Prague's spring culture scene opens with world-class art, theater, and Tim Burton

The works in New Realisms, now on at Prague City Gallery until August, featuring well-known artists such as Karel Čapek, Josef Sudek, and Otto Gutfreund, as well as works by lesser-known painters such as Ilona Singer, depict both the joys and the downsides of life in the city and countryside in the First Republic. The exhibit also showcases the prescient topics of women’s emancipation, ethnic minorities, fashion, and technology via paintings, sculptures, photographs, films, and advertising.

Earlier this year, the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art launched KAFKAesque, an extensive exhibition dedicated to Prague-born writer Franz Kafka, featuring works by leading contemporary artists. On April 17, British artist Mat Collishaw will visit the museum’s Gulliver Airship to discuss the impact of Kafka’s enigmatic literature on his work, which appears in the exhibit. Accompanying events include readings, concerts, and film screenings, which are all part of the 100 years of Kafka's death anniversary.

Tim Burton: The Return is a highly anticipated exhibition at the Municipal House in Prague. It will feature over 500 items showcasing the extensive career of director Tim Burton, including self-portraits, storyboards, sketches, puppetry, and photographs. The exhibition aims to replicate the success of Burton’s previous show in Prague, which drew over 100,000 visitors. Opens May 1.

Open House Prague is part of the international Open House Worldwide network, making it one of the world’s largest architectural festivals. This year’s 10th-anniversary edition, from May 13 to 19, will showcase more than 100 architectural gems in Prague linked to significant Czech architects, marking their anniversaries: Josef Fuchs, Oldřich Tyl, Adolf Benš, Josef Fanta, Jan Gillar, and Karel Hubáček. The festival also features lectures, debates, and walks, focusing on the city’s accessibility and openness.

The National Gallery Prague, in collaboration with the Musée du Louvre, is hosting the exhibition From Michelangelo to Callot: The Art of Mannerist Printmaking at the Wallenstein Riding School. From May 17 to Aug. 11, the exhibition showcases over 200 engravings, etchings, drawings, paintings, and decorative art objects. It explores the evolution of Mannerist graphic art and its influence on European countries, featuring works by renowned artists such as Michelangelo, Parmigianino, Jacques Callot, and more.

From May 17 to 19, Prague's Art District 7 will come alive with the 14th annual We Are Open event. This event allows visitors to explore galleries, artists’ studios, design shops, creative centers, and other cultural institutions in the neighborhood. The event will feature exhibitions, guided tours, music and theatre performances, film screenings, and a firsthand chance to witness the creative process.

The exhibition Lucia Moholy: Exposures at Kunsthalle showcases the extensive writings and photographs of Prague-born artist Lucia Moholy. It covers her work from the 1910s to the 1970s, focusing on her early years in Czechoslovakia and Germany, her portraiture, her involvement in information science, and her time in Zurich. The exhibition opens May 30.

The Czech Dance Platform is celebrating its 30th anniversary from April 7 to 10 on eight stages in Prague. It presents a selection of the most exciting events from the previous year. The program features eight works selected by the International Dramaturgical Council and a work awarded by the International Jury in 2023. The festival’s home stage is PONEC, with performances also held at various other venues in Prague.

Cirk La Putyka will premiere Okamžik on May 2 in the Azyl78 tent, marking 15 years since the troupe's founding. Directed by Maksim Komaro, the performance features thirty-five performers, including ensemble members, Ukrainian students, and young acrobats. Promising unique circus disciplines and surprises referencing the company's history, the show runs until May 25 at Prague's Holešovice Exhibition Center.

The National Theatre’s Laterna Fest returns for its second edition, bringing progressive artists from Japan, Australia, Sweden, Canada, Israel, and the Czech Republic to Prague from May 9 to 16. The program features technically and artistically exceptional works spanning dance, movement theater, comedy, and visually captivating poetics. Renowned ensembles like Sankai Juku, Umbilical Brothers, and Sirqus Alfon will showcase their unique styles and technical virtuosity. Also opening in May at the National Theatre, The Three Musketeers and Me.

