Spring 2025 Events in Prague: Easter markets, Music Festivals, New Exhibitions & Theater
Best Things to do in Prague Spring 2025
Spring is a season of hope and renewal, and few places is this symbolism more resonant than in Prague, where a whole generation can still personally recall the Spring of 1968, which first promised new freedom but tragically ended with invasion, renewed autocracy and the occupation of the country. Yet, as most Prazaks will tell you, it is the season the city awakens from its winter slumber, when lovers gather on Petrin Hill under the blooming cherry blossoms on the 1st of May, when Easter markets fill the city’s many squares and the crowds of tourists swell again. events and activities likewise bloom for locals and visitors alike to experience. Read on for the best things to do during your spring visit to Prague.
Take a tour with Insight Cities
If it’s your first time visiting Prague this spring, allow us to introduce you. In our Prague Introduction Tour, a local historian takes you around all the city’s major monuments – Old Town Hall, the Jan Hus monument, the Municipal House, and the old Jewish Quarter — while you discover the highlights of almost 1,000 years of history. Our guides are not only experts on local history but also personable and compelling, sure to give you a tour to remember.
Festivals
Spectaculare – February 28th to March 17th, 2025
Spectaculare was launched in 2014 by Czech DJ Josef Sedlon, the curator of the legendary Palac Akropolis’s eclectic program. The festival juxtaposes different forms of visual art including film, theater, video-art, video-mapping, and photography against the backdrop of (mostly) electronic music, showcasing the hippest trends in audio-visual culture. Featuring big, international names, this festival has it all. While we can’t wait to find out the full lineup, we do know that Icelandic techno duo Kiasmos will be opening the festival on February 28th, and innovative DJ producer Max Cooper will perform live with an audio-visual show on March 5.
Masopust – March 1, 2025
Prague’s version of the Mardi Gras, this traditional Christian celebration turned raucous party, takes place 40 days before Easter. Participants dress up in costume – the wilder, the better – and partake in rich food and intoxicating drinks. A number of festivities occur across the city in the days preceding Ash Wednesday, with the highlight being the parade in Zizkov at the Jiriho z Podebrad Square.
One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival – end of March 2025 (dates to be announced)
Each year, One World cements the Czech Republic’s reputation as a shining light in the democratic morass that the post-Communist nations of Central and Eastern Europe, seem to have found themselves in. Showcasing the most important documentary films of the year, the festival attracts some of the biggest names on the doc and human rights circuits, and is put on by People in Need – Czechia’s largest international NGO.
Prague Spring Music Festival – May 12th to June 3rd, 2025
While it shares its name with one of the most turbulent moments of the city’s history, the Prague Spring Music Festival actually dates back to 1946 and is in its 74th year. The festival runs for three weeks and brings classical music to the masses, with top Czech and international conductors, playing both the classics and more modern compositions. The festival also hosts the Prague Spring International Music Competition and gives you the chance to see the best of the next generation of classicists in concert. Tickets are available online but often sell out fast.
Korso Krymska – 2nd or 3rd Saturday in May 2025
Will it or won’t it happen this year, is up in the air. But Prague’s answer to London’s Notting Hill festival is so much fun, we’d rather err on the side of caution, or at least point you to what you missed out on. Over 20,000 people descend upon one rather small street in the heart of Prague’s Vrsovice district, as the city’s largest open-air street party plays out. From neighbors sharing their stories and meals, on the scores of casual sofas that have been put out, to some of the best DJs and pop-up food stalls in the city, do not give this a miss.
Markets
UMtrh – Every other weekend throughout the year, beginning March 30th, 2025*
UMtrh or Art Market is a hip, new pop-up concept, artistic and creative market which takes place every other weekend at Jan Palach Square, right by the Rudolfinum concert hall. Featuring live music and an array of collectible art and craft wares, along with food and drink, UMtrh showcases the creativity of the next generation of Czech artistes. With loads of options for kids, this is recommended for some family fun.
Easter in Prague
Like many European nations, Prague observes Easter over a four-day weekend, with Good Friday and Easter Monday off. While not as major of a holiday as Christmas, Easter still has many traditions that Czechs continue to observe to this day. You might see Beranek, cakes in the shape of lambs, and willow branches dressed up in ribbons. If nothing else, the festive decorations help usher in springtime feelings of hope and the return of long sunny days.
Easter markets – April 5–27, 2025
Just as there are Christmas markets in the lead-up to Christmas, Easter markets pop up at the first hint of spring in the air. While they don’t draw the crowds that the Christmas markets do, the markets display a distinct seasonal style, with colorful flowers, ribbons and eggs decorating the stalls. You’ll find various ceramics, crafts, dolls in traditional costumes, and hand-painted Easter eggs. As with the Christmas markets, the Easter markets are also spots for locals to gather and enjoy the first warm days of spring, so you’ll find traditional street food such as sausages, langosh, dumplings, and pancakes.
The biggest markets by far are at Old Town and Wenceslas Square, but you can find smaller, equally charming markets at Namesti Republiky, Marianske Namesti, and Namesti Miru.
St. John’s Passion – April 17-19, 2025
The sounds of Bach’s St. John’s Passion is unmistakable at the first notes, and the Prague Symphony Orchestra at the Church of Saints Simon and Jude, together with Forman Brothers theater, put on a truly unforgettable performance. The colorful puppetry and unique staging add a new dimension to the Easter story.
