IEM Katowice 2023 Attendee Guide
As the 2023 edition of IEM Katowice is just over a week from starting, I decided to try and share my experience from attending the event every year since 2014 (excluding the COVID-plagued 2020 and 2021), to provide you with some basic informations about the city of Katowice.
If you have any feedback or additional question, feel free to ask me either here or through social channels.
General Information
Language — Most of Poles, especially from younger generations, have been taught English during their school days, which should be fine enough in case you’ll need any help. During the IEM, all of the esport stages will have an English on-site commentary, while the most, if not all of IEM Expo booths will be hosted in the Polish language.
Currency and cash — While złoty (pronounced zwoty) is our national currency, and a lot of shops is taking cash only in that currency, some of them will also accept other currencies (mostly Euro). That being said, contactless payments have became a standard here, so a valid credit card or a NFC-equipped mobile phone should work out for you most of the times.
Clothing — While time-wise Poland is currently in the winter, the weather here is quite unpredictable — it can end up with snowfalls and temperatures falling below 0 °C, or with a sunny weather and midday temperatures of around 10 °C. With that in mind, I would recommend you to get prepared for both of those circumstances, and anything inbetween.
Here are the average exchange rates to PLN (as of Jan 30th, per Polish National Bank):
1 USD — 4,33 PLN
1 GBP — 5,36 PLN
1 EUR — 4,72 PLN
1 CHF — 4,70 PLN
1 DKK — 0,634 PLN
1 SEK — 0,419 PLN
1000 KRW — 3,522 PLN
Broader information about Poland regarding different topics is avaliable in 20+ languages at https://www.poland.travel/en
General information about Katowice (including recommendations for attractions/sights/parks) are avaliable in English at https://www.katowice.eu/en/en
The emergency numbers in Poland are as follows:
112 — European Emergency Telephone Number
997 — Police
998 — Fire Brigade
999 — Medical Emergency
Throughout all three Event days, the entry to Spodek Arena will be opened to the ticket holders at 10:00 Katowice time, with IEM Expo/ MCK opening an hour later at 11:00. For both buildings, re-entry is scheduled to be available up until 20:00 local time.
Transportation
- Travel to / from Katowice-Pyrzowice Airport
There’s a couple of ways to travel from Katowice Airport to Katowice downtown and other way around:
- AP express public transport (~45 mins ride) — valid with a tram/bus daily ticket
- M11 public transport line (~75 mins)
- Katowice Airport Taxi
- rent a car service
- Ride services (Uber and Bolt are both available around Katowice)
- Travel to Spodek Arena
If you’re walking of foot from Katowice railway station towards the Spodek, you’ll have to go straight on Stawowa Street, turn right around Supersam then go through passageways to Aleja Korfantego, from which go straight through the Rondo and it’s D exit towards Spodek.
If you’re traveling to the arena with your own car/vehicle, you can use one of the parkings located around Spodek / MCK (picture 1 below) or one of paid parkings located around Katowice’s downtown (smaller red markers in picture 2).
As for making to Spodek Arena through public transport, depending on the way of transport, your goal station is one of the following:
All tram stations are currently stopping at the Katowice Rondo station, from which you need to take the D exit to enter the square in front of Spodek.
For buses exit at Katowice Aleja Korfantego station, then go straight on Aleja Korfantego (pictured below), then go down and through the Rondo towards the D exit.
Some buses will have Aleja Korfantego station on the other side of the road — from there you need to go straight towards Rondo’s A entry
Some further buses also stop at Katowice Strefa Kultury NOSPR Station — from there you have to go straight on Aleja Roździeńskiego towards Spodek.
- Tram and buses tickets :
Katowice’s (and the rest of Silesian Metropolis excluding Jaworzno) public transport is currently united within a single Silesian Metropolitan Transport Authority (ZTM) and a single ticket offer.
You can buy tickets at a majority of sale outlets (like Kolporter and RUCH stores) and at ticket machines located throughout the city. On top of that, you can buy a single-use ticket from the driver, which would be eligible for 90 minutes or to the final station after ticket validation.
All ticket prices posted below are under a standard fare. However, you can be eligible for a reduced fare (50% of standard fare) if you’re included in one of the groups mentioned in Tariff §9 point 1.
- Paper tickets
Paper single-use / single-zone tickets are valid for one person and allow travel within the city/-ies throughout one route or for a determined time limit (with possibility to change routes / vehicles).
Fares:
One-city journey or for 20 minutes after ticket validation — 4,60 PLN
Two-city journey or for 40 minutes after ticket validation — 5,60 PLN
Three or more cities or for 90 minutes after ticket validation — 6,60 PLN
There is also a Daily ticket that you can buy in the ticket machine — it costs 12 PLN and it’s valid from the ticket validation till 23:59 of the same day.
- ŚKUP / Silesian Card
ŚKUP / Silesian Card is a complicated system, but you may want to have one of these if you want to buy a medium- or long-term bus/tram ticket.If you’re interested in getting one, here’s an English FAQ to guide you through the setup phase.
- Other important info
Validation of Tickets:
Before the journey starts bus/tram tickets must be validated either by punching in a ticket stamper (for paper tickets) or by pressing a Silesian Card for a few seconds to a reader (for ŚKUP tickets). In case of inspection, if you have a ticket but you did not validate it, it’ll be treated as invalid and subject to potential fare.
