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Top 4 Festivals in the Czech Republic
Listen to some classical music, raise a toast to a bountiful harvest, burn some witches, go to a rock concert and finish strong with a 3D light show – those are just a few of the things you can do at the festivals in the Czech Republic.
When I first came to Prague I knew very little about the city. Of course, I had seen pictures of the beautiful architecture and heard stories of the booming nightlife. Little did I know, it is a major center of festivals, culture and events. I seriously cannot oversell how entertaining it is to explore the various events that take place every single day.
Before I take you through some of my favorite festivals that happen in the Czech Republic, let me just recommend one of the best places to check out events and book tickets without commission: GoOut. It is a website that basically sums up everything that is happening, will happen and might happen in Prague on a given date. You want to see a last minute date idea? It is full of concerts, theater, opera and whatnot. You want to see an impromptu exhibition? Look no more, there is always something open and you can find it all on GoOut.
But enough unwanted advice – let’s get down to business.
1. Burning witches – tragic in the past, party in the present
Okay, please don’t judge me for this title – there is no pagan (or otherwise) human sacrifices taking place, despite the Czech people boasting the largest rate of non-believers in the EU.
What I am talking about is what Czech people do on April the 30th to celebrate the arrival of Spring. Čarodejnice, or witch burning, is a Czech festivity that is rooted deep in the ancient traditions.
Czech people celebrating
Source: Wikimedia commons
Okay, okay, don’t Google it, you got me – it is historically related to Satanic cults. However, in good old CZ, this is merely a harmless, family friendly holiday that children enjoy the most. It is basically a Czech Halloween – the origins are dark but all the festivities are in good taste.
The night of the last day of April is believed to be magical, building up to a supernatural momentum at midnight. What you can expect is to see a huge wooden pole covered in rags and straw witches. It is set on fire with ceremony, after which people in traditional folk costumes dance around under the blaze of the flames.
It all stems from the old belief that on this night witches and other evil forces gathered around to create dark magic and mischief. People would band together to protect themselves and light huge fires to drive the darkness away.
Čarodějnice
Source: Wikipedia
These days people are way less concerned with witches and dark spirits and a lot more with drunken tourists and other kinds of evil forces. They use the opportunity to celebrate the ending of winter and the coming of spring. The children enjoy the theatrical battles between mystical witches and brave heroes in costumes, while the adults tend to stick with the open grill and the ever flowing Czech beer.
I really recommend visiting on this festival, as the shows can be quite spectacular. And if that doesn’t peak your interest, just consider the freshly grilled sausages, the soft, warm bread and the sparkle in one’s soul after a couple of Czech pilsners…
2. Rock it with Rock for People
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Rock for People is a big open-air music event in the summer. As the name would suggest, you can expect a lot of rock music. Nonetheless, the festival isn’t limited to only that. You can also enjoy alternative, pop, punk and EDM performances.
If at any time you get tired of dancing or headbanging, you can try one of the many workshops that are available. Every year there are new and new things to do and try out, from learning to do simple crafts to chilling with some of the performers.
The festival usually takes place in an abandoned airport at Hradec Karlove. It is a rather industrial and heavy place but the festival is both child and dog friendly. It goes on for four days which are a non-stop party with people who share the same taste in music.
For tickets and reservations please visit the official website.
3. To be or not to be – the summer Shakespeare Festival
We discussed burning witches and headbanging to rock music, now it is time to get in touch with our more cultured side.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The summer Shakespeare festival is a treat for all literature lovers, as it goes on for a whole two months. As you have guessed, it honors the great William Shakespeare and it takes place between June and September.
A little of history about the event: it all began with President Václav Havel who first made Prague castle available for artistic performances somewhere in the mid 90s. Whether it was artistic patronage or a publicity stunt, it does not matter for artists have been using the gorgeous venue ever since. This festival has been held every year since 2000 and averages at around 10 000 attendees per season.
For tickets and information about which plays can be seen in English, you can visit the official website of the festival here.
4. Signal Festival: a signal for the fun to start
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Signal festival is one of my all-time favorites. As I like to do, I’ve saved the best for last.
This is a four day, or rather evening, event which takes place all over Prague. Both modern and historical places are lit up and brought to life in unique ways with the combined effort of technology and imagination. The streets of Prague are covered with fantastic creations of light. Old Churches blaze in the glory of projected historic events, sci-fi laser effects, rainbow gamma of colors and a lot of innovative ideas.
My favorite show is usually at Namesti Miru, where the church made of black stone serves as a perfect canvas against the night sky. If you are going to make use of the festival at all, please definitely go there – it is an amazing experience.
On your way you can check out the website’s map to see what small and interesting shows can be seen on the way.
For tickets and information please check out their official website.
