, what their distinctive features are, and how they are used today. This is an opportunity to explore and compare the Hebrew and Yiddish alphabets, browse books published in both languages, and even try writing your own name.

Another interactive point can be found in ‘On the Jewish Street’ gallery, within the space of Mała Ziemiańska café. Here, our guide will tell you all about the regular visitors to pre-war Warsaw’s most famous literary café and offer a behind-the-scenes look at the venue.

• Simply approach the selected interactive point at the exhibition space between 7PM and 11PM
• Location: Core Exhibition, ‘In the Jewish Town’ and ‘On the Jewish Street’ galleries

We warmly invite you to a dance intervention in ‘On the Jewish Street’ gallery—the street which will be full of hustle and bustle again during the Night of Museums.

The street will burst with the sounds of café chatter and music. On 16 May, three tango performances will take place (7:45PM, 8:45PM, 9:45PM). Piotr Woźniak—a choreographer, dancer, and teacher—will not only perform tango but also talk about its history in pre-war Poland and demonstrate the basic steps. The street will once again fill with dancing couples moving to the rhythm of songs composed by Jerzy Petersburski, Henryk Wars, and Artur Gold, all the while singing “Tango milonga”!

• Performances at: 7:45PM, 8:45PM, 9:45PM
• Location: Core exhibition, ‘On the Jewish Street’ gallery

On the night of 16 May, the Museum will become the stage for an interactive story. The “Museum Game” is an immersive, site-based game in which students will take on roles and invite the public to move together with them through successive chapters of the narrative. While following the students—or game protagonists, participants will solve tasks and engage in interactions around words, languages, and sounds. It is an experience that allows visitors to immerse themselves in the Museum’s narrative in a way not possible during a regular visit.

Who is it for: open to anyone who’s interested — adults and young adults aged 18+ who would like to experience the Museum through an interactive, story-driven format with RPG elements.

Participation in the game for young people/students requires prior registration. A simple sign-up form will be available; the link will be published together with the event announcement.

As each year on the Night of Museums, we offer a unique opportunity to explore spaces in our Museum that are usually not accessible to the public! Join our behind-the-scenes tours guided by members of our staff.

• Staff-guided tours at: 7:30PM, 8:30PM, 8:45PM, 9:30PM, 10:15PM, 10:30PM
• 8:45PM tour of the storage area will be interpreted into the Polish Sign Language
• Meeting point: main hall | Duration: approx. 30–45 minutes
• Limited capacity—registration at the information point before the tour is required; places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
   

Tour schedule:

• 7:30PM – offices – Łucja Koch, Deputy Director for Education and Sales
• 8:30PM – offices (in Ukrainian) – Mikhaylo Zubar, Promotion Specialist, Communications Department
• 8:45PM, 9:30PM – conservation studio, collection storage, and archive – Marta Frączkiewicz, Collections Curator, and Agnieszka Cyrulik, Conservator, Collections Department (8:45PM tour will be interpreted into the Polish Sign Language)
• 10:15PM – the Museum building – Michał Zalewski, Head of Security Department
• 10:30PM – offices (in Belarusian) – Aleksandra Trutneva, Adult Education Department

A creative music workshop, a nighttime flashlight tour of the exhibition, a film screening, and an overnight stay at the Museum! We invite young people aged 14–19 to celebrate the Night of Museums at POLIN. You can sign up on your own or with friends—everyone is welcome!

• 9PM–2AM (with an option to stay overnight and join a shared breakfast at 9AM)
• Who is it for: Young people aged 14–19
• Registration open until 11 May (end of day)
   

Event program

NOISEBOX sound workshop

We will begin the evening with creative sound experimentation. During the workshop led by Sebastian and Tomek, we will explore how sound travels and how it can be manipulated.

Shared dinner

After the workshop, we will have dinner together and wait until the Museum closes for visitors.

Nighttime flashlight tour of the exhibition

Next, we will begin a special guided tour of the Core Exhibition organized by Kinga—an altogether different experience from a traditional museum visit. We will explore the exhibition through movement, silence, flashlight illumination, and by creating our own soundtracks for different parts of the display.

Film, popcorn, and overnight stay at the Museum (optional)

To end the evening, we have planned a film screening and an overnight stay in the POLIN Museum’s Education Center. We will provide sleeping mats, but please bring a sleeping bag or blanket, a pillow, and comfortable clothing.

Morning warm-up with the Active Play (Zabawy ruchowe) collective

To start the day, we invite you to a morning movement session led by the Zabawy Ruchowe collective. This practice is open to everyone—regardless of experience or physical agility. Two guiding principles apply: “there is no right or wrong” and “you can, but you don’t have to.”
 

Shared breakfast

The program will conclude with a shared breakfast.

As each year, we invite you to the Night of Museums that is truly full of surprises! A family game in the temporary exhibition space called Alphabet Whirl awaits, with prizes to be won. Equipped with a special backpack filled with mysterious objects, you will explore the exhibition and uncover secrets hidden in letters. A creative workshop will also take place at the King Matt’s Family Education Area. Inspired by words and sounds, we will sew special letters on cushions and make colored keychains with bird motifs.

The workshop accompanies the temporary exhibition The Power of Words: On Jewish Languages.

• 7PM–10PM

• Free admission, no reservation required

   

‘Alphabet Whril’ game in the temporary exhibition space

We invite families with children to a special guided tour of the temporary exhibition The Power of Words: On Jewish Languages. We have prepared a game called “Alphabet Whirl.” At the ticket desks, you can pick up game cards and borrow backpacks filled with various objects to make your visit more fun. Thanks to the game, you will discover the secrets of the Hebrew alphabet, track creatures hidden in the pages of old books, and even learn where the word “git” comes from! At the end, you will collect your prizes at the ticket desk.

• Who is it for: families with children aged 5–10
• Free admission
• Languages: PL, as well as UKR, EN, BEL
• Prizes: available for collection at the Museum ticket desk after completing the game

Activities at the Family Education Area

• Open from 7PM to 10PM
• For families with children. Please note: children must be accompanied by adult guardians at the Family Education Area
• Free admission
• Children with their guardians can enter the workshop without queuing (staff entrance from the side of Anielewicza Street)
• Sound cushions

During the workshop, we will sew soft cushions decorated with a Hebrew letter—the first letter in the word ‘POLIN’. According to legend, the word is associated with the sound made by birds. We will sew small bells inside the cushions so that their gentle chime evokes the delicate sound of a birdsong.

Beaded keychains

The second activity will also be inspired by birds. We invite you to create your own handmade keychains. Using fuse beads, we will arrange colorful bird patterns and transform them into keychains.

We invite you to a unique visual spectacle inspired by our temporary exhibition and by Jewish languages. On this special evening, the Museum will be illuminated with striking colors and symbolic motifs. Fragments of song lyrics performed by Daniel Kahn will also appear on the walls of the main hall—waiting to be discovered as you explore the building.

• Multimedia installation projected onto the walls of the main hall
• Available from 7PM to 1AM

Throughout the night, we invite you to visit the Warsze bistro and the Austeria museum shop.

This year’s Night of Museums events at POLIN are part of the Muranów May Day Festival