Liberation Festival Pilsen will be extraordinary

Liberation Festival Pilsen will offer a world dimension and unique atmosphere.

The Liberation Festival Pilsen is happening from May 2 to 6. It will offer a world dimension and a unique atmosphere. The celebration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation by the U.S. Army will be extraordinary in scope, program, historical and contemporary military equipment, and the number of cooperating entities, including foreign ones. Pilsen is preparing for an increased number of visitors and is preparing new accommodation options. As part of the celebrations, the film "Plzeň speaks, free Plzeň speaks!" and a new children's book will be previewed. The liberation of Czechoslovakia by the U.S. Army, which entered the country on April 18, 1945, will also be commemorated by acts of remembrance in the towns and villages of south-west Bohemia.

The first days of May in Plzeň have a unique atmosphere, allowing visitors to experience the environment of military camps, period equipment, and the life of soldiers from Patton's army, the RAF, and the Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade. Visitors will also experience commented demonstrations of equipment and armor and scenes from the everyday life of soldiers of that time. This year, those who are inseparable from the Liberation celebrations, the war veterans themselves, could return here again. We are actively building new connections with those who fought in the southwestern region of what was then Czechoslovakia. We are currently in touch with at least ten of them, and if their health permits, we will see some of them.  I am certain that I will welcome them in Pilsen," said Roman Zarzycký, the mayor of Pilsen.

Military History Clubs - one of the largest camps of its type in the world

The traditional presentation of military history clubs will be expanded. There will be more military historical equipment and participants from military history clubs from the Czech Republic, Europe and the USA. Military camps of the 2nd Infantry and 16th Armored Divisions of the U.S. Army will occupy Křižík and Šafařík orchards. The historical camp of the Pilsen 1945 Project, realized under the auspices of KVH Tommy & Yankee, will offer two parts. The first will focus on the presentation of members of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division and associated units. The second will focus on the U.S. 109th Evacuation Hospital. "If everything goes as planned, visitors will see something in Pilsen that Central Europe has never seen before and probably never will see again. It will be one of the largest camps of its kind in the world, with international participation," said Daniel Malý of the Tommy & Yankee Military History Club.

Over 300 participants in period uniforms will operate an authentic period camp of the 16th Armored Division. It will offer original American military equipment from World War II, a military kitchen, and a field workshop with equipment for heavy armored vehicles. "Our camp, which will be international this year due to the military equipment we are showcasing, will feature: We are trying to get more tanks from abroad, a heavy tractor-trailer or Rogers and Dolly sleepers to Pilsen," said Pavel Rogl of the 16th Armored Division's military history club. The Military History Institute Prague will also send M36 GMC Jackson tank fighters and a Stuart light tank to Plzeň.

The presentation of the Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade, civilian life during the Protectorate, artillery training of Nazdar Company, and the possible participation of military history clubs from Belgium and Italy will take place in the park area behind OC Plzeň Plaza. The area in front of the Patton Memorial Pilsen Museum will feature military equipment from the JTF Raiders club, showcasing the modern U.S. Army. The traditional military sites in the center will be joined by a new space between the Mží River and Na Poříčí Street, where the RAF and WAAF camps will have a place for their presentations.

Army of the Czech Republic

The Army will present itself this year with dynamic demonstrations in the area of the Army Rifle Stadium Dukla in Plzeň Lobze. Alongside the equipment of the Czech Army, the U.S. Army's equipment will be on display. On May 2nd, there will be over 30 pieces of military equipment on display in the afternoon, and on May 3rd, there will be a full day of presentations. Both days will also feature dynamic close combat demonstrations, which will take place several times a day at set times. At the same time, the army plans to place a recruiting station presentation at the site throughout the event, where the public can obtain information about the conditions of service in the army. On May 4, some of the selected equipment will move to Suk Street and join the Convoy of Liberty. At the time of the convoy's arrival to the Orchards of the Thirty-Five, an aerial flyover of the Army Air Forces is planned.

Convoy of Liberty with 350 pieces of  vehicles

The Convoy of Liberty, a convoy of military historical vehicles with an expected 350 pieces, will drive through Klatovská Street into downtown on Sunday, May 4. This year, it will be accompanied by an infantry section with battalions, weapons, and some of the current military equipment of the US Army and the Czech Army. This infantry section will be presented in much larger numbers from Friday to Saturday evening in the area of the Lobzy shooting range. The Convoy of Liberty will be accompanied by a flyover of historic military aircraft, including the P-51 Mustang, Little Rebel, North American T6, RAF/SAAF, Stinson Reliant, and Boeing Stearman. These unique aircraft flyovers will enliven other Liberation Festival Pilsen programs.

