55 Best Performing Arts Venues in Prague, Czech Republic

This is the main stage in the Czech Republic for drama, dance, and opera. The interior, with its ornate and etched ceilings, is worth the visit alone. Most of the theater performances are in Czech, but some operas have English supertitles, and ballet is an international language—right? Book the opera online ahead of time for fantastic discounts; you'll get to see top-quality performances in sumptuous surroundings at a snip of the price you could pay in other European capitals. The New Stage, next door, as well as the Estates Theater and Prague State Opera are all part of the National Theater system.

The cool glass-block façade of the New Stage, which opened in 1983, stands out among the ornate 19th-century buildings in the area. Black-light theater company Laterna Magika (which takes its name from the original black-light presentation at Expo '58) performs here, and the rest of the program schedule is handled through the National Theater. Contemporary dance pieces and other language-free performances dominate the calendar.

The group's nickname, FOK, stands for Film-Opera-Koncert. They started in 1934, but it wasn't until 1952 that they became the official city orchestra. In the 1930s they did music for many Czech films, although they don't do much opera and film anymore. The ensemble tours extensively and has a large back catalog of recordings. Programs tend to be quite diverse, from Beethoven to Bruckner. 

Austrian Crown Prince Rudolf lent his name to this neo-Renaissance concert space and exhibition gallery built in 1884; it's only been open to the public since 1992. The impressive building has an interesting history: after 1918 it was converted into the parliament of the newly independent Czechoslovakia, until German invaders reinstated it as a space for music in 1939. The large concert hall, named for Antonín Dvořák, who conducted here, hosts concerts with the Czech Philharmonic. The smaller Josef Suk Hall, on the opposite side of the building, is used for chamber concerts. Rival theaters may have richer interiors, but the acoustics here are excellent (and the exterior is also pretty fancy, with some of the cleanest, brightest stonework in the city). Tours are available, but hearing live music here is what it is all about.

Built in the 1780s in the classical style, this opulent, green palais hosted the world premiere of Mozart's opera Don Giovanni in October 1787 with the composer himself conducting. Savvy Prague audiences were quick to acknowledge Mozart's genius: the opera was an instant hit here, though it flopped nearly everywhere else in Europe. Mozart wrote some of the opera's second act in Prague at the Villa Bertramka (in Smíchov), where he was a frequent guest. The program these days is mixed, incorporating demanding Czech drama alongside opera, ballet, and musical performances. You must attend a performance to see inside, although the interior, the history, and the quality of the shows here combined make it absolutely worth it; buy tickets via the National Theater.

Funky, contemporary, and underground, Archa is the main venue for modern theater, dance, and avant-garde music. Some visiting troupes perform in English, and other shows are designated as English-friendly in the program. The centrally located theater opened in 1994, and is often referred to as the Alternative National Theater.

Easily the city's handsomest old movie palace, this art nouveau venue was designed by former President Václav Havel's grandfather and built in 1916. It's a great place to recapture the romance and glamour of film. Grab a drink at the bar, where there is sometimes a live piano player, even if the interior could do with a little more love. Watch out for the upside-down horse sculpture, plus rider, in the passage outside—it's a sly echo of one on the square, which has the Czech Republic's patron saint, St. Wenceslas, the right way up.

It's impossible to visit Prague without knowing that Mozart conducted the world premiere of Don Giovanni on this stage way back in 1787. Fittingly, the interior was used for scenes in Miloš Forman's movie Amadeus. It's stylish and refined without being distracting. This is a branch of the National Theater, and high-quality productions of Mozart are usually in the repertoire together with other classic operas, plays, and the occasional smaller ballet.

With the most ornate interior of any venue in Prague, this theater has more than a touch of Phantom of the Opera. Marble sculptures support the loges, and a fresco adorns the ceiling. The building started life as the German Theater in 1887 and has undergone several name changes since, and recently reemerged, like a butterfly from its chrysalis, from several years of renovations. It's a spectacular place to see quality opera, despite its slightly unfortunate position overlooking one of Prague's busiest roads.

One of the more creative festivals on the Prague circuit, the 4+4 Days in Motion festival offers art projects, installations, performances, and discussions in venues across the city. The venues are half the fun—think reclaimed, little-used palaces surrounding Staré Mĕsto. The festival is themed around contemporary dance and usually takes place in the fall.

This is an excellent venue for organ concerts thanks to the church's organ itself, which was finished in 1709 and restored in the early 1980s to its original tone structure. All those years later, it's still one of the best in town.

Listen to small ensembles playing well-known Vivaldi and other classical "greatest hits" in this spectacular Romanesque setting, dating back to the 11th century.

One of the most well-respected ensembles in town, Collegium Marianum is your best bet if you are looking to explore baroque music. They often revive seldom-heard works from archives and perform them on period instruments. Performances are usually organized around a historical or geographical theme.

Fans of foreign films have a chance to catch up on recent English-subtitled efforts in Days of European Film, which happens every April. Two weeks of films play across three beautiful and historic Prague cinemas—Lucerna, Světozor, and Pilotů—as well as other locations around the Czech Republic. There are also some panel discussions and seminars. Tickets for all screenings and events are a very good value.

