A star-studded concert marked the centennial celebration of Gdynia receiving city rights, transforming the Polish port city’s history into a captivating narrative performance.
“This isn’t a typical concert. It really is a narrative spectacle,” producer Sebastian Mikołajczak told Polsat.pl.
“Above all, we wanted to advise the story of Gdynia through narration and visuals. Each of these songs, though popular, has a reason for being included, and the way it’s performed is connected to that history,” he explained.
“Zaczęło się od morza – 100-lecie Gdyni” in Polsat
The show kicked off with actors from the Gdynia Musical Theatre – Maja Gadzińska, Karolina Trębacz, and Krzysztof Wojciechowski – performing “Celebration” by Kool & The Gang. They were joined by the Chór Music Everywhere choir, the ICON by Starowicz dance group, and an orchestra conducted by Jan Stokłosa.
“It started with the sea… and could have ended on the beach. But Gdynia ultimately didn’t become a resort town. After World War I, Poland didn’t regain Gdańsk, and the reborn nation needed its own port. The government decided that the Kashubian village would transform into a city,” explained co-host Tomasz Wolny, alongside Pauliną Sykut-Jeżyną.
The iconic Maxim nightclub from Poland’s communist era was immortalized with Lady Pank’s hit “Tańcz, głupia tańcz” (“Dance, Fool, Dance”). Tomasz Organek took on the song first, followed by a rendition from Margaret.
Natalia Szroeder, a judge on “Must Be The Music,” performed “Ty się nie bój” (“Don’t Be Afraid”), while Wiktor Dyduła, with strong ties to the Tricity area, sang “Tam słońce gdzie my” (“Where the Sun Is”).
In 1965, Czerwone Gitary (“The Red Guitars”) formed in nearby Gdańsk, with “Historia jednej znajomości” (“The Story of an Acquaintance”) becoming one of their biggest hits. Andrzej Piaseczny delivered a performance of the classic track. The first half of the show concluded with Natalia Kukulska and “Piosenką światłoczułą” (“Photosensitive Song”).
“Wszystkim potrzeba pokoju i miłości” (“Everyone Needs Peace and Love”)
The concert was interspersed with archival footage featuring, among others, Maria Frączak, a contemporary of Gdynia, wives of sailors, film stars (Sonia Bohosiewicz, Grażyna Szapołowska, Mirosław Baka, Agnieszka Holland), Hanna Wenda-Uszyńska, the granddaughter of Gdynia port designer Tadeusz Wendy, and residents sharing their love for the city.
Born in Gdańsk, Natalia Muianga took the stage. The winner of the 2025 season of “Twoja twarz brzmi znajomo” (“Your Face Sounds Familiar”) performed 2 plus 1’s hit “Chodź pomaluj mój świat” (“Come Paint My World”). Natalia Szroeder, a native of Gdynia, honored the city’s maritime traditions with a rendition of Rod Stewart’s “Sailing.”
Though Szczyl was born in Katowice, his family moved to Gdynia when he was five years old. The Fryderyk award winner performed Anna Jantar’s classic, “Tyle słońca w całym mieście” (“So Much Sunshine in the Whole City”).
Margaret (“Miłego lata” – “Have a Nice Summer”), Wiktor Dyduła (“Dobrze wiesz, że tęsknię” – “You Know I Miss You”), Andrzej Piaseczny (“Szczęście jest blisko” – “Happiness is Near”), and teenage sensation Gracjana Górka with performers from the Gdynia Musical Theatre (“A Million Dreams” from “The Greatest Showman”) then returned to the stage. Szczyl performed “Hipokryta” (“Hypocrite”), followed by Natalia Kukulska (“Dobrostan” – “Well-being”) and Organek (“Wiosna” – “Spring”). Szczyl led a chorus of “200 lat” (“200 Years”) for Gdynia, which was joined by the audience.
The grand finale featured a medley of “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” from the musical “Hair,” which was a hit at the Gdynia Musical Theatre. “We leave you with the message ‘Love & Peace.’ Because everyone needs peace and love,” said Paulina Sykut-Jeżyna at the close of the show.
For an encore, Andrzej Piaseczny, accompanied by the choir, performed “Historia jednej znajomości” once more.