Commemoration ceremonies

Several Commemoration ceremonies will be held as part of the official programme of the Liberation Festival Pilsen. On 6 May, the day of the liberation of Pilsen, the main commemorative act will traditionally take place at the Thank you, America! Monument.

Music scenes for cultural program

The celebrations include a program on four music stages. The main stage on the Square of the Republic will feature an opening evening concert by Vojtěch Dyke, accompanied by the Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra, and a subsequent show combining multimedia effects with historical technology, directed by Michal Caban. Igor Orozovič, Anna K., Jan Smigmator & Jumaane Smith, the Tremolo Orchestra with Václav Noid Bárta, and the band The Tap Tap will perform. Friday's arrival of jeeps on the Republic Square will be accompanied by the bands Cop and Taxmen. The U.S. Embassy in the Czech Republic is bringing Touch 'n Go, an energetic pop-rock band from the U.S. Air Force augmented by a three-piece horn section combining rock, funk, jazz and R&B. The Stuttgart High School marching band will represent the American side in Pilsen. The Proluka stage will transport the audience to the summer of 1945. In addition to swing bands and dance halls, audiences will experience performances by Pilsen folklore groups and a parade of period civilian fashion and uniforms. In cooperation with the Memory of the Nation, another stage called LIBÉ RTY Stage in Kopecký Sady will offer a zone full of culture, music, and inspiration. The Folk and Country Stage in the amphitheater behind OC Plzeň Plaza will present the best Pilsen and regional bands, including legends of the genre such as Jaroslav Samson Lenk, Pavlína Jíšová, and Ivan Hlas Trio. At the Radbuza Embankment, a mini-programme with the original DJ show Beats of Liberty will be offered, and large-format photographs from May 1945 will be displayed on the embankment wall.

Exciting experiences, including an American cars gathering, a lifestyle zone, and incredible food.

The Liberation Festival Pilsen is the place to be, offering a variety of experiences that will create an unparalleled atmosphere. The DEPO2015 area will host the first annual American car rally, with a planned ride through the city. The Lifestyle Zone will offer the opportunity to try on the image of our great-grandmothers who welcomed the liberators to Pilsen. There will also be great food. A street food zone set up in front of the town hall will offer American delicacies and classics.

The documentary Pilsen, Free Pilsen Speaks!, a book and trail for children

The docudrama, directed by Pavel Jirásek and produced by Martin Polák, is aimed at the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Pilsen and entitled Pilsen, Free Pilsen Speaks! The historical and social documentary about the Pilsen Uprising and the liberation of the city by the troops of General G. S. Patton's 3rd U.S. Army will be previewed at the Liberation Festival Pilsen. Czech Television and Czech Radio Pilsen are media partners of the celebrations in Pilsen. The new book Allies by Pilsen author Tereza Marianová, who developed the theme of the liberation of Pilsen for children over the age of eight, will also be presented for the first time. The story is a reader-friendly tale of a grandson and grandfather from the totalitarian period, when the liberation of Pilsen was not allowed to be told truthfully. The book will be published in April with the support of the City of Pilsen by Pikola Publishing House. The program of the celebrations will be enriched by an adventure trail with a competition for children based on the story of Tereza Marianová's book.

Patronage of important institutions

The 80th anniversary of the Liberation is one of the main events of 2025. The Liberation Festival Pilsen has therefore received patronage from a number of important institutions. It has been granted by the Minister of Defence Jana Černochová, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský, the Minister of Culture Martin Baxa, the Minister of Regional Development Petr Kulhánek, the Embassy of the United States of America in the Czech Republic and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium, and the patronage of the President of the Czech Republic is under negotiation.

Camping for caravans and service for tourists

Plzeň is also preparing for the increased number of visitors, and is also preparing new accommodation options in the form of a caravan park at the České údolí dam. It will be possible to book accommodation through the BezKempu portal in the coming weeks. Other accommodation options will be offered by the city's contributory organisation Plzeň-Turismus, which will also provide the necessary tourist services for visitors.

Further information can be followed on www.slavnostisvobody.cz and social media. At the beginning of March, the website will be re-tuned to a new festival format with practical information for visitors.

The Liberation Festival Pilsen program is free to the public.