Czech Masopust celebrations – the period of pageantry and feasting leading up to lent – will begin on February 8th with Tučný čtvrtek (Fat Thursday) and carry on until the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.

The history Masopust (also called maškara and in Moravia Fašank) is historically the end of a season of celebration that traditionally begins just after Three Kings Day, on January 6.

The folk ritual has been celebrated in the Czech lands for over 700 years. Modern festivities typically begin on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, creating a six-day period marked with costumes, parades, and festivals. Long ago it was common to have costumed gatherings on both Monday and Tuesday with traditional dances for married couples or costumed people performing minor tasks around the village.

‘Masopust’ is an old Czech word that means ‘meat fast’. It essentially is the Czech word for Carnival or Mardi Gras. ‘Masopustní průvod’ translates to Shrovetide in English.

In 2024, Masopust Prague will take place between February 8 and Ash Wednesday which calls on February 14, 2024.

Masopust in Prague

Prague carnival will delight you with colorful costumed parades, endless parties, masked characters, theater performances, old crafts, carnival balls, dances, operas, concerts, activities for the kids, exhibitions and many other surprises.

Indulging in delicious foods and drinking a lot are a huge part of carnival. Many restaurants will recreate the delicious dishes and treats that were consumed in medieval times.

Masopust Prague Shrove Tuesday

Colorful parades made up with traditional folk carnival costumes wind their way through the city. Traditional carnival characters dressed in both human and animal costumes such as devils, farmers, herders, sheep, dogs and pigs, are joined with musicians who sing and dance along the procession. After the parades there are lively carnival celebrations occurring in Žižkov and Jiřího z Poděbrad square.

Some Masopust Prague Shrove Tuesday Celebrations include:

Masopust Shrove Tuesday Celebrations at the Little Quarter 2024

• Date: 13/02/2024
• Time: 1 pm to 6 pm with the parade arriving at Kampa approx. 4pm
• Cost: Free entry

Masopust Shrove Tuesday Celebrations at Letna

• Date: 13/02/2024
• Time: From 12:30 pm until 8 pm.
• Location: Event begins in front of the National Technical Museum
• Cost: Free entry

Letna Prague Carnival celebrations invites all visitors to come and enjoy authentic Masopust celebrations. The program is filled with fun and entertainment for the whole family. There is live music, dancing, theater performances, carnival games, stilt walkers and costumed characters. You can also purchase many carnival delicacies such as pork specialties, fried donuts and spirits.

The Letna Carnival Parade of Masks will be held winding its way through numerous cultural institutions, including the National Technical Museum, Letka Club, Museum of Agriculture, Letenska vodarna, Scarabeus Gallery, the Coffee Museum.

Watch the Masopust Carnival Parades!

The Žižkov Carnival Parade is one of the best parades at Prague Masopust. It begins at Náměstí Jiřího z Poděbrad and sees a procession of floats, costumed characters and musicians make their way through the heart of Žižkov, followed by spectators en masse.

One of the largest and most exciting parades to take place occurs just past the Prague Zoo in a suburb called Roztoky. The Roztoky Carnival Parade is larger than life for both the locals and visitors who are famous for their wild costumes and massive parade that winds through the town and into the Czech countryside.