The art of concert photography has been jeopardized by the countless images and videos shot on smartphones during concerts. To counter the ubiquity of live music content, we are sharing only a small collection of the very best and most interesting moments that the photographer Paulina Leśna captured at OFF Festival 2023 in Poland’s Katowice. We composed a line-up of fifteen images commemorating the three-day-long music event with headliners and newcomers performing alongside. With artists including the punk rock outfit Big Joanie, Balming Tiger, Nnamdi, and Haru Nemuri, the festival expands its international reach and calls fans from various communities and genres.

Recounting her experience at the festival, Paulina Leśna writes: “OFF Festival is located in Katowice, Poland. It is not one of these big festivals where you can get lost in a crowd and getting to the scene took you so long that you are already tired. This is why I appreciate this event so much. I can totally focus on music and spending time with my friends. But don’t be fooled – this festival may seem to be inconspicuous, but still, there are big names on the line-up such as Pusha T or Slowdive. Also my advice – you can have the best time when you least expect it, so trust your intuition or other people’s opinions, because at this festival people talk about music a lot. Before the festival people share their thoughts on Facebook groups and festival social media. During the festival, people shared their experiences with friends who were on different shows. There is also a special place in the festival area named Literary Cafe where the meetings with authors and musicians take place.”

 

 

 

“I have seen some beautiful moments through my camera. Even bad weather couldn’t stop people from enjoying music. People were dancing in the mud, crying during the Slowdive show, smiling when they spotted me and my camera, and helping each other when someone fell in the moshpit. There is no place for divisions, neither between people nor in music, and you can see it and hear in the music, the lyrics, and of course the line-up of diverse genres.”

– Paulina Leśna

All photos by Paulina Leśna.