Poland Debuts ‘Fajer Festival’ with Scooter Headlining; New Zealand’s Homegrown Announces 2026 Relocation

WARSAW/WELLINGTON – The international music festival scene is set to see significant developments in 2025 and 2026, with Poland launching a major new event and New Zealand’s long-standing Homegrown festival announcing a pivotal move. News emerging on January 23, 2025, confirmed the debut of the Fajer Festival in Poland and outlined the future plans for the Homegrown event, which has been a staple in Wellington for nearly two decades.

Inaugural Fajer Festival Unveiled in Chorzów

Poland will host the inaugural Fajer Festival, a new two-day music event scheduled to take place at Silesian Park in Chorzów. The festival is slated for August 21-22, 2025, aiming to establish itself as a key date on the European festival calendar. According to reports published in IQ Magazine on January 23, 2025, the festival is designed to cater to diverse musical tastes, dedicating separate days to electronic music and hip-hop.

The initial lineup announcement has generated notable interest, particularly with the confirmation of German happy hardcore pioneers, Scooter, as headliners. Known for their energetic performances and anthems like “Hyper Hyper” and “How Much Is the Fish?”, Scooter’s inclusion signals the festival’s intent to attract a broad audience. Joining the roster is prominent Polish composer Bass Astral, further highlighting the blend of international and local talent expected at the event.

Tickets for the debut Fajer Festival are priced accessibly, starting at PLN 199. This initial price point, equivalent to approximately €47, aims to encourage attendance for the festival’s first edition. The selection of Silesian Park in Chorzów provides a spacious and established venue for the large-scale event, offering infrastructure suitable for hosting significant crowds and multiple stages.

Homegrown Festival to Relocate After 18 Years in Wellington

In parallel news reported on the same date, January 23, 2025, New Zealand’s popular Homegrown festival revealed its plans to relocate starting in 2026. The festival has been a fixture on Wellington’s cultural calendar for 18 consecutive years, primarily held along the city’s iconic waterfront. This move marks a significant transition for the event and its dedicated fanbase.

The decision to relocate is attributed to a confluence of factors, including the festival having outgrown its traditional Wellington waterfront location. While specific details regarding the “various reasons” cited for the move were not fully elaborated in the initial reports, venue capacity and logistical challenges associated with expansion at the current site appear to be primary drivers [4, 3, 5, 6].

Fans eager to experience the Homegrown festival in its long-time home will have one final opportunity. The last iteration of the event to be held in Wellington is confirmed for March 14-15, 2025. This date will mark the culmination of nearly two decades of the festival’s presence on the capital’s waterfront [4].

Looking ahead, the festival’s organizers have announced its new permanent home. Starting in 2026, the Homegrown festival will move to Claudelands Oval in Hamilton, New Zealand. The date for the 2026 event at the new location is set for March 14, 2026. This shift represents a major logistical undertaking and a new chapter for the festival, bringing its unique blend of New Zealand music to a different major city in the country [3, 5, 8].

Both the launch of the Fajer Festival in Poland and the relocation of New Zealand’s Homegrown festival underscore the dynamic nature of the global music festival landscape, with organizers continuously adapting to new opportunities and logistical necessities to connect artists with audiences.