Exhibitions
Libuše Jarcovjáková Retrospective at the National Gallery: Trade Fair Palace – closes March 30, 2025
The Czech photographer has been photographing herself and marginalized communities since the 1970s, and this retrospective covers Jarcovjáková’s five decades of work, starting with her personal explorations and involvement with the LGBT community in the 1970s, portraits of Roma, Vietnamese, and Cuban communities, her travels beyond the Iron Curtain in the 1980s, her return to Prague in the 1990s, featuring self-portraits and photographs of friends, strangers and lovers throughout her life. Featuring early black-and-white photographs and recent digital ones, this exhibition covers the breadth of her oeuvre.
Chiharu Shiota: The Unsettled Soul at Kunsthalle Prague – closes April 28, 2025
Berlin-based Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota has gained renown for her arresting installations, and her exhibition at Prague’s newest major gallery consists of massive thread installations with various everyday objects entangled among them. Themes of life, death, and the relationships threaded in between arise from The Unsettled Soul, and Kunsthalle’s dark, cavernous spaces provide the perfect venue for this deep installation.
La Grande Bellezza: Art treasures from Patrik Šimon’s collection at Museum Montanelli – closes April 30, 2025
The 20,000 pieces in curator Patrik Simon’s collection cover the gamut of style and medium: painted portraits, medieval religious art, sculptures and composite photographs, with modern and historical art from various schools and cultures displayed together in dialogue with one another. The unique collection includes European old masters, contemporary works, and objects from African and Asian cultures.
Special Events
Prague Marathon – May 4, 2025
Prague’s marathon, with a route that circles the Vltava through the historic center, is quickly becoming one of Europe’s top marathon events, ranking among the world’s most prestigious. Running enthusiasts can join in, or sign up for the half-marathon on April 5. No other city can boast a scenic route like Prague!
Night of churches – May 23, 2025
One night a year, Prague’s churches open their doors to the public, including spaces that are normally inaccessible. This night provides a unique chance to step inside some of the city’s most beautiful churches, including St. Vitus Cathedral and the churches at Old Town Square. There are 160 participating churches, so check out the website and choose your churches carefully – you won’t get the chance to see them all.
Open House Prague – May 12-18, 2025
As the spring air warms and encourages residents to open their windows, so Prague opens the doors of venues that are otherwise closed to the public. Visitors can get a glimpse of Prague’s hidden architecture gems, as well as places where municipal activity still takes place. The program includes tours, lectures, and debates on city architecture – in Prague, just as anywhere, the city council has made controversial decisions to change, destroy, or erect buildings. Participating buildings for next year’s Open House Prague, including the English program, will be announced in April 2025. Past buildings include the glass-domed Ministry of Industry and Trade, a beautiful turn-of-the-century palatial building hosting the Ministry for regional development, and various buildings of the National Gallery.
If you have a particular fascination with Art Nouveau and Cubist architecture, take our tour and discover the secrets of these architecture movements that left a unique stamp on central Prague’s aesthetics. While we view some of Prague’s most notable Art Nouveau and Cubist buildings, you’ll learn how this movement developed in the Czech lands and how it was influenced by the historical climate in the early 20th century. Your guide will not only be an expert on this unique movement but also relay their knowledge with affable enthusiasm. We also have bona fides, as our Prague architecture tour was selected by the Guardian as one of the world’s best architecture tours. Contact us and book your tour this spring!
Outdoor Fun
Visit Prague Gardens – April 1 to October 31, 2025
Spring’s arrival also heralds the reopening of Prague’s most stunning gardens. Wallenstein’s grotto wall and mythic fountains harken to the ancient past, the Castle gardens tell stories of dedication and decadence, and hidden gardens reveal the secrets of Baroque landscaping. Each is beautifully landscaped with their own distinct markers of taste and history.
Our Prague Gardens Tour takes you through Prague most beautiful Renaissance and Baroque Gardens, each providing a luminous glimpse of the tastes of Bohemian nobility. You’ll also get to visit gardens that are rarely visited by tourists, getting an exclusive look at some of Prague’s early green architecture. The gardens are open only from April 1 – October 31, so don’t wait and book your spring Prague gardens tour today.
Performances
Poe at The New Stage, various dates, March and April 2025
Taking inspiration from three of Edgar Allen Poe’s stories, Poe puts on a unique production in the style of Laterna Magika – a unique blend of dance, song, music, stage design, and puppetry that bring out Poe’s dark yet humorous and lyrical stories to the stage. This production is recommended for ages 14 and over.
The Magic Flute – various dates, March and April 2025
If you haven’t seen a production of Mozart’s most famous opera, the Estates theater in Prague is a great place to go see it for the first time. This tale of a young prince and the journey he takes with his magic flute has captivated audiences young and old since its premiere in 1791, and is sure to enchant theatregoers of all ages this year, as well.
Rusalka – March 1 & 30 and April 11 & 18, 2025
Beloved Czech composer Antonin Dvorak’s Rusalka, one of his best known operas, regularly plays at the National Theatre, where it premiered in 1901. And it’s no wonder the opera continuously captivates audiences – the tale of a water nymph who falls in love with a prince and makes a terrible bargain to be with him is both tragic and timeless in its tragedy.
Want to see the National Theatre and learn more about the building where these classic operas are performed? Contact us and arrange a tour with Insight Cities. Whether it’s just an introduction, a focus on Art Nouveau, or the Cold War, we’ve got a guide who can give you the inside story of Prague’s most historic moments. Availability is limited as the tourist season picks up, so if you have plans to visit Prague this spring, don’t delay and get in touch with us today.