The Liberation Festival in Pilsen offers a robust cultural program with four stages.

The extraordinary Liberation Festival Pilsen will offer a varied cultural program, four music scenes with dozens of bands and singers. A rich cultural program with dozens of performers will be offered on four stages in the center of Pilsen during the Liberation Festival Pilsen. This festival will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the city by the U.S. Army from May 2 to 6, 2025. The music will be played on the main stage on the Republic Square, on the so-called LIBÉ RTY Stage in Kopecký Sady, in Proluka in Křižík Sady and behind the Plaza or on the embankment.  

"I am thrilled that more than thirty musical ensembles and individuals of various musical genres will join the Military History Clubs and the Army of the Czech Republic's extensive program this year. Visitors can expect to hear everything from swing bands to contemporary music stars, as well as original groups. The program has been composed in such way that every visitor can find their preferred genre. I invite you to a unique performance of the Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra with Vojtěch Dyke on the first day of the festival," said Mayor Roman Zarzycký.

The main stage at the Square of the Republic

The main stage of the Liberation Festival Pilsen will be Republic Square. The main musical productions will take place there. On Friday, May 2, the opening ceremony will kick off the five-day program of the celebrations. The local Pilsen Philharmonic will perform with musician and singer Vojtěch Dyk, preceded by performances by legendary bands, the bluegrass COP and the country Taxmen. There will also be guided flyovers of historic military aircraft, parachute jumps right on Republic Square, and the American student marching band Stuttgart Legacy Drumline returning after a year with dancers, drummers, and cymbals. Immediately before the main production by Vojtěch Dyke and the Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra, there will be an exhibition performance by the Czech Army Honour Guard unit, and the evening will culminate in a composite program entitled From Normandy to Pilsen, combining multimedia effects with historical technology, directed by Michal Caban. "We will present the story of the liberation of Pilsen using the principle of Laterna Magika, where live characters and storylines emerge from film projections, theater and film complement each other in an audiovisual historical show using large-scale projection on LED screens," said film and television creator Michal Caban.

In the following days, visitors will enjoy performances by the popular and unique band of students and graduates of the Jedlička Institute School, The Tap Tap, and Anna K., who will present their greatest hits; the energetic pop-rock band of the US Air Force Touch 'n GO, with unique interpretations of songs combining rock, funk, jazz and R&B; and Igor Orozovič & CO with their original repertoire. The square will also feature the unique and distinctive style of Jan Smigmator & Band feat. Jumaane Smith from the USA, the charismatic singer with an unmistakable voice, Václav Noid Bárta accompanied by the Tremolo Orchestra, the six-member Circus Brothers with original songs based on traditional Balkan brass band, the band November 2nd and the band Vanua2, consisting of excellent musicians from the legendary Blue Effect and one of the best new voices on the Czech music scene, singer Yannick Tevi from the island of Vanuatu.

Freedom in many forms will be offered by LIBÉ RTY Stage

LIBÉ RTY Stage in Kopeckého sady will offer a unique zone full of culture, music and inspiration that celebrates freedom and reminds us of its value. It will present a series of concerts, including this year's musical comeback with the legendary The Prostitutes, the critically acclaimed dark country-western novelty K mýmu ohni nesedej by the Poly Noir music project, and the leading domestic psychobilly trio The Rocket Dogz. A number of Pilsen artists will also perform, such as the region's folk-rock hope Ida The Young with a nomination for the Vinyl Award, the winner of last year's Muse competition, the band Skotační kulomet or the Rokycany band NORA.

"This year's program at the LIBÉ RTY Stage aims to create a deeper connection to history and great music. We also want this space to be a place for fun and reflection. Because freedom is more than just a memory - it's an ongoing journey. At the LIBÉ RTY Stage, you'll experience freedom in many forms," said Jiří Kunc, director of the Memory of the Nation Pilsen Region, which is preparing the LIBÉ RTY Stage. The two-day program will also provide the audience with inspiring debates on history, politics, culture, and society.

Proluka turns into a dance floor

The 40's Stage in Proluka in Křižíkovy sady will make visitors feel like they're in the summer of 1945 with cool old-timey entertainment. In addition to jazz, swing, and folklore, there will be a dance floor, shows of period fashion and uniforms, and evening screenings of period films.

"The most romantic Czech jazz band Champagne Lovers, Paper Moon Trio, will perform on the open stage here, singing the best that the 1930s and 1940s had to offer, and the band Sestryoly will perform tasteful humour with beautiful songs of the 1920s and 1930s," said Jindřich Jindřich, coordinator of the music part of the Pilsen 1945 project, adding that the band 1. The Swing Field Unit of the 16th Infantry Regiment from Germany will bring melodies from 1941 to 1945 to the 40's Stage.

One of the evenings there will be a dance party. The nine-piece Pilsner Jazz Band will perform songs by famous jazz musicians like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Glenn Miller. The Mladinka and Mladina ensembles and their guest Kyjovánek will perform folk art in a partially stylized form, in which folk dances and songs from Pilsen and southwest Bohemia meet with South Moravia.

Music productions behind the Plaza, in DEPO2015 and on the embankment

The Folk & Country Stage, located in the amphitheater behind OC Plzeň Plaza, will present the best Pilsen and regional bands. These include Košík Band, Zakkis Trio, Spolucestující, Devítka, and Forehand. On Sunday afternoon, the Folk & Country Stage will feature The Old Knees Band, Pavla Jíšová and Baba Band, Ivan Hlas Trio, and Jaroslav Samson Lenk.

There will be music in the courtyard of DEPO2015 Creative Zone on Saturday, May 3, during the first annual Freedom America Civilian Car Republic Convention. The Hudson Hornet will be the main act, and the public will feel like they've traveled back to the 1950s and 1960s in the USA. The new event will be accompanied by the lively rhythm band St. Johnny, playing rock 'n' roll, boogie, and blues.

On the Radbuza Embankment, DJ Wotty will present a mini-program with the original DJ show Beats of Liberty. Large-format photographs from May 1945 will also be on display on the waterfront wall.