The big countdown to Rave The Planet is on — on August 15, Berlin will host one of the most important events in the world of electronic music, and Poland is also playing a significant role there. The local scene will be represented by Underbridge Float: this young but dynamic collective is not only preparing an exceptional musical journey but also highlighting the values of rave culture.
What is inclusivity? How should we understand a responsible approach to clubbing? And what do we gain when we party without stimulants? Discover Underbridge’s point of view!
Agata Omelańska: Hello, Underbridge, I’m very happy to meet you! Let me start by asking: what is your earliest memory of Love Parade, whose legacy and achievements Rave The Planet continues today? What is still present in the world of electronic music from those days or is it just nostalgia for an era that will never come back?
Kuba Cetnarowski / Q.B.A: I can only speak for myself, but I believe the whole collective feels the same way. That memory is of teenage Kuba watching a broadcast of Love Parade—probably in 1996, on Viva TV station — thinking to himself that it would be nice to be part of an event like that one, that brings people together in its own unique way. There’s music, there’s unity, there’s a vibe (back then, definitely no one used that word).
In my opinion, it’s the atmosphere — promoting universal peace and unity among people—that was created back then and that (fortunately) continues to this day. And may it last as long as possible! Our German neighbors are pioneers in this field—a big shout-out to them. Electronic music has undergone a massive transformation, branching out in many directions — you can notice that at many events. Skills, techniques, and equipment have evolved over these three decades, yet it’s always the people who create the atmosphere and mood, and those remain unchanged. And that’s a good thing!
What’s the story behind Underbridge? What’s the idea around which you built the collective and organized your first events, and what kind of audience are they dedicated to?
Betty Sanewska: I’ve been part of the electronic music scene for several years. Over time, I also started getting involved behind the scenes. I collaborated with a now-defunct collective and also joined a more niche initiative promoting techno. I organized and helped organize events featuring live acts, which allowed me to learn what goes into creating niche events.
I always missed events where a sense of community was the most important thing. A place where you can walk up to a stranger, give them a high-five, dance without being judged, and just be yourself. To feel like part of the family in my musical home. I’ve also noticed that as I’ve been getting on, I’ve come to appreciate daytime events more and more—they let me experience music in a different way and make it easier to balance my passion with everyday life. And, of course, I love to dance!
It was precisely this need that gave rise to the idea for Underbridge. When my previous collective broke up, I invited people from my circle who share my values to collaborate, and together we created a new project. The name comes from our events held under the Łazienkowski Bridge, which remains one of Underbridge’s cornerstone initiatives to this day. However, it also has symbolic significance. Music is a bridge that connects people, places, and experiences, and anything can happen in between.
Our goal is to organize events in unconventional spaces, both at night and during the day. We want to show that rave culture doesn’t have to be confined to clubs or limited to specific times. Equally important to us is education and the promotion of values that we believe should form the foundation of the electronic music scene: openness, respect, safety, and mutual kindness.
We also strive to support young DJs—both male and female—who are just starting out and often have limited opportunities to make a name for themselves on the scene. We want to create a space where talent and dedication matter more than connections.
Above all, we want to organize events where people simply feel good and have a great time.
In your opinion, what do inclusivity and a responsible approach to club culture entail?
Dagmara Łata / dagawashere: “Inclusivity” is a word that has only recently entered our vocabulary. Everyone knows what “exclusivity” means, but what about its opposite? Not necessarily. The rave community, however, has inclusivity (that is, inclusion) inscribed on its banners: everyone has the opportunity to participate and is accepted, respected, and treated equally, regardless of their experiences, age, style of self-expression, orientation, or financial status. Together with a responsible approach to club culture, inclusivity creates a space where we can feel safe and comfortable while looking out for the well-being of the entire community.
Someone might ask — but what does that actually mean? It can be understood on several levels. It means respecting diversity and not tolerating discrimination or harassment. It means having clear guidelines on consent and how to respond to violence, harassment, or aggression, as well as trained staff who know how to intervene accordingly. Accessibility means striving to ensure that events are also accessible to older adults and people with disabilities, and that communication is understandable and transparent. This is the responsibility of both organizers and participants: ensuring proper conditions at the event, responding to reported issues, and respecting boundaries. Finally, it is about building a community where people can freely express themselves, dance, and have fun without fear of judgment or exclusion.
In practice, this means that club culture isn’t focused solely on music and entertainment but also on taking responsibility for the experience of everyone present.
Inclusivity doesn’t mean that every type of behavior is accepted.
On the contrary, it requires setting boundaries against behaviors that compromise the safety and comfort of others.
