Prague Christmas Markets Cancel Concerts and Light Show in Solidarity with Shooting Victims

Organizers of Prague’s largest Christmas fairs on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square have decided to cancel the entire concert program on both markets for December 22 and 23.

This move serves as a poignant gesture of mourning for the victims of the recent shooting tragedy at the Faculty of Philosophy of Charles University.

During these two days, visitors will not be treated to the usual festive light and music performance on the main city Christmas tree, located on the Old Town Square.

Typically scheduled at 16:30, 17:30, 18:30, 19:30, 20:30, and 21:30, the lights on the holiday tree follow a special sequence, synchronized with the renowned Czech fairy tale “Three Nuts for Cinderella” by composer Karel Svoboda.

Visitors can look forward to its return on Sunday, December 24.

Gana Tizje, a representative of the long-standing Prague company Taiko responsible for organizing the markets, remarked, “Today, the music is also muffled on the market, and on Saturday we will turn it off completely.”

As a reminder, on December 21, a tragic incident unfolded at the Faculty of Philosophy of Charles University, resulting in the loss of 14 lives and leaving 25 others with injuries of varying severity.

This marks the fifth and most extensive incident of mass murder involving firearms in the modern history of the Czech Republic.