In Brno, a Bonfire with Barbecue and a Street Musicians' Concert Was Held on Freedom Square

On Saturday evening, a large bonfire was lit on Freedom Square in the centre of Brno, drawing crowds of locals who grilled sausages, listened to live music and danced. The unusual event was part of the Maraton hudby music festival, which traditionally features performances by street musicians, or buskers.

Next to the fire, organisers built a genuine log cabin, where various performers took turns on stage. The event ran from around five in the afternoon until roughly eleven at night, with people settling in around the flames on deckchairs and blankets.

An idea to blur the line between audience and performers

The concept was created by artist Kateřina Šedá, who has been curating the festival's street performances for several years now. According to her, the goal of the event is to create an unconventional experience in the city centre and break down barriers between generations and social groups.

«The idea grew out of the concept of "street-less" busking — we wanted to bring interesting musicians out onto the streets and somehow mix them in with the audience, so that for a while it's unclear who's performing and who's watching. The bonfire is the logical conclusion of this idea of maximum merging», — Šedá explains.

Among the audience were not only those who had come specifically for the event but also passers-by who got curious and joined in. Songs performed on the square included "Červená řeka," "Sluneční hrob" and "Magdalena" by the contemporary band Jelen.

Second year running — with improvements

A similar bonfire was held in central Brno last year and was met with an enthusiastic response. «This time we tried to stretch out the dramaturgy so the music around the fire really lasts longer. We kept the good ideas from last year and refined rather than changed the concept», — the artist notes.

The festival closes with a concert by a French guitarist

The Maraton hudby festival will close on Sunday with a final concert at the Museum of Applied Arts, featuring French guitarist of Vietnamese origin Nguyên Lê performing with the Saiyuki Trio. The 67-year-old musician was this season's artist-in-residence for the festival and performed a total of three times, each with a different lineup and repertoire.

At the festival's opening at Sono club, Nguyên Lê played alongside Cuban pianist Omar Sosa and Italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu. Later, the guitarist performed with his own Nguyên Lê Streams Quartet. Other highlights of the 11th edition of the festival included a sold-out Balkan Night in the courtyard of Špilberk Castle on Friday, featuring the Romanian band Fanfare Ciocărlia and the Macedonian brass ensemble Dzambo Agušev Orchestra. Saturday's stage was given over to world music, while Friday's celebration of the 25th anniversary of Villa Tugendhat's inclusion on the UNESCO list was topped off with the Light Up Tugendhat light show, which united the villa's garden with the neighbouring gardens of Villa Arnold and Villa Löw-Beer.

Read also: Prague Castle from the inside: 9 spots within the fortress you shouldn't miss

Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz