Prague’s 17 November festival on Národní třída loses state subsidy

The organisers of the 17 November celebration on Prague’s Národní třída will not receive a Culture Ministry subsidy this year. Under the terms of the grant round, support is given for anniversaries that are multiples of ten years, and 37 years have passed since 1989. The Korzo národní festival will go ahead without state money.

Pavla Umlaufová, spokesperson for the “Díky, že můžem” association, said the organisers respect the decision but find the ministry’s way of communicating opaque: Minister Klempíř invited them to a meeting several times and cancelled it each time. “We are disappointed,” she added.

The association has applied every year. Since 2023 it has regularly received anything from several hundred thousand crowns up to 1.5 million for the 35th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. This time it asked for one million out of a total budget of 4.5 million. The organisers now expect the festival to cost another million more, as they have strengthened security and expanded the programme.

Minister Klempíř denies that the refusal is political, although festival participants usually criticise the government. According to him, the ministry merely checked compliance with the grant conditions. Umlaufová stressed that the project is not commercial and is funded by a public collection, a foundation, corporate partners and private donors. The organisers prepared for this outcome in advance and hope to find money elsewhere. Visitors can look forward to 160 programme items for all generations throughout the day.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz