Prague’s festival season kicks off this week with the multi-genre United Islands festival. The programme begins on Thursday, April 30 in the afternoon with pop-up concerts by selected artists in Portheimka Park in Smíchov, before moving into clubs across Prague later that evening. The main open-air part of the festival will take place on May 1 and 2 on Štvanice Island, where five stages will be built. Over the course of three festival days, more than one hundred emerging artists from across Europe will perform. International names include Irish electro-noise band Yard, Dutch singer Min Taka and rising Slovak star Meowlau. The Czech scene will be represented by fresh Anděl Award winner Marie April, singer-songwriter Toyota Vangelis, Czech-Vietnamese rapper Anki and indie band WYFE. This year, the festival is also significantly expanding its non-music programme. Visitors can look forward to discussions with journalists Nora Fridrichová and Zdislava Pokorná, as well as a screening of the Oscar-winning film Mr. Nobody Against Putin. As always, entry remains free for everyone, though organisers offer the option to support the festival through voluntary tickets. More information can be found at www.unitedislands.cz.
United Islands has long been one of the most prominent showcase festivals in Central Europe and for nearly 25 years has systematically discovered new musical talent from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and across Europe. As in the previous year, this year’s edition will once again take place on Štvanice Island.
“It’s great that United Islands has a firm place on Prague’s cultural map. I’m really happy that we can return to Štvanice again this year. For the festival, it’s incredibly important that this isn’t a sterile venue, but a living place with its own story and energy. That naturally carries over into the festival itself — even this year’s animal illustrations are directly inspired by those actually found on the Štvanice footbridge,” says Martin Štěrba, Executive Director of United Islands.
“I’m glad that United Islands remains one of the festivals that has a firm and natural place in Prague. For years, it has created space for new music, young talent and audiences eager to discover new things, while also presenting Prague as an open and vibrant cultural city. I also appreciate that this year, beyond music, the festival opens up other important topics and offers the public a programme that connects culture, discussion and meeting. These are exactly the kinds of events that give a city energy and help shape its contemporary identity,” says Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda, who has granted the festival his official patronage.
Thursday belongs to the clubs, Friday and Saturday to Štvanice
The programme begins on Thursday with a series of club concerts across Prague, as well as a pop-up concert in Portheimka Park in Smíchov. The main open-air programme will take place on Friday and Saturday on Štvanice Island, where several stages will be set up. Evening events will then continue again in clubs. This format combines outdoor concerts with club culture, allowing visitors to discover both established venues and lesser-known spaces.
This year’s programme will feature more than one hundred artists, many of whom Czech audiences will see live for the very first time. Highlights include explosive Irish electro-noise trio Yard, Dutch singer Min Taka, Slovenian rock band LPS, Polish group Błoto and German act Lifespark. The Czech scene also has a strong presence, with producer and songwriter Toyota Vangelis performing alongside Wierdsky, Anděl winner Marie April with her band The Fools, rapper Anki, experimental trio Hihahaholky, artist Bariel AV with a live band, singer Naty Hrichová, indie band WYFE, and Propadleek, who gained attention through touring with Divokej Bill. Rising Slovak star Meowlau will also be part of the line-up.
“United Islands has always been about discovering new names. We aim to bring artists at the moment when they are just beginning their careers, and this year is no exception. I believe we’ve put together the most ambitious line-up of recent years. I’m really looking forward to Czech fans showing these artists that they are among the best audiences in the world,” says festival dramaturg Michal Nguyen, also known as Gumi.
Technology, science and an Oscar-winning film
A major new addition this year is the expansion of the non-music programme. Its centrepiece will be the Islands Forum stage, focused on debates and meetings with figures from various fields. Organisers will open topics that go beyond music — from artificial intelligence and the role of media to issues connected with younger generations, public space, intimacy, the impact of technology, film and societal resilience. Participants will include journalists Nora Fridrichová and Zdislava Pokorná, influencer Rozárie Haškovcová, political scientist and former NATO ambassador Jakub Landovský, Anna Shavit, Director of Research at the Solvo Institute, and writer and coach David Shorf. More than twenty organisations and universities will also be represented, including Charles University, Hlídač státu, Prague Pride, Koridor UA, Fuck Cancer and the Czech AIDS Help Society.
“The topics we’ve chosen reflect the world we live in today. We focus on artificial intelligence, science, the new era of sexual health, the future of young people, but also on our resilience as individuals,” explains Lubomír Rek, who oversees the festival’s non-music programme.
The accompanying programme will also feature the first public festival screening of Mr. Nobody Against Putin, which recently won the Oscar for Best Feature Documentary. The film will be presented by director Pavel Talankin and the production team.
United Islands wouldn’t be possible without its partners
This year’s general partner is ČEZ Group, with other key partners including Stavební spořitelna ČS, Aquila, Staropramen Breweries, Leo Express, the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Czech-German Future Fund, Culture Ireland and others. The city districts hosting the club night have also supported the festival.
“Music has the power to connect people, bring energy and create strong shared experiences. United Islands does this naturally and without barriers — giving space to new talent, unconventional artists and a diverse music scene across many directions. This openness and energy are exactly why ČEZ Group is part of the festival and can help keep it accessible to the public across generations,” says Milan Záhorka, Head of Sponsorship at ČEZ Group.
“For the third year, we are proud partners of United Islands because we share the same vision — culture that is truly accessible to everyone, without barriers. At Leo Express, we have long supported sustainable and open mobility, which is why we offer discounted fares to students and seniors so they can travel comfortably and without complications to music events on our low-floor trains. Thanks to the expansion of our routes, even more passengers will be able to reach the festival with us this year, including new connections from the Zlín region, Slovácko, Bratislava and Warsaw,” says Emil Sedlařík, spokesperson for Leo Express.
The full programme is available at www.unitedislands.cz and on the festival’s social media channels. Voluntary tickets, through which visitors can support the festival, are available via GoOut.
Marie April with her band The Fools