Fare Evasion in Katowice
If you’re get caught in public transport without a valid ticket, valid ID entitling to a reduced fare or force a unnecessary stoppage of a vehicle will have to pay a Penalty Fare:
550 PLN for a invalid ticket
250 PLN for a invalid ID
600 PLN for unjustified stoppage of a vehicle
Even people who forgot to stamp their ticket must pay the fine. The penalty fine would be lowered if you agree to pay it in the bus (currently it’s within 200–300 PLN)
Note: Ticket inspectors are dressed in plain clothes and will not make any exceptions for tourists. Those who get caught have to show an ID to be registered, otherwise the police will be called.
- Taxis in Katowice
Phone Numbers of the largest Taxi Companies:
32 201 42 00 Echo Taxi
32 723 23 23 / 32 506 53 53 Lider Taxi
32 203 77 77 City Taxi
32 209 09 09 Tele Taxi
32 722 02 22 Eko Taxi
Every taxi company has their own pricing — usually it’s about 6–7 PLN of starting fee and 2–3 PLN for every 1 km driven . Also some taxis may not have the ability to pay with a credit card — it’s good to either have cash or ask about credit card payment before ordering a taxi.
Additionally, Katowice region sees both the Uber and Bolt services available through their mobile apps.
- Venue regulations
At the entrance security staff will use metal detectors to check you and will check your bag. Follow the instructions of the staff members and pass through the arch when asked to. The process will be quicker if you only bring your mobile phone, keys, wallets and open your bag right before check.
When coming to the Arena, you have to show a valid ticket — after validating it you’ll receive your wristband, which allows you to enter the arena. Wristband also allows you to leave and re-enter the arena throughout the day/-s and therefore it’s key to not lose them at any point.
Prohibited objects — The following items are not allowed inside the event:
- i. Firearms, weapons and sharp objects;
- ii. Explosives and flares;
- iii. Liquids in containers over 0.5 liters in volume, or in glass or metal containers (only plastic and paper containers up to 0.5L are allowed , and it can’t be opened before);
- iv. Alcohol and drugs;
- v. Flags and banners, devices that make noise — without prior authorization from the organizer;
- vi. Animals;
- vii. Propaganda, racist, xenophobic and otherwise discriminatory materials;
- viii. Posters, flyers or political pamphlets and other advertising materials;
- ix. You are not allowed to bring bags and suitcases larger than 55x25x40 cm. A bag check will be available where you can leave your backpack for a fee of 20 PLN.
If you do plan to come to the arena with a bag larger than 55x25x40 cm, there will be a limited capacity storage at a cost of 20 PLN per bag. Both Spodek Arena and MCK also feature a paid cloakroom (at around 5 PLN per day) — Spodek on the outer lower floor of the arena (on the right side of an arena exit) and MCK on the upper floor, next to the toilets.
At the entrance security staff will use metal detectors to check you and will check your bag. Follow the instructions of the staff members and pass through the arch when asked to. The process will be quicker if you only bring your mobile phone, keys, wallets and open your bag right before check.
Restaurants and Fast Foods in Katowice
In Katowice you can find almost any type of food there.
(Note that all directions are described from the Spodek Arena)
- There should be a couple of fast food trucks located in the outside passageway between Spodek Arena and MCK Katowice and a bunch of spots open in both the Spodek and MCK.
Additionally, there might be an Emcek bistro open on the lower floor of the MCK, next to it’s entry from Spodek.
- Pizza Hut Katowice
- Game Pub Cybermachina Katowice — unfortunately you can’t reserve a table in advance during IEM weekends due to high traffic
- Galeria Katowicka, located next to Katowice Central Station, has a variety of fast food restaurants
That’s just a few of the Food and Drinks services around Katowice downtown — many of them are marked on maps above.
Places to visit:
Mariacka Street — One of Katowice’s central streets, it’s notorious for a wide variety of pubs, bars and places to eat that you can visit after an exciting day of action.
Nikiszowiec — located around 15 minute drive from Spodek, it’s one of the city’s historic locations, thanks to it being a settlement of late-19th century coal miners and many of the familoks (specialized multi-family residences built around that time) still standing to this day.
Park Śląski — located around 15 mins away from Spodek on a Katowice — Chorzów border, this 500+ hectare park is one of the biggest parks in the Europe, featuring the Silesian Stadium (second biggest stadium and unofficial National Stadium of Poland) and Upper Silesia Ethnographic Park on the west side, Silesian ZOO Garden and Legendia / Silesian Adjustment Park in the east and a recently refurbished Planetarium in the North hill of the park.
Muzeum Śląskie — located just a few minute walk away from Spodek, this 6000sq meter museum takes a good use of the former KWK Katowice coal mine territory and still-existing buildings, with multiple of it’s levels being located in the underground.
Pomnik Powstańców Śląskich (Silesian Insurgents’ Monument) — Poland’s biggest monument, located on the other side of road from Spodek, has a form of three eagle wings — each of them symbolizing three Silesian Uprisings of Poles and Polish Silesians and their fight to break away the region from Germany and join newly reformed Poland, with the Uprisings battle locations etched on vertical slopes of the monument.
Industrial Monuments Route (Szlak Zabytków Techniki) — This is a route of 42 tourist products that presents the industrial facilities in the Silesia region most important and interesting in terms of tourist, historical and architectural values, including Muzeum Slaskie and Nikiszowiec district mentioned earlier. It’s a huge route, but it may be interesting to check at least some of the monuments on the route.
Kraków — There’s a rolling joke that says that “the best thing to visit in Silesia is in Kraków”, and there might be some truth to it actually — it’s especially the case due to the historic center of the city, which proudly reminds of the Kraków history as the former capital and home of Poland’s royal dynasties.
