What to do this weekend in Prague: Best events for May 8–10

Holešovice Market opens the gate to the world's most closed country this weekend with an exhibition featuring authentic testimonies from North Korean defectors who risked everything for freedom. The festival creates space for intergenerational dialogue about what it means to live without freedom, with an interactive children's section using playful, sensitive approaches to show young visitors why freedom must be protected and defended.

Prague's cocktail scene takes over May 6–13 with a week of discounted signature cocktails at participating bars, guest bartenders shaking behind unfamiliar counters, tastings introducing spirits you've never heard of, and workshops teaching you how to make drinks to replicate at home. The annual event celebrates modern mixology by convincing dozens of bars to drop prices on their best creations. Book workshops early if you want hands-on instruction.

Verdi's greatest Italian tragic opera returns to State Opera through May with Shakespeare's celebrated tragedy brilliantly adapted by librettist Arrigo Boito. Otello the victorious Venetian naval commander makes the fatal error of trusting evil Iago, whose ruthless scheming and lust for power turn the general's triumph into jealousy-fueled hell ending in murder. The performance is sung in Italian with Czech and English surtitles.

Prague 7's Kamenická street shuts down Friday for an all-day block party outside Mr.HotDoG and Sandwich Rodeo, serving up classic hot dogs, hot dog sandwiches, vegetarian options, Tom Silva lager on tap, sour beer (non-alcoholic), a margarita machine in action, natural wine, lemonades, shots, and DJ sets from noon to 9 p.m.. Also expect beer cornhole, a merch stand, a big raffle for prizes, and a coloring station for kids.

Once frontman and Oscar winner Glen Hansard returns to Lucerna Great Hall Friday with his band, delivering new material alongside the folk-rock repertoire that's built a career spanning Frames albums and solo records. Seattle singer-songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews opens, bringing her own brand of Americana storytelling that's earned NPR praise and tour slots withbig artists.

National Film Archive screens Miloš Forman's 1965 Czech New Wave masterpiece; young factory worker Andula (Hana Brejchová) has a one-night stand with Prague pianist Milda after a small-town dance, then naively packs her suitcase and follows him to the capital only to discover he's already forgotten her and his parents waste no time judging her "impossible" romantic idea. The screening is English-friendly.

Westfield Černý Most's third floor hosts Prague's largest LEGO show – over 100 installations built from nearly 15 million bricks, including a 60-meter Great Wall of China reconstruction (1:150 scale), full-scale Ferrari F40 replica (over 4 meters tall, 600,000 pieces), three-meter TIE Fighter, two-meter Brachiosaurus, Star Wars battle scenes, and themed zones spanning film, sport, and pop culture. The fun zone lets visitors build their own creations with guided instructions and free-building areas, while school groups can book tours connecting biology, physics, history, and architecture through interactive play.

Prague joins the world's largest charity run Sunday, starting 1 p.m. at Výstaviště. Runners begin together, then get chased by a virtual Catcher Car that launches 30 minutes later and gradually speeds up until it overtakes every participant, marking the end of each person's race. There's no fixed finish line, so your distance becomes your own goal, and 100% of entry fees fund spinal cord injury research. The global simultaneous start means you're running alongside hundreds of thousands worldwide, all moving for those who can't.