A very important part of your identity is promoting sober raves — that is, partying without stimulants. The question may sound trivial, but how does partying “without substances” affect your life in the short and long term?
Betty Sanewska: I’ve never consciously used drugs, which is perhaps why I have a different attitude toward such substances. For many years, I partied under the influence of alcohol, and I know how much it affects memories, the way you experience music, your behavior, and your relationships with others. The next day, you feel like you’ve wasted time that could have been spent on many other enjoyable things. Alcohol and addictive substances also affect our health, and as we get older, we become increasingly aware that we can’t get that time back. We start making more conscious decisions and thinking about what really matters to us.
It’s not that we’re forbidding anyone from doing anything. Underbridge is not an anti-alcohol or anti-drug movement. We simply want to show that there’s an alternative.
That you can have a great time, dance, and experience music without the aid of substances. We want music to be the protagonist of the event itself, not substances.
We all know very well that the way we experience music is completely different depending on whether we’re under the influence of something or not. Under the influence of a substance, a song sometimes seems like the ultimate musical high, but the next day it turns out it wasn’t like that at all. We were more captivated by the state we were in than by the music itself. For me, mindful listening allows me to truly discover artists, their selections, and the emotions they want to convey.
In the short term, the benefits are quite obvious: better memory, no hangover, greater awareness of what’s happening around us, and more mindful participation in an event. I also feel that it’s easier to form genuine connections with people. You remember the conversations, the people you met, and the memories from the party stay with you longer.
In the long run, what changes most is the way you experience music and club culture itself. The first sober parties might seem strange, especially if you’ve previously partied mainly while under the influence. Over time, however, you discover that the music itself is enough, and dancing brings just as much joy. You also begin to appreciate better health, quality time, and the people you share those moments with.
I think that’s exactly what sober parties are all about. It’s not about bans or judging anyone, but about creating a space where music, community, and being fully present in the moment are what matter most. If someone comes back home from such an event with a smile, remembers the whole evening, and wants to come back for the next party, that means we’ve achieved our goal.
The best, most important, and most interesting Underbridge event so far is… Please share some behind-the-scenes stories with us!
Kuba Cetnarowski: That’s a very interesting question! We remember quite vividly one of our under-the-bridge raves from last year — I think it was toward the end of August. It started off innocently enough, but… well. I think everything that could go wrong did go wrong. First, the generator gave out, the sound kept cutting out, the cables were acting up, and to top it all off, we were attacked by insects — it was practically The Ten Plagues under the bridge!
We had a few guests playing with us, and we wanted to put on a good show for them, but it didn’t look or sound the way we’d imagined… But a rave plus problems brings people together, and that’s something we can certainly all be grateful for. That day, probably as a result of those unexpected events, some truly remarkable connections were formed. And interestingly, they continue to this day with even greater intensity. I won’t go into details here, but a few readers will know who I’m talking about. Because of these experiences, it’s worth considering this particular event as the “best” in the categories mentioned in the question. To tell the truth, it also brought us closer together as a group.
From “under the bridge” to “building bridges” — in 2026, Underbridge Float will not only make its debut at Rave The Planet but will also be the only representative of the Polish scene. What are you planning for this occasion, and how are you going to surprise Berlin this August?
Kuba Smarczewski / Envoexp: For us, participating in Rave The Planet is, above all, a tremendous honor and an opportunity to showcase the energy of the Polish club scene to an international audience. It’s also a chance to fulfill one of our dreams (and definitely mine!). We view the very fact that we’ll be the only float representing Poland as a responsibility, but also as an opportunity to build new relationships and exchange experiences.
Our presence in Berlin will reflect the idea that has been at the heart of Underbridge from the very beginning.
We literally started “under the bridge,” and today we want to symbolically build bridges between local scenes, artists, and communities.
That’s why we’ve put together a unique musical program featuring Polish artists that will showcase the diversity and quality of our scene. There will also be no shortage of the atmosphere, energy, and sense of community characteristic of Underbridge. What’s more, the Polish float also features Polish sponsors and Polish media partners. In a nutshell, it’s purely national representation of techno culture.
We want our float to be more than just a place to dance. It’s meant to be a space for meeting, exchanging inspiration, and promoting the values that are important to us: openness, mutual respect, and a responsible approach to club culture. We hope that, thanks to this, Berlin will remember not only our music but also the people and the community behind it.
The lineup of your Float showcases the Polish scene in a very interesting, diverse, and complex way. How did you put the lineup together? And why should people come and dance with you at Rave The Planet on August 15?
Kuba Smarczewski: From the very beginning, we wanted the lineup to provide as broad a picture as possible of the contemporary Polish electronic music scene. We didn’t want to limit ourselves to a single genre or fragment of the scene. We focused on artists representing different sounds, experiences, and sensibilities, who together show just how diverse, mature, and creative our scene is.
