OFF Festival 2009 is already behind us, but it will not be forgotten by all those who between the 6th and 9th of August came to Mysłowice to meet the Music. Over eight thousand fans of alternative trusted Artur Rojek, the Artistic Director of the festival and the worked out label of the event itself and they were not let down. This year`s line up was the most courageous, `off-like` and international of all. But the risk of inviting to Poland the artists about whom even the local music journalists have not heard and whose set is an ideal comment to what is nowadays happening on the world independent scene really paid off. The fourth edition of OFF Festival proved not only that indeed it is the most important alternative festival in Poland, but it also showed the uniqueness of that event at least in European range.

On the SUB POP`s blog the line-up of the fourth edition of OFF Festival was defined just as: `pretty amazing` what can be referred not only to the selection of the artists, but also to the quality of festival performances. Each of them was successful and although it is not possible to describe all of them it isworth recalling those which were commented the loudest and the longest, these are for sure: the wild show of MONOTONIX on the stage of Miasto Muzyki, the lively performance of FUCKED UP on the forest stage or the unforgettable concert of THE NATIONAL on the main stage. Some were very much impressed by HEALTH, HANDSOME FURS, THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART or MICACHU AND THE SHAPES. It can be mentioned for a long time, but one thing can be taken forgranted - every participant of OFF Festival could choose from the rich line-up of that four-day long event and discover on his own.

On the official festival channel http://www.youtube.com/offfestival tv there are already available first fragments of OFF Festival concerts. You are welcome to watch them.

On Onet.pl world famous artist Zbigniew Preisner was inviting to come to Mysłowice, because in his opinion this event gives an opportunity to meet great music: " I go to OFF because I believe in Artur Rojek`s taste". Another outstanding guest of the festival, Jerzy Buzek, was talking in a similar way about his decision of breaking up his holiday just to come to Mysłowice. The President of the European Parliament in his short speech made on the main stage underlined also the importance of the events the fourth edition of the festival was dedicated to (the 70th anniversary of The Second World War outbreak) and their influence on the present life of young Europeans who can meet in order to celebrate freedom and music during such events like OFF Festival. Lech Janerka, who during his exceptional concert presented the whole material from his legendary album "Historia Podwodna" from 1986, also reminded the time whenhe was recording it, when Poland was a completely different enslaved country. He appreciated also all those who gathered in such a great number in front offestival stages in order to listen to other music, often much more difficult than the one served to them daily in media: "It is incredible that so many ofyou are here. I am really happy that alternative music, music from under to carpet is listened to by so many people."

Media harmoniously underline the artistic success of OFF Festival 2009:

"This review of the world music underground cannot be compared to anything not only in Poland but also in our part of Europe. (...). OFF which has become a label itself. (...) the festival which in perfectly composed pill serves its participants the presentation of contemporary alternative playing." - Gazeta Wyborcza, R. Sankowski

"Off Festival is the most modern event in Poland(...) Silesian OFF Festival is a radical, niche event. It is a completely new hub of the music world." - Rzeczpospolita

"According to our expectations it was the most interesting music event of this summer.(...) There is no doubt that both the artists and the organizersrose to the occasion. We have got in Poland another event on the world level, what is more, it has an irreplaceable atmosphere and character." - Dziennik Polska Europa Świat, J.Skolimowski

"That was a very good OFF Festival. And it was the most diverse of all.(...) Such running between stages in order to at least for a while listen to anothergreat band (because there are no weak points in repertoire of this year`s festival) is just a pleasure."- Gazeta Wyborcza, M.Babko

"Artur Rojek, the frontman of Myslovitz, admitted in the interviews that there are no compromises in this year`s edition of his event. But it was worth to take that risk. Even now, this year`s edition of Mysłowice`s festival can be daringly placed among the most successful events of this year." - Gazeta Wyborcza, R.Sankowski

"The formula of the event was a risky one, but it was really worth to take this risk, much more worth than ever before." - Infomuzyka.pl

"The Director of OFF Festival - Artur Rojek - artistically succeeded in organizing the most `off-like` ,because filled with a great number of concerts ofthe artists who are not known in Poland, ediion of the event." Onet.pl 

"That is a great advantage of this festival that it outruns the music trends on our market, that it presents the works of the artists who are highly spoken by prestigious foreign magazines and whose music opens new directions on the contemporary alternative scene.(...) More thanever before, OFF Festival in this year showed to the Poles lots of interesting, diverse music. - Onet.pl

"The experiment - because till the very end it was not known how a line-up like that one would positively influence the number of participants - was verysuccessful." Uwolnijmuzyke.pl 

"It is simultaneously the symbol of OFF Festival`s triumph, because let`s not be afraid of saying so, it is full of various elements of the programme and with whole significance does not allow its guests to useless respite. It is simply impossible to see the performances on all the five stages - and that  is good! (...) nowadays it is impossible to build a healthy music market in Poland without that event." - Nuta.pl

OFF Festival 2009 is also the organizational success, it is worth noticing that the range of this year`s enterprise was increased by few times when comparedto the previous edition. So not only artistically but also in respect of production, the festival is nowadays an event on the world level, it is not worsein any aspect than other similar events of that kind in the world, what was admitted by the foreign journalists present in Mysłowice. This year`s edition attracted the record-breaking number of them. The most opinion creating independent media such like Drowned In Sound or Filter Magazine were encouraged to come to OFF Festival. The representatives of Under The Radar, Vice Magazine, Politiken and many others also came to Mysłowice.

You are welcome next year.