This year’s edition of the United Islands Festival reached record attendance, welcoming more than 40,000 visitors over three festival days. The program kicked off on Thursday, April 30, with pop-up performances in Portheimka Park in Prague’s Smíchov district before flowing into clubs across the city. The main open-air part of the multi-genre festival then took over Štvanice Island on May 1 and 2, where five stages, food stands, and a rich accompanying program emerged among the greenery. In total, more than one hundred breakthrough music acts from across Europe performed. The festival also featured a screening of the Oscar-winning documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin, alongside debates reflecting current social issues. The next edition of the United Islands Festival will take place from April 29 to May 1, 2027.
The festival’s first day launched with a series of pop-up performances in Portheimka Park, seamlessly followed by Club Night events spread across dozens of Prague venues. The following two days belonged to the open-air program on Štvanice Island, complemented by nighttime concert afterparties at Burza #4 in Holešovice and Dva Kohouti in Karlín. This year, the festival was also blessed with exceptional weather, as sunshine and almost summer-like temperatures amplified the relaxed atmosphere throughout the weekend. Visitors were able to fully enjoy the island’s unique setting, surrounded by greenery and the river.
“We are absolutely thrilled with how this year’s United Islands turned out. We managed to build an exceptionally strong lineup while also expanding the festival with a brand-new non-music section, the Islands Forum discussion stage, which brought important topics and entirely new audiences. Beautiful weather and the unique setting of Štvanice also played a huge role in creating such a special atmosphere. The result is record attendance, which we deeply appreciate,” says United Islands Executive Director Martin Štěrba on behalf of the festival team.
Štvanice Came Alive with Music, Debates, and Festival Spirit
Friday’s program on Štvanice focused primarily on the domestic scene. Audiences were captivated by fresh Anděl Award winner Marie April, Czech-Vietnamese rapper Anki, experimental trio Hihahaholky, singer-songwriter Toyota Vangelis, and indie band WYFE. Slovak rising star Meowlau and Danish group Smag På Dig Selv also received major acclaim. The evening concluded with a screening of the Oscar-winning documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin, attended by its creators. Saturday delivered a powerful international lineup, including Irish electro-noise band Yard, Polish group Błoto, German quartet Lifespark, and Dutch singer Min Taka, who closed the main stage program. The symbolic grand finale of the outdoor festival was a breathtaking performance by Czech artist Bariel AV.
A major new addition to this year’s festival was the expanded non-music program, significantly enriching both Friday and Saturday on Štvanice. The center of this new dimension was Islands Forum, a dedicated stage for debates and discussions featuring personalities from various fields. Organizers opened conversations that extended beyond music, covering topics such as artificial intelligence, the role of media, the younger generation, public space, intimacy, technology, film, and societal resilience. Featured speakers included journalists Nora Fridrichová and Zdislava Pokorná, influencer Rozárie Haškovcová, political scientist and former Czech ambassador to NATO Jakub Landovský, Solvo Institute research director Anna Shavit, and writer and coach David Shorf. The program also included presentations from more than twenty organizations and universities, including Charles University, Hlídač státu, Prague Pride, Koridor UA, Fuck Cancer, and the Czech AIDS Help Society.
The 24th edition of United Islands will take place from April 29 to May 1, 2027. Beyond the main festival, organizers also plan to continue producing cultural events throughout the year under the United Islands brand, with another series of club nights launching this autumn.
