The multi-genre United Islands festival will kick off Prague’s festival season, offering three days of music, film and discussions across the city.

The program begins on Thursday, April 30, with pop-up concerts in Portheimka Park in Smíchov, followed by shows in clubs around Prague. The main open-air part will take place on May 1 and 2 on Štvanice Island, where five stages will host more than 100 emerging artists from across Europe.

Among the international acts are Irish electro-noise trio Yard, Dutch singer Min Taka and Slovak rising star Meowlau. The Czech scene will feature recent Anděl Award winner Marie April, Toyota Vangelis, rapper Anki and indie band WYFE.

In addition to music, this year’s edition expands its non-musical program. Visitors can attend debates with journalists Nora Fridrichová and Zdislava Pokorná, as well as a screening of the Oscar-winning film Mr. Nobody vs. Putin. Entry remains free, with voluntary tickets available to support the festival.

United Islands has built a reputation as one of Central Europe’s key showcase festivals, focusing on new talent from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and beyond. It returns once again to Štvanice Island.

 

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“It’s important for us to be in a place with its own energy and story, and Štvanice offers exactly that,” said festival director Martin Štěrba.

Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda, who has taken patronage over the event, said the festival helps present Prague as an open cultural city while supporting young artists.

The festival combines outdoor concerts with club performances, giving visitors a chance to explore both established venues and lesser-known spaces.

This year’s line-up includes more than 100 performers, many appearing in the Czech Republic for the first time. Other names include Slovenian band LPS, Polish group Błoto and German act Lifespark.

The expanded program also introduces the Islands Forum stage, focusing on discussions about topics such as artificial intelligence, media, public space and the impact of technology on society. Speakers include political scientist and former NATO ambassador Jakub Landovský and researcher Anna Shavit.

The accompanying program also includes the first public festival screening of the film Mr. Nobody Against Putin, which recently won an Oscar for best feature documentary. The Oscar-winning film will be introduced by its director Pavel Talankin and the production team.

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