Prague Market springs to life this week with free concerts and light shows

Prague Market (Pražská tržnice) continues its transition from cut-rate marketplace to vibrant cultural space this week with a series of free nightly audiovisual shows. From May 17-21, a different corner of the market will be lit up each night with a unique light show for a concert from local DJs and musicians.

The one-time event, titled #5PROSTOR, will offer visitors an opportunity to experience the former marketplace as they have never before. Local musicians I Love You Honey Bunny, Collective Hallucinations, PAST, Arleta and DJs Barbora and Tasya will each perform at the venue during the concert series.

Entry to the concerts is free, though guests can contribute a voluntary admission to support to event if they wish to do so.

"Over the course of five days, we will revive five different corners of Prague Market and offer five cultural performances, which we believe fit into the space itself," Šimon Kotmel from Prague Market cafe Burza #4 told Proti šedi on behalf of the organizers.

"All [the concerts] are accompanied by special light shows, where the spectators themselves will have a role to play; they will often not know what to watch first. Together with the management of Prague Market, we want to emphasize that we can take care of the area and try to revive it for the better."

Each night this week starting Tuesday, a different corner of Prague Market will be illuminated with a colorful light show during the musical performances. Visitors will be notified each day exactly where the night's concert will take place.

The performers cover a wide array of styles, with a different genre represented each night to match the specific location and light show.

"The performances themselves will always be site-specific, which means that we always try to primarily use what is already in the space," describes Kotmel.

"Our goal is to connect the place where the concert takes place with the performers themselves as much as possible."

#5PROSTOR will begin on Tuesday, May 17 with a performance by Czech rapper Arleta. Minimalist Prague band PAST will continue the event on Wednesday, while nu-funk trio Collective Hallucinations will perform on Thursday evening.

Electronic beats will fill Prague Market into the weekend, as DJ Barbora takes to the stage on Friday night followed by DJ Tasya. The event will culminate on Sunday with a special appearance by indie pop rock band I Love You Honey Bunny.

Built in the late 1800s, Prague Market operated as a slaughterhouse throughout much of the 20th century. It has been a protected cultural monument since 1993, when it was leased out to a private company who ran the area as a marketplace.

After legal disputes, operation of the space has returned to the City of Prague, with plans to transform it into a major cultural hub. In addition to this week's concerts, Prague Market also features an indoor farmers market, a street food zone, and an ongoing exhibit dedicated to Czech animation.