„For 10 years, the red Uličník, the festival's mascot, has been bringing life to squares, parks, and streets in Prague alongside hundreds of artists. Art simply belongs in the streets, and we ourselves have witnessed many times over the years how musicians, dancers, and acrobats can transform certain places in Prague beyond recognition and bring them back to life,” says Markéta Kalinová, manager of Prague Lives Music. This year, the largest street art festival in Prague will take place both in the city center – at Palladium on Republic Square, at the Prague Gate, on the Příkopy, at Můstku on Wenceslas Square, on Kampa, or at the Main Train Station – and in the surrounding city districts. Performances will be held in Žižkov, at Anděl, at the Victory Square in Dejvice, or under the Letná Prague Metronome. In total, the organizers plan to involve more than 25 locations.
„We always compile the program to give space not only to big names from the Czech music scene but also to experienced buskers or freshly starting musicians,” adds Kalinová. Among those performing will be Circus Problem, Yasha 96, Brass Avenue, Matyáš's Friends, Vladimír Merta, Kolektivní Halucinace, Jiný Metro, Athena Chlebová, Takabum Street Band, and Tokhi & The Groove Army. Buskers who wish to present themselves to the public can apply HERE. The festival also needs volunteers who want to help organize the event, gaining experience in organizing such an unconventional festival. More information is available HERE.
All programs of the Prague Lives Music festival are free, but the audience on-site can reward the artists with voluntary contributions „into the hat,“ as is customary in busking. Fans of street art can also support live culture in Prague by contributing to the organization of the festival by purchasing a symbolic ticket through GoOut.
The festival is organized by the non-profit cultural organization Nerudný fest, which is also behind the festivals Mladí ladí jazz, Student Fest, Concert for the Future, and other projects. The Prague Lives Music festival was created ten years ago as a response to restrictions on artistic production in the streets of the capital and aims to improve the conditions for busking, that is, street music, theater, or artistic performances, within acceptable parameters for the residents of Prague.
- Supported by: City Hall of Prague, Prague 1, Prague 3, Prague 5, Prague 6, Prague 7, and the Artist's Life Foundation
- Partners: Palladium, Collectors Prague, Italian Cultural Institute in Prague
- Media partners: Radio 1, PragMoon, Bedeker, Aerokina
- Prague Lives Music is part of the Take a Stand initiative
