The 25th Sailor's Song Festival will begin Feb. 23 in Cracow.

"At first, I was in charge of arranging the prizes," said Krzysztof Bobrowicz, director of the festival. "Times were tough and we not only needed ideas, but also had to arrange and find supplies. I remember how long it took us to find a saber and a gun. The first edition I directed was no. 13. My friends joked that my predecessor was scared off by this unlucky number. I had butterflies in my stomach, but I got a lot of help from people who had been working on the event for years. I am not sure if I would undertake the task today, but at the time I just took a few months to visit all Polish festivals, meet with artists there, talk to and invite them to Cracow, persuading them to prepare something special for our festival."

The festival in Cracow enjoys a reputation as one of the largest events of its kind in the world. It is therefore an amazing phenomenon that it is held in winter and in a city far away from the coast. There are plenty of small-scale shanty overviews in Poland which well-known bands prepare in their home towns. "The fact that I do not sing at all works to my advantage," Bobrowicz smiles. "Nobody needs to worry that once they come to Cracow, they will feel obliged to invite me back to their event. Having no obligations, I can afford to be entirely objective and I just choose the best."

Each year, the festival has a different theme which performers and directors of concerts take into consideration while preparing their programs. This year's theme is, predictably, the 25th anniversary. "We therefore want to present the best the festival has to offer," Bobrowicz said. "Once famous groups, such as Krewni i Znajomi Królika, which disbanded years ago, will reunite for the event. We have invited the best, most of them are former laureates, including Ryczące Dwudziestki, Mechanicy Szanty, Zejman i Garkumpel, as well as soloists Jurek Porębski, Andrzej Korycki and Marek Szurawski." Another star is Con Brio, a harmonica trio formed in 1970, five-time laureates of international harmonica competitions. Foreign guests include Chris Roche of Great Britain's Shanty Crew and Long John Silver from France.

The first concert Feb. 23 at Rotunda hall will consist of two separate parts. The first will tell the story of "A Woman in the Sea." The director, Mira Urbaniak, says this will be a "dramatic, funny and ambiguous story of women in the past and today, addicted to the sea and unpredictable like the sea." The other will feature reunited bands, such as Packet, and hits of the past 25 years.

Friday night will kick off with a classic shanty concert and conclude with the Jubilee Concert, packed with hit shanties, stars and a poll for the best performer and greatest hit.

The organizers know that entire families all around Poland and from various places around the world attend the Shanties in Cracow. For years, kids have enjoyed a special concert with games, prizes and lessons in songs (Feb. 25, 11 a.m., Wisła arena).

"The festivals' leading themes are sometimes picked a year in advance, at the end of one festival we come up with the theme for the next one," Bobrowicz said. "On Saturday night, we will host a review of past editions. Each band will focus on a theme from previous years. On Sunday at 5 p.m., Marek Szurawski, leader of the Stare Dzwony group, will host a show titled A Sailing Ship Cruise. This is a story concerning the life of sailors in the 19th century, filled with shanties and forecastle songs.

The most avid festival fans will visit the Stary Port tavern on the corner of Straszewskiego and Jabłonowskich streets, where shanty singers will play starting at 11 p.m.

Those who cannot attend the festival in Cracow can visit a well-stocked online store at www.shanties.pl