Classics Don’t Have to Be Traditional
One of the most significant cultural events will be the SMETANOVA LITOMYŠL festival. It was in Litomyšl, in the château brewery, that Bedřich Smetana was born on 2 March 1824. In 2024, the Czech Republic is dedicating the Year of Czech Music to this world-renowned composer.
A visit to Smetanova Litomyšl, the largest classical music festival outside Prague, held from 14 June to 6 July 2025, offers an extraordinary experience thanks not only to its exceptional programme and artistic performances. The town itself boasts a unique genius loci, and the festival takes place in the stunning setting of a château listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With the theme "Passion," the programme promises top-tier performers and global stars, all within the enchanting surroundings of a modern concert hall.
The programme of the INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL LEOŠ JANÁČEK in Ostrava, taking place from 2 June to 2 July 2025, promises first-class experiences not only for fans of Leoš Janáček. The world-renowned cello virtuoso Narek Hakhnazaryan will perform. Ostrava will also host the unique “Inferno,” an extraordinary audiovisual project that will, for the first time, take the audience to the iconic Three-Hall-Project - the reconstructed, heritage-protected industrial halls in the centre of Ostrava, near Dolní Vítkovice. Classical music lovers can also look forward to exceptional performances by top vocalists, the husband-and-wife duo Kateřina Kněžíková and Adam Plachetka.
A Musical Feast in Prague and Český Krumlov
One of the highlights of the musical year in Czechia will be the PRAGUE SPRING festival, held in the historic heart of the Czech capital. Its 80th anniversary edition, running from 12 May to 3 June 2025, will feature elite orchestras, the return of renowned figures and ensembles, fresh new faces, and world premieres. The festival will open with the Czech Philharmonic, which achieved tremendous success at New York’s Carnegie Hall in 2024. It will be led by its current chief conductor, Semyon Bychkov, who regularly appears at the BBC Proms in London and has twice won the title of “Conductor of the Year.”
In the baroque château gardens of the southern Bohemian gem, the FESTIVAL OF CHAMBER MUSIC ČESKÝ KRUMLOV 2025 (11 July to 2 August) will begin with a concert combining timeless baroque music with modern dance and scenography performed directly on the water’s surface. The festival will feature the virtuoso guitar master Pablo Sáinz-Villegas, the world-renowned Quatuor Ébène performing works by Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, and the passionate Carmen as a major highlight.
A tribute to the Czech genius Antonín Dvořák, who composed his most famous symphony From the New World while in America, will take place from 5 to 23 September 2025 during the DVOŘÁK PRAGUE festival. This showcase will bring together top soloists, conductors, and internationally acclaimed orchestras to honour his legacy.
Colours Everywhere
In July, the city of Ostrava transforms into the mecca of summer music festivals, with its globally unique industrial site, Dolní Vítkovice, offering a setting that feels straight out of a sci-fi film. From 16 to 19 July 2025, you can party at COLOURS OF OSTRAVA, one of Europe’s largest and best multi-genre festivals, featuring stars like Shaggy, Sting, James Smith, Iggy Pop, and Justice. Music fans also have 2–5 July 2025 marked in their calendars for BEATS FOR LOVE, the largest dance music festival in Central Europe.
Rock for People: Guns N’ Rose, Slipknot, Sex Pistols
Rock music fans should not miss Rock for People 2025, where from 11 to 15 June 2025, bands like Linkin Park, Guns N’ Roses, Slipknot, Sex Pistols ft. Frank Carter, Avenged Sevenfold, and many more will take the stage.
From 16 to 19 October 2025, Prague will burst into colour. One of the Czech Republic’s biggest cultural events, the SIGNAL FESTIVAL, features a stunning light show that transforms the city’s streets, public spaces, iconic historical landmarks, and hidden corners with vibrant projections created by Czech and international masters of light design.
Head to the Spa and Follow Hollywood Stars
You don’t need to travel to Cannes to experience the atmosphere of an INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL with A-list film stars (in past years, these have included Clive Owen, Johnny Depp, Robert Pattinson, Robert Redford, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, and many more) gracing the red carpet, film premieres, and parties where champagne flows freely. Plan your visit from 4 to 12 July 2025 in Karlovy Vary, the UNESCO-protected spa town!
World Treasures: Dance and a Boy in Women’s Clothing
How about visiting the largest and oldest INTERNATIONAL FOLKLORE FESTIVAL in Europe and witnessing the dancers of the wild Verbuňk, traditional male dance, which is even protected by UNESCO? Mark your calendars for 26–29 June and head to the open-air museum in Strážnice. The 80th edition promises to be spectacular!
Add one more folklore tradition from the UNESCO list to verbuňk. You can enjoy a colourful medley of masks with a proper feast full of pork, doughnuts and plum brandy during the SHROVETIDE FESTIVAL. The exuberant celebrations before Lent starts have been taking place all around the country since time immemorial; however, only the Hlinsko festival bears the mark of world heritage.
The RIDE OF THE KINGS also has long roots in the Czech culture. A procession led by the king and his entourage on dressed up horses... It may sound simple for heritage inscribed by UNESCO. But the king is a small boy with a rose between his lips, wearing a ladies’ dress! This year, the King will ride out to meet his subjects on 24 and 25 May.