The Prague Fringe Festival will take place from May 27 to June 1. It offers a spectacular international theater and performance lineup featuring renowned artists like Pip Utton, Henry Naylor, and Emily Carding. New work from Italy, Australia, Japan, South Africa, Taiwan, Ukraine, and more will also be showcased. Two comedy clubs will also feature top international acts, including Simar Singh’s Bombay Comedy Nights.

In Prague, the Mad and Merry Men troupe presents BARON MÜNCHHAUSEN BETWEEN THE STARS, a stage adaptation of writer Rudolf Erich Raspe's second volume of Münchhausen stories on May 31. Set in the 18th century, the play celebrates storytelling’s universal power, featuring historical costumes, chamber musicians, and opera singers at Vyšehrad's open-air theater. Accompanying events include storytelling evenings in Czech, English, and German.

The Estates Theatre (Stavovské divadlo) will host Song Recital II as part of the Year of Czech Music. Presented by the National Theatre Opera and the State Opera, this exceptional musical program features songs by significant Czech and international composers. Outstanding opera soloists will perform the recitals on the esteemed stage of the Estates Theatre. The event will take place on April 20, with additional recitals following.

Leonard Slatkin, renowned composer, and multi-Grammy Award winner serves as chief conductor for the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. His spring performance with the Prague Symphony Orchestra on April 24 and 25 at the Municipal House features Gershwin's An American in Paris. Karel Husa's poignant Music for Prague 1968 will also be performed to honor the Year of Czech Music.

The Mladí Ladí Jazz Open-Air Festival will mark International Open Air Jazz Day on April 30 with a parade on Prague’s Charles Square. Performances include Berlin’s Jazzanova, Belgium’s Don Kapot, and Germany’s Searching for Home. Czech Radio Vltava will broadcast live. Celebrating jazz’s contemporary forms, the event offers free admission with voluntary ticket support. Now in its 16th year, the festival showcases international and local talents.

The 21st United Islands of Prague open-air festival on May 1 to 4 brings together numerous talented musicians across various genres to Prague’s city center island. Alongside the music performances, the festival will non-musical program acts. This year, as part of the Experience Europe event, celebrating the Czech Republic's joining the EU 20 years ago, United Islands will also highlight musical talent from around the EU. The headliners are Irish indie pop duo 49th & Main.

The opening concert of Prague Spring 2024 will take place at the Municipal House's Smetana Hall. The prestigious classical music event celebrates the Year of Czech Music. On Sunday, May 12, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, under the baton of conductor Thomas Guggeis, will perform Bedřich Smetana's iconic composition, My Country.

The Khamoro Festival, the world’s largest Roma music festival, has been held in Prague since 1999 by Slovo 21 and Studio Production Saga. Over 260 bands from 33 countries, including Mahala Rai Banda and Kočani Orkestar, have performed. It aims to unite Roma and non-Roma through art, attracting around 10,000 visitors annually. This year from May 26 to June 1.

Director Petr Jančárek collaborated closely with former Czech President Václav Havel for almost three years, capturing Havel's life until his death. Their unique partnership resulted in the documentary This Is Havel Speaking, Can You Hear Me? The film, debuting at the Ji.hlava festival, explores the intimate bond between creator and statesman. Now playing (with English subtitles) in arthouse cinemas throughout Prague from April 11.

Catch Simon Stephens' modern adaptation of Chekhov's classic Uncle Vanya at Prague cinemas. Andrew Scott delivers a captivating one-man show, portraying all the characters. Directed by Sam Yates, the production received acclaim in the West End. Presented by Aerofilms and screening at Světozor from April 14.

Some Like It Czech presents classic Czech films and a short stand-up comedy introduction to contextualize the film. The series returns on April 18 with the film Maharal, a tale of Czech historians searching for Rudolf II's lost treasure following the Prague floods of 2002.

Don't miss the ceremonial premiere of Kristian, a beloved Czech comedy from 1939 directed by Martin Frič. Starring Oldřich Nový in a dual role, the film follows the escapades of a charming lover and a timid official. Screens April 18 at Kino Atlas.

The Anifilm International Festival of Animated Films will be held in Liberec from May 7 to 12, featuring a selection of the latest world and Czech animated works in its competition program. Professor Jiří Kubíček is honored as the first award-winning filmmaker, and an exhibition on water puppets in Czech film is available at the North Bohemian Museum until June 2. The complete list of competing films is available on the festival's website.