English Section

Poland says goodbye to 2019, rings in 2020

01.01.2020 09:00
Poland has welcomed 2020 with spectacular fireworks and drone light shows, laser displays and festivities in major cities around the country.
New Years Eve celebrations in the mountain resort of Zakopane.
New Year's Eve celebrations in the mountain resort of Zakopane.Photo: PAP/Grzegorz Momot

Tens of thousands of revelers celebrated New Year's Eve at open-air events in the capital Warsaw, the southern city of Kraków, the port city of Gdańsk in the north, and Wrocław in the southwest.

Many large cities led by Warsaw decided against staging fireworks displays this New Year's Eve.

Confetti flies during an open-air event in Warsaw held by City Hall and private broadcaster TVN. Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara Confetti flies during an open-air event in Warsaw held by City Hall and private broadcaster TVN. Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara
A drone light show in the central city of Łódź. Photo: PAP/Grzegorz Michałowski A drone light show in the central city of Łódź as champagne corks popped at midnight. Photo: PAP/Grzegorz Michałowski

One of the biggest events was held by public broadcaster TVP in the southern mountain resort of Zakopane, where a crowd estimated at 67,000 partied to music by a lineup of local and international performers.

Top acts included British musician Chris Norman, the former lead vocalist of the 1970s rock band Smokie; alongside Uruguayan entertainer Natalia Oreiro; veteran Polish pop singer Maryla Rodowicz; the popular Polish folk-rock group Golec Uorkiestra; and the German duo Modern Talking.

Uruguayan singer and actress Natalia Oreiro performs during an open-air event in Poland's southern mountain resort of Zakopane. Photo: PAP/Grzegorz Momot Uruguayan singer and actress Natalia Oreiro performs on stage in Poland's Zakopane. Photo: PAP/Grzegorz Momot

No major incidents were reported at any of the large public events nationwide.

Meanwhile, two people were killed and five others injured as a result of fires across the country on New Year’s Eve and early on New Year’s Day, according to officials.

Some of these fires were caused by mishandled fireworks, a spokesman for the State Fire Service, Paweł Frątczak, said on Wednesday morning.

(gs)

Source: TVP Info, PAP, IAR