Summer is the season of music festivals. For regular festival goers, nothing quite says summer like dancing in the sunshine to your favourite new band, meeting new friends in the queue for a beer or the smell of hot canvas in the morning. There will be an unimaginably massive number of music festivals going on throughout Europe this summer but my mission is to put forward the case for 3 incredible festivals which will be taking place in the Czech Republic over the summer months.
Colours of Ostrava
When: July 19th -July 22nd
Where: Ostrava (Dolni Vitkovice)
How Much: 2,890CZK (113 Euros) for a 4 day ticket or 1990CZK (78 Euros) for a 1 day ticket.
1 person camping in 1 tent for the entirety of the festival would cost 470CZK (16 Euros).
Headline Artists: Imagine Dragons, Alt J, Norah Jones, Justice, Jamiroquai, Birdy and many, many more.
About the Festival
So I’m a little biased here, as I absolutely love this festival. My boyfriend and I are very excited because we have just booked our tickets for this year and it will be our third time at the festival. One of the most brilliant things about this festival is its unique setting, right in the middle of the dramatic ruins of a disused ironworks, mine and steel works, which is actually a national heritage site. Although the heart of the festival site has a highly industrial feel, never fear! There’s also no shortage of open grassy spaces and trees.
There are 9 different music stages at the festival, including 2 main stages and also stages dedicated to up and coming artists, alternative music, electronic music and Czech music amongst others. Alongside the music stages, there are additional stages dedicated to discussions, poetry, films and more.
Last year, Colours of Ostrava was nominated by the Guardian Newspaper as one of the top 10 European music festivals.
Travel from Prague
Possibly the only downside to this festival is that Ostrava is a 4 hour train journey from Prague. However, the plus side is that there are regular, direct trains from Praha Hlavni Nadrazi (Prague’s main station). Just make sure that you book your tickets in advance and make sure that you have a seat reservation. We recommend Regio Jet trains for optimum comfort and reliability. If you choose to purchase a train ticket through the main Ceske Drahy (Czech Railways) provider, it is possible to get 50% off a return ticket. However, for this to apply you must buy your ticket in person from the train station, you must clearly state that you are attending the festival and you must get your train ticket stamped at the Ceske Drahy tent whilst at the festival.
Rock for People
When: July 4th – July 6th
Where: Hradec Kralove (Hradec Kralove Airport)
How Much: 2000CZK (80 Euros) for 3 days, 1250CZK (50 Euros) for one day, 2400CZK (98 Euros) for 3 days plus camping
Headline Artists: Evanescence, Paramore, Foster the People, Die Antwoord, 3 Days Grace, Cage the Elephant and many, many more. Those of you who read our article about 12 Czech bands and musicians to watch out for, may be interested to hear that Lenny and Debbi will both be performing at this festival.
About the Festival
Rock for People comes to you from another eccentric venue, Hradec Kralove Airport. The airport is a great space for a festival with lots of wide open spaces in additon to intriguing nooks and crannies.Thankfully, the airport is disused, so there will be no planes taking off mid festival! Alongside the traditional music stages, the site also offers chill-out zones, a mini beach, graffiti wall, a silent disco and a stage powered entirely by pedal power.
Travel from Prague
Hradec Kralove is a 90 minute train journey from Prague. Trains leave regularly from Praha Hlavni Nadrazi (Prague’s main station). You can also take a bus from Cerny Most bus station, which also takes 90 minutes. If you purchase a train ticket through the main Ceske Drahy (Czech Railways) provider, it is possible to get 50% off a return ticket. However, for this to apply you must buy your ticket in person from the train station, you must clearly state that you are attending the festival and you must get your train ticket stamped at the Ceske Drahy tent whilst at the festival.
Prague Metronome Festival
When: June 23rd – June 24th (Yes, that’s this weekend!)
Where: Prague (Vystaviste Holesovice)
How Much: 1890CZK (72 Euros) for 2 days, 1290CZK (49 Euros) for 1 day. Camping for the festival is 300CZK (11 Euros) per person.
Headline Artists: Kasabian, Sting, Blood Red Shoes, Young Fathers, Ester Rada and many, many more. Those of you who read our article about 12 Czech bands and musicians to watch out for, may be interested to hear that Lenny, Thom Artway and Lazer Viking will be performing at this festival.
About the Festival
Believe it or not, Prague had been lacking a large scale outdoor music festival until last year when Metronome Festival arrived on the scene. Being in only its second year, this festival is the baby on the scene but it certainly shouldn’t be under-estimated. The festival has a brilliant line up, featuring a lot of talented Czech artists in addition to big international names and up and coming talent from around the world. Because of the festival’s central location, it offers visitors conveniences which would be hard to come by in more traditional festival locations. However, the open and grassy nature of the festival site, mean that it won’t lack any of that quintessential summer festival charm.
Travel
This one is really easy. Trams 6, 12 or 17 will take you to the tram stop Vystaviste Holesovice, where the festival takes place. The closest metro station is Nadrazi Holesovice (C Line). From here the festival site is a 10 minute walk or 1 tram stop away.
For more information or to buy tickets for any of these festivals, have a look at the festival websites:
Honest Tips For Your Prague Stay
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