Nový Jičín Celebrates Town Day: Two Days of Music, Markets and History

On September 4–5, 2026, the Czech town of Nový Jičín will host its traditional Town Festival (Slavnosti města). Organisers promise a packed programme across several venues: concerts by well-known Czech and Slovak artists, a market fair, a costumed procession, sports activities and historical exhibitions.

Concerts on the Main Square

A market fair will run on Masaryk Square on Friday from 5 pm to 10 pm and on Saturday from 9 am until midnight. On Friday evening the stage will host Jana Kirschner (at 7 pm) and the Slovak folk group Kollárovci (at 9 pm).

Saturday opens at 10 am with the Nový Jičín Town Brass Band, followed immediately by the children's show "Mlsotky a zajíčci Hopy Hop," featuring dancing and singing. During the day, the indie-pop band Brixtn and the dance group TST will perform. In the evening, concerts by Aneta Langerová (7 pm) and the Slovak punk-rock band Iné Kafe (9 pm) will take place, and the day will close with an energetic show by Circus Brothers at 11 pm.

The square will also host the exhibition "Sporting Nový Jičín, Yesterday and Today," along with interactive workshops, while the free-entry Visitor Centre will display exhibits on hat-making and General Laudon. A separate exhibition will mark 70 years of the Javorník folk ensemble.

The festive procession with allegorical floats will set off on Saturday at 3 pm from Divadelní Street, passing through Lidická and Úzká streets by the Květen cinema before reaching the main square. After the procession, the floats can be viewed on 5. května Street. On Saturday, historical bus tours around the town will depart every half hour from Tyršova Street between 9 am and 5 pm (with a lunch break from noon to 1 pm).

Žerotín Castle and Activities for Children

In the park by Žerotín Castle, Saturday will bring sports competitions, workshops and rope attractions for children. The Pagoda and Dvojka scout troops will showcase their activities and run games. The youngest visitors can enjoy the "Champions Academy," a mobile children's corner, and a drawing and hairstyling studio. Visitors can also try disc golf and athletics multi-events, or drop by the Open Nerf Arena.

The castle itself will host several exhibitions, including the interactive "Toys in Play," dedicated to contemporary Czech toy-making, featuring toys from famous TV shows and films. The permanent exhibitions "Under the Sign of the Coiled Rocket I and II" and "Keep Your Hat On" will also be open.

Divadelní Street and Chess with a Grandmaster

On Saturday, Divadelní Street will be transformed into a venue themed "Nový Jičín on the Podium." Guests can try aerial ring and pole acrobatics, while chess enthusiasts can challenge grandmaster Ján Markoš to a game. Students from the local vocational school will offer cold drinks and cocktails.

In the morning, children and pupils from Nový Jičín schools will take the stage; in the afternoon, singer Petra Göbelová and slam-poetry performer Anatol Svahilec will present a stand-up act. A separate stage near the theatre will host the children's quest "Trail of Theatrical Fame," the play "About Two Sisters," and various concerts.

A Bloody Battle from 400 Years Ago

Nový Jičín has long had a reputation as a "rebellious" town: back in 1618 it supported the Protestant "Winter King," Frederick of the Palatinate, and was rewarded with the status of a royal town with the right to its own seal.

In late July 1621, the bloodiest battle in the town's history took place at its walls — a clash between the Imperial Catholic garrison and the Protestant army of Margrave Jan Jiří (John George) of Krnov. Fewer than 600 Imperial soldiers, most of them mercenaries from Naples in the service of the Spanish king, faced 15,000 of the margrave's troops. A chapel was later built on the site where the soldiers fell, known as the Spanish Chapel, which went on to become one of the region's most important pilgrimage sites.

In 1624, the Bishop of Olomouc and Cardinal František Dietrichstein confiscated the property of the rebellious Nový Jičín nobility in favour of the Jesuit College in Olomouc. The town then came under the administration of Jesuit regent Jakub Hák, who stripped it of its former privileges.

A symbolic epilogue to the Thirty Years' War came with a royal visit to the town: on August 19, 1637, Polish King Władysław IV Vasa and his future wife, Archduchess Cecilia Renata, the younger daughter of Emperor Ferdinand II, stopped at Nový Jičín Castle. The couple spent the night there accompanied by more than a thousand Austrian and Polish nobles before continuing their journey to Poland.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by kudyznudy.cz