In making our selections, we were guided not only by the music but also by the artists’ personalities, their commitment to the development of club culture, and the energy they can create with the audience.
We wanted each set to tell its own story while also forming a cohesive whole. At Underbridge Float, you’ll meet DJs from our Underbridge collective—including myself, Envoexp, Krystek “Good Energy” Dzienisiewicz, and Kuba “QBA” Cetnarowski—as well as Tomek Guiddo, a veteran of electronic music, who is active within the Rave the Planet organization. We’ve also invited Sabre (Sara Brenner) and Rust (Przemek Puzewicz), two Polish DJs of the hard-hitting techno scene; Aetha (Aneta Jońska), a promoter and representative of Noce KRK (where our after-party will take place); and finally, DJs and journalists from Czwórka Polish Radio. You’ll hear Lulu “Cougar” Zubczyńska, who’s making a bigger and bigger splash on the club scene, as well as Norbert “Bert” Borzym, a veteran of the electronic music scene. There’ll be plenty of great acts to check out!
August 15 is a date you’ll want to put in your calendar, as it will be a unique opportunity to hear a cross-section of the most exciting things happening on the Polish electronic music scene today — right in the heart of one of the world’s most important club events. We want to show Berlin not only great music, but also the community behind Underbridge. We invite everyone who wants to celebrate music, diversity, and the idea of building bridges between scenes and people with us. It’s going to be a musical moment you simply can’t miss.
From Berlin and the Parade to the afterparty in Cracow—you’ll be able to continue sharing your experiences from the Float on August 22nd. We all know that afterparties are unpredictable, but… what’s in store for the participants? And why did you choose the Noce KRK club for the next leg of the journey?
Anita Jarysz: You’re asking what awaits participants after we’ve given it our all at the Berlin parade? The answer is simple: we’re not letting that energy fizzle out. We’re bringing all that drive straight to Cracow, and on August 22, we’re landing at Noce KRK.
We’re coming back home to combine our Berlin experiences with the best that Cracow has to offer. We’re putting together a party that’s meant to feel like arriving at base after the best trip of your life — only instead of resting, we’re serving you an epic music lineup from 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM. We’ve set up two stages for you, where we’ll blend the energy of the Underbridge crew with sets from our guest DJs and Noce KRK’s resident DJs. The result? Unbelievable!
The lineup is our little secret, but we guarantee you’ll forget all about any fatigue in a flash.
Why Noce KRK? Because we were looking for a place with soul. Cracow is a natural stop for us, and Noce KRK is a space that perfectly understands that electronic music is, above all, about people and shared experiences. We chose it, because it’s a place where the atmosphere is built on authenticity and passion, not just decor.
Come check it out and see what a Cracow’s night sounds like after a dose of Berlin energy. It’s shaping up to be a classic, so don’t ask if it’s worth it—just be there!
The slogan for this year’s edition of Rave The Planet is the beautiful phrase “Imagine Love.” And how do you imagine love? Not just in relation to electronic music, but to the whole world?
Dagmara Łata: For us, love isn’t an advertising slogan or a worn-out cliché. If it were, none of us would have formed a collective, organized Underbridge Float, or been involved in—or followed—music (and more).
We imagine love as a force that doesn’t ask where you’re from, what you look like, or what you believe in. It’s a space where there’s room for diversity, respect, and authenticity, but also for the intimacy of the experience.
This is particularly evident in electronic music, when thousands of people dance together, sharing energy and a moment of musical ecstasy.
When I heard what the slogan of this year’s Rave the Planet parade would be, I knew right away that it was brilliant in its simplicity and power. “Imagine Love” reminds us that a better world begins with simple gestures: an invitation to the dance floor, a warm hug, a smile exchanged with a stranger, or taking a photo of a couple of friends because they really ask you to. From there, it’s a short step to open-mindedness, empathy, and mindfulness toward others. Imagining love is the first step toward kindness, mutual understanding, and building community. It is precisely these values that have always been at the heart of rave culture, which unites people across divisions. It’s also impossible to avoid associations with John Lennon’s magnificent song “Imagine,” a manifesto of unity and tolerance.
For us, love isn’t just a feeling—it’s a daily choice. A choice to build bridges instead of walls, to listen instead of judging, and to create a space where everyone can be themselves. It’s this energy that makes both the dance floor and the world simply a better place — the one where, together, we can achieve the impossible.
Thank you for the interview! I wish you all lots of beauty, love, and amazing music during Rave The Planet, as well as an out-of-this-world afterparty at Noce KRK!