Prague Pride 2026 moves to Štvanice with ‘Times Are Changing’ theme
The annual Prague Pride festival gets under way on Monday with nearly 200 events across the Czech capital. This year's edition also brings a major change, with the festival moving from Letná Plain to its new main venue on Štvanice Island. I discussed the event with Prague Pride’s PR and media representative, Nikola Páleníčková.
This year's Prague Pride theme is Times Are Changing. What inspired that theme and how will it be reflected in this year's programme?
"This year's theme was inspired by the world we're living in right now more than any of our previous themes.
“Queer people have generations of experience with change, adapting, resisting and building new ways of living together, and that experience feels valuable for society right now.”
"We're living through a moment when the political map, legislation, language and social norms are all changing really fast. And that's true inside the queer community as well.
"Change itself isn't bad or good, it just happens. What matters is how we respond to it and whether we can be there for each other.
"Queer people have generations of experience with change, adapting, resisting and building new ways of living together. And that experience feels valuable for society right now, not just for us. So that's why we decided to go with this theme."
Talking about change, the main Prague Pride venue is moving from Letná to Štvanice for the first time. Why did you decide to make that change and what can visitors expect?
"It was mostly a production decision. Letná served us well for years, but it was getting harder and harder to work there from a production standpoint. It wasn't ideal for visitors either. There was a lot of heat, dust, sand and mud.
"Štvanice is an island, so it's naturally more contained, which helps us a lot with both organisation and safety. I'd also say it has a much better summer atmosphere. It offers more shade, trees, grass and access to the river to cool off if needed.
"That means the parade route changes too. Instead of crossing Čechův Bridge to get to Letná, we'll be crossing Hlávkův Bridge and ending on Štvanice Island."
There are nearly 200 events taking place across Prague this year. What are some of the highlights you wouldn't want people to miss?
"We definitely recommend visiting as many of them as possible.
"Besides the opening on Monday, the closing ceremony and the big Pride Parade on Saturday, I'd probably pick the Greatest Queer Czech. It's a poll we're running with the Society for Queer Memory. They chose queer people who have always been part of Czech culture, and we'll announce the winner on Saturday.
"The day before, at Betlémská kaple, we'll have 15 Years of Doodles. It's an evening of queer choirs from Philadelphia and Berlin, and it's a Prague premiere for both of them.
"Then there's Stage Out, a brand new talent show in Pride Village, open to any queer performer, from complete beginners to seasoned acts.
"So I encourage everyone to see those, and then explore the rest of the nearly 200 events."
You already mentioned security. After the recent attack at Berlin Pride, have you stepped up security for this year's festival and the parade itself?
"We know that a lot of people are shaken or grieving right now, and we are taking those events extremely seriously.
"When it comes to the security of the festival itself, we're working closely with the Czech police, who'll be present throughout Prague Pride Village and during the whole parade. They'll probably increase the number of officers attending the parade as well.
"There'll be security at every venue. Our team is specifically trained in de-escalation, and at the opening event in Prague Pride Village on Střelecký Island we'll be checking bags at the entrance.
"And part of our response to the horrific Berlin attack will be holding a minute of silence at the beginning of the parade on Saturday."
