Poznan is one of the most important cultural centres in Poland, which is characterized by high dynamics and diversity of artistic life. The rhythm of cultural activities is set by such permanent events as: "Poznan Music Spring" - the Contemporary Music Festival, the Malta Festival Poznan, "Dancing Poznan" - the International Contemporary Dance Workshops and the International Dance Theatre Festival, "Universitas Cantat" - the International Festival of University Choirs, the Georg Philipp Telemann International Violin Competition, "Q'arto Mondi" - the International Festival of Chamber Music, the International Poetry November, "Verba Sacra" - the Art of Word Festival, Mediations Biennale, the International Festival of Flamenco Duende, the International Ice Sculpture Festival, "Persona Grata" - the Old Music Festival, the Baroque Bows and Strings Festival, "Poznan Baroque" International Festival, "Ale Kino!" - the International Young Audience Film Festival, "Off Cinema" - the International Documentary Film Festival, "Animator" - the International Animated Film Festival and "Transatlantyk" - the International Film and Music Festival. The most important cultural event is Henryk Wieniawski International Violin and Lute Competitions held every five years.
The continuity of cultural undertakings is ensured by nine theatres and musical institutions with almost 3.9 thousand seats, about 40 galleries and 19 museum establishments The most important cultural institutions include the following: Polish Theatre, New Theatre, Theatre of the Eighth Day, Animation Theatre, Grand Theatre, Music Theatre, Estrada Poznańska, Polish Dance Theatre, Tadeusz Szeligowski Poznań Philharmonic, "Amadeus" Polish Radio Chamber Orchestra, "Poznań Nightingales" Boys' and Men Choir of the Poznan Philharmonic, Poznań Boys' Choir, Poznań Cathedral Choir, "Arsenal" Municipal Gallery, "Zamek" Culture Centre. Poznan theatres and musical institutions organize annually nearly 2.5 thousand performances and concerts for about 470 thousand viewers, and the museums, presenting a total of 300 thousand exhibits, are visited by about 300 thousand people per year.
In Poznan, there are 12 cinemas, including five multiplexes: Cinema City Kinepolis, Cinema City Poznan Plaza, Multikino 51, Multikino Stary Browar, Multikino Malta. They have a total of 16.4 thousand seats.
The largest library in Poznan is the Raczynski Library, gathering 53 urban centres with the collection of 1.76 million volumes and with more than 85 thousand registered readers.
Valuable initiatives are such project as the "Royal-Imperial Route in Poznan" the construction of the Interactive Heritage Centre of Cathedral Island, the reconstruction of the Royal Castle on the Przemysl Hill, the enlargement of the Raczynski Library and the opening of the "Genius Loci" Archaeological Reserve.
Since 2005, the Wielkopolska Society for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts in Poznań has bes implementing the project "Poznań. City of Art," thanks to which the works of contemporary artists are exhibited in a public space, including: Alessandro Mendini, David Černý, Leon Tarasiewicz, Jan Berdyszak, Magdalena Abakanowicz.