News

Experience an Unforgettable Night of Entertainment at Europe’s Premier Theatre Festival

March 25, 2025

4 minutes read

On Saturday March 29, 2025, the thirteenth edition of the Night of Theatres will be held in the Czech Republic. Theatres and various institutions nationwide are busy organizing a special program, offering audiences experiences they won’t find during the regular season. Moreover, the majority of the venues will provide their programs either for free or at a lower admission fee. Last year, the event was moved to springtime, occurring on the subsequent Saturday of the week dedicated to the global recognition of World Theatre Day, which is celebrated on March 27. This remarkable week also includes World Theatre Day for Children and Young People (March 20) and World Puppetry Day (March 21).

Theatres typically attract guests as part of a Europe-wide celebration that includes behind-the-scenes tours. Visitors can explore not just the actors’ dressing rooms but also art workshops, make-up rooms, offices, and rehearsal spaces. This provides a rare chance to see how theatrical productions are created. Many places also arrange autograph sessions and discussions with actors and creators. Additionally, several theatres are crafting programs for kids this year, which means some Night events will kick off in the morning.

36 institutions registered in Prague

Theatres and theatrical companies are gradually signing up for the Night of Theatres. In Prague, you can find performances suited for both adults and children, plus guided tours backstage and fun quizzes. The first theatres to share their programs include A Studio Rubín, Bona Fide & Palace Theatre, Theater at the Butcher Shop, Studio Ypsilon, Švandovo divadlo, and Vršovice Mana Theatre. As of a week prior to the Night of Theatres, Prague has reported 36 registered theatres and venues.

The National Theatre is gearing up for an extraordinary experience by opening the normally inaccessible transport and decoration warehouse on Viničná Street, known as Apolinář. In addition, the theatre is honoring the end of World War II, as this particular warehouse suffered damage during an Allied air raid in February 1945. The National Theatre aligns the Night of Theatres with the 80th anniversary of the war’s conclusion. Due to limited capacity, entry will require a reservation in advance (with a free ticket). Visitors can also view a panel exhibition showcasing important moments from World War II.

The Karlín Music Theatre also traditionally welcomes visitors during the Night of Theatres, offering guided tours, demonstrations of stage technology, and screenings of historical photographs late into the evening. The theatre will also collaborate with Theatre Na Vinohradech to enrich the experience.

An impressive opening is foreseen for Theatre Night at the newly renovated Spiral Theatre at the Exhibition Grounds. Visitors can enjoy guided tours, samples of music and dance performances, and throughout the day from 3 p.m., there will be activities for everyone, such as a photo booth with costumes and props, make-up artists to transform kids into stars for the evening, demonstrations of video mapping, a contest for tickets and merchandise, and much more.

At Divadlo pod Palmovkou, you can also participate in a pub quiz, testing your knowledge about the theatre, Libeň, or local happenings, with actors Jaroslav Blažek and Martin Němec serving as quizmasters. They are planning additional activities as well. The Prague City Theatre will feature Rokoko with a theme of horror, showcasing eerie stories on stage.

A night of theatres across the country

In Brno, Mikro-Theatre was among the first to unveil its program, which includes six exciting events. The National Theatre Brno will host a neighborhood party at the Reduta, featuring characters like Marysha, Cinderella, and Gretel, culminating in a wedding dress reveal. The event will also contain a wedding ceremony, a feast with dulcimer music, and plenty of surprises.

Brno’s Polárka Theatre invites visitors to journey to far-off galaxies to meet neighbors light-years away. Attendees can explore the theatre and its backstage areas, navigate through cosmic spaces, confront a black hole, and end the night with a concert by the band Polaris during a space-themed ride.

At the Petr Bezruč Theatre in Jeseník, audiences can look forward to short improvisational pieces inspired by this year’s Night of Theatres theme, “neighborhood,” and the audience’s popular TV show Partička.

The South Bohemian Theatre in České Budějovice has planned a packed program, featuring the Casino at the Invisible Man in the Small Theatre, Gatsby-style dances in the Attic, a unique experience at the Edu Centre, one-night-only conducting sessions, and a lively Swing party. The evening will culminate in the South Bohemian Thalia Awards ceremony.

The Central Bohemian scene at the A. Dvořák Theatre in Příbram will host an event titled Meet a New Neighbour in the Theatre Dressing Room, showcasing four new company members. The performance will highlight upcoming titles the theatre plans to present in 2025, followed by a staged reading, an open rehearsal, and a theatre quiz.

The Naive Theatre in Liberec will provide entertainment from early afternoon until late evening. They will kick off with a performance called Into the Trail!, a skiing comedy set in the 1950s, after which audiences can enjoy a backstage tour exclusively for them. The entire program will wrap up with an evening Jukebox – an interactive theatre concert directed by the audience.

Night of open theatres and exceptional experiences for the thirteenth time

This event is part of the broader international initiative known as European Theatre Night, which was launched in 2008 by the Croatian Night of Kazalista. The concept of a collective theatre festival has gradually spread to over a dozen European nations. Every year, around 50,000 people in the Czech Republic attend this theatre celebration on the third Saturday in November (now held in March). The Night of Theatres in the Czech Republic stands as the largest event within the European Theatre Night.