Most of the programming for this small, out-of-the-way theater is physical, nonverbal theater and dance, along with some music. It's a great place to see cutting-edge, unconventional productions; each year has a different theme. It's also home to Motus, a not-for-profit organization, set up by young local artists, producers, and presenters to promote and produce interesting and inventive new art.

Black-light theater—shows using black backgrounds, UV-light and fluorescent paints to create visual spectacles via the acrobatic arts of the performers—has found something of a home in Prague, although its simplistic style isn't for everyone. If it appeals, this venue is probably the best place to see some, namely in a show called Aspects of Alice, based loosely on Alice in Wonderland, that has run here almost daily for more than 2,000 performances. The theater was established in Florida in 1981, and moved to Prague after the Velvet Revolution. It's been running at its current address, a minor baroque palace, since 1993.

If you are more interested in the world-leading multimedia theater pioneered by Laterna Magika back in 1958, which does include some black-light elements, check out the National Theater's New Stage instead.

The big daddy in town: Antonín Dvořák conducted the orchestra's first performance back in 1896, and guest conductors have included Gustav Mahler and Leonard Bernstein. Performances are of a consistently high quality, and most programs include some works by Czech composers. They also offer public dress rehearsals for a mere 160 Kč (book early though, because they are an understandably popular bargain).

This 3,000-seater events space plays host to several touring live music acts. Recent years have seen performances from the likes of Thom Yorke, Bullet for My Valentine, Yes, and Simply Red.

This beautiful, baroque-revival building plays host to all manner of song-and-dance performances, from high-art operas to cheesy musicals. Shows are usually performed in Czech but with a screen showing English subtitles.

The lovely organ in Bazilika sv. Jakuba (St. James Basilica) attracts world-famous musicians for the annual International Organ Festival, which includes weekly concerts during August and September. The festival will celebrate its 25th edition in 2021.

This experimental theater is based in a market hall, complete with a cavernous bar and bistro bisected by a huge, twisting plywood sculpture. It's worth checking out Jatka78's program online to see what new and often thrilling Czech or European performances are on, from comedy to cabaret to circus.

The most important film festival in the Czech Republic is in an ornate spa town in Western Bohemia. The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival ranks with Cannes, Berlin, and Venice among major European festivals. Visitors to the gala, which rolls out in early July, have included Lauren Bacall, Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas, and Robert De Niro. Founded in 1946 (its 75th anniversary will be in 2021), this is one of the most publicly accessible film festivals around.

Celebrating Roma culture and diversity, the Khamoro World Romani Festival offers music, dance, and film. Romani (Gypsy) bands have become a hot item on the world-music scene, and groups from all over Europe gather in Prague at the end of May for a week of merrymaking. Check out contemporary Roma music, Gypsy jazz, exhibitions, and dance performances, as well as the crowning-glory parade.

Somehow, this former Palace of Culture, built in 1981, has never found a place in people's hearts. The large, functionalist, multipurpose building has several performance spaces that can seat thousands, but overall it has a very sterile feel. Plays (usually musicals), stand-up comedians, circus shows, and more come here. As the largest venue in the city, it also hosts the majority of conferences.

This decommissioned church with a restored organ and frescoes is used by the Prague Symphony Orchestra for chamber concerts and recitals, and it's also a popular venue for music festivals. The baroque altar is actually an elaborate painting on the wall.

Home to the Czech music academy (HAMU), this baroque palace from the 1790s has the large Martinů Hall for professional concerts and a smaller gallery occasionally used for student recitals. The pleasant courtyard sometimes has music in the summer months.

If you want to take the pulse of Prague's contemporary arts scene, get yourself down to MeetFactory. This spot really is too cool for school. Established more than a decade ago by leading Czech modern artist David Černý as a place for cultural and artistic collaboration, the space houses a gallery, concert hall, and theater, so it offers regular art, theater, dance, and music performances. To get here, cross over the railway tracks on a little bridge and keep an eye out for the car sculptures driving up the side of the building.

From amateur to professional, entertainers of all kinds descend on the grounds of a mental health institution for Mezi ploty—the festival "between the fences." The two-day festival has some of the best local bands, plus theater acts and art workshops, but be aware that only nonalcoholic beer can be sold on the grounds. It takes place at the end of May or beginning of June and aims to raise awareness of issues concerning mental illness.

The main concert hall, a true art nouveau gem named after composer Bedřich Smetana, is home to the Prague Symphony Orchestra and many music festivals. A few smaller halls, all named for famous figures, host chamber concerts. Tours of the building are also offered. It's well worth a visit, even if you only pop your head in.

The One World Human Rights Festival could be handily subtitled "films that will make you think." It showcases work dedicated to human rights and other social and political issues, offering a glimpse of the world through a filmmaker's eye along with many post-screening director chats and workshops. The festival runs for 10 days in March at various Prague theaters, usually including Lucerna, Světozor, and Atlas, before heading out to 35 other cities in the Czech Republic. Nearly all films are in English or with English subtitles.