Design, Dvořák, and Prague’s doors open: September’s culture fix

September brings Prague back into full cultural swing, with major exhibitions, music festivals, film screenings and long-running traditions filling the city’s galleries, concert halls, historic buildings and public spaces. Here are the cultural highlights worth putting on your calendar this month.

DOX opens its autumn season with ANDROS, a major group exhibition examining the male body and changing ideas of masculinity in contemporary Central European art. The exhibition brings together Czech artists with work from Germany, Austria and the Visegrád countries, exploring the male body as a subject of identity, doubt and changing social roles.

The exhibition opens in September and runs into January, making it one of the month's major contemporary-art openings.

DOX Centre for Contemporary Art. (Sept. 4–Jan. 24)

One of Prague’s biggest design showcases returns for its 13th edition, bringing together Czech and international designers, studios, brands and emerging talent. Expect glass, fashion, jewelry, interiors and experimental projects exploring the relationship between design, technology and art.

Various Prague venues. (Sept. 10–13)

This exhibition explores the ways people have documented, imagined and navigated the world through travel diaries, maps and guides, bringing together historical materials that reveal how travelers have recorded their journeys and understood the world around them.

Letohrádek Hvězda. (opens Sept. 2)

Contemporary art moves beyond the gallery walls for this annual festival, placing installations and artistic interventions in Prague’s public spaces. The festival encourages visitors to encounter contemporary art in unexpected urban settings.

Various Prague locations. (Through Sept. 22)

Prague’s riverside island becomes a showcase for Czech craftsmanship as the Ceramic Markets return for their 21st year. Browse handmade pottery, original ceramic works and creations from Czech makers, with refreshments and activities for visitors of all ages.

Kampa. (Sept. 5–6)

Prague’s international illustration festival returns to Holešovická tržnice with exhibitions, talks, workshops and other events devoted to Czech and international illustration. It is a chance to see work from established illustrators alongside emerging talent.

Holešovická tržnice. (Sept. 24–30)

Prague’s annual celebration of contemporary art brings galleries, museums, institutions and independent art spaces together for exhibitions, openings, talks, guided tours and special events across the city.

Various Prague locations. (Sept. 24-27)

One of September’s biggest cultural events brings the Czech Crown Jewels back to public view at Prague Castle. The special exhibition marks 500 years since the beginning of Habsburg rule in the Czech lands and offers a rare chance to see some of the country’s most important royal treasures.

Old Royal Palace, Prague Castle. (Sept. 18–28)

Prague’s major autumn classical-music festival returns with orchestras, soloists and chamber ensembles performing works by Dvořák and other composers. The 2026 program includes the Vienna Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, cellist Julia Hagen and pianist Yunchan Lim.

Various Prague venues. (Sept. 5–23)

The Prague Proms continue into September with a mix of classical music, jazz and film scores before the festival closes on Sept. 22. The program ranges from orchestral performances to jazz and a film-music finale.

Various Prague venues. (Through Sept. 22)

One of Prague’s most distinctive cultural traditions returns to the open air in Divoká Šárka. This year's free performance is Antonín Dvořák’s The Devil and Kate, performed by soloists, orchestra and chorus from the National Theatre.

Bring a blanket and settle into the natural amphitheater for an afternoon of opera under the sky.

Divoká Šárka. (Sept. 5)

The National Theatre opens its new season outdoors with a free program on Střelecký Island. Visitors can see previews from opera, drama, ballet and Laterna Magika, alongside workshops, family activities and an evening concert.

Střelecký Island. (Sept. 1)

Smetana’s Má vlast gets a new stage interpretation combining music, theatre, dance and puppetry. The performance offers a contemporary take on one of the best-known works in the Czech classical repertoire.

Azyl78. (Sept. 8)

Stephen Sondheim’s dark musical Sweeney Todd comes to the National Theatre in a new production of the macabre tale of a London barber seeking revenge. Expect gothic atmosphere, black humor and one of musical theatre’s most celebrated scores.

National Theatre. (From Sept. 24)

Prague’s festival of electronic music and digital art returns with audiovisual performances, experimental sound and interactive installations bringing music, technology and contemporary art together.

Veletržní Palace. (Sept. 24–27)

Science fiction takes over Prague for this annual festival of premieres, cult films, documentaries, lectures and discussions about science and technology. This year's program looks at future conflicts over resources, data, energy and geopolitics.

Kino Lucerna and other Prague venues. (Sept. 28–Oct. 4)

Architecture meets cinema in this international festival of films about buildings, cities and the people shaping the built environment. Screenings are accompanied by discussions with architects, filmmakers and urban experts.

Various Prague venues. (Sept. 30–Oct. 5)

Book lovers gather at Gabriel Loci for author talks, signings, publishers’ stands, foreign-language literature, games and other literary activities. It is aimed at readers who want to browse, meet authors and discover new books.

Gabriel Loci. (Sept. 26)

September is your chance to get inside some of Prague’s buildings and historic sites that are normally closed to the public. European Heritage Days opens monuments, buildings and spaces across Czechia, with special tours, concerts, lectures and other programs accompanying the openings.

In Prague, this year’s participating sites include Libeň Castle, Grab Villa, Villa Lanna, Troja Chateau, the Church of St. Cyril and Methodius, the Chapel of the Most Holy Trinity and St. Wenceslas, and the Garden of Eden at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, among others.

Most participating monuments are free on selected days, while some charge a small admission fee. The national opening takes place in Chrudim.

Various Prague locations. (Throughout September)

Rock supergroup Hollywood Vampires brings its European tour to Prague, with Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp and Joe Perry joining forces on stage.

Sportovní hala Fortuna. (Sept. 6)

Ben Cristovao joins the Unique Orchestra for the Czech premiere of the Red Bull Symphonic format, combining pop, R&B and hip-hop with full orchestral arrangements.

Prague Congress Center. (Sept. 29-30)

The Pussycat Dolls return to Prague with Nicole Scherzinger, marking two decades since the group’s debut with hits including “Don’t Cha” and “Buttons.”

O2 Arena. (Sept. 23)

Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss brings his latest stand-up show Bitter to Prague. Known for his dark, provocative and often brutally honest comedy, Sloss has built an international following with his Netflix specials and live shows.

Forum Karlin. (Sept. 21)

Ancient Greek drama comes to Štvanice Island for this annual open-air theatre festival, with Alkéstis running through mid-September. The production brings the ancient tragedy into a contemporary outdoor setting.

Štvanice Island. (Sept. 1–16)

For its second edition, the Poznej Vltavu (Get To Know the Vltava River) festival offers a whole series of workshops, activities, cruises and exhibitions for visitors to understand the river's place at the heart of Prague's urban and ecological environment. Most of the events will be free, but some require prior registering due to capacity limits.

Various Prague locations. (Sept. 28)

The annual Zažít město jinak festival of live music, food, design and general neighborhood fun is back in dozens of different locations around Prague, starting in Vinohrady's Americká and a few others on September 12 and culminating a week later in most other districts. The perfect way to slowly bid farewell to the warm summer months with a street party in the company of friends, family and neighbors.

Various Prague locations. (From Sept. 12)