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The Štěrkovna Open Music 2026 festival has wrapped up on the shores of Hlučín Lake, with every ticket sold out well in advance and dozens of Czech and Slovak stars taking to the stages — including Jaromír Nohavica, Janek Ledecký, and the bands No Name and Chinaski.
Thursday's programme was dampened by heavy, prolonged rain that gave organisers plenty of headaches with the site's infrastructure. The festival team, however, moved quickly to fix the damage, and both the Friday and Saturday concerts went ahead without a single hitch. The traditional "ŠOM Questions" talks, hosted by journalist Hana Halfarová with festival organisers David Moravec and Matěj Ostárek, only reinforced how open the team is with its audience.
It was Moravec and Ostárek themselves who called Jaromír Nohavica's set the best open-air concert in years. The legendary Ostrava songwriter drew the crowd in more than anyone else on the bill — the audience sang along in unison to hits like "Když mě brali za vojáka," "Až to se mnou seklo" and "Ostravo," as well as the deeply moving songs "Darmoděj," "Kometa" and "Máma mi na krk dala klíč." Young children with their parents and older fans alike stood shoulder to shoulder, all singing together.
Janek Ledecký's performance turned into a genuine spectacle: thanks to a collaboration with the Ostrava-based circus troupe Bo Cirk Company, the singer literally flew onto the stage through the air. Backed by an impressive lineup featuring the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, a live band and strong vocalists, he proved it's far too early to write him off — his nineties love ballads and the perennial hit "Na ptáky jsme krátký" shone like genuine pop gems.
The reliably good mood and steady stream of hits came courtesy of festival regulars and perennial crowd favourites No Name from Slovakia, along with Prague's own Chinaski, who marked their band anniversary at the festival in top form. David Koller's set was a safe bet that paid off, while Barbora Poláková captivated the crowd with a mesmerising dance routine and big-drum performance, blending satirical numbers with intimate, fragile tracks from her album "Sršeň."
Guitar virtuoso Michal Pavlíček, apologising for the absence of singer Kamil Střihavka, who was sidelined by a back injury, turned his show into a dazzling whirlwind of guitar solos, with vocal support from Monika Načeva, who also performed her hit "Udržuj svou ledničku plnou." Another legend to grace the stage was Michal Prokop with Framus Live and the Yellow Sisters vocal section, opening the show as always with "Kolej Yesterday" and "Blues o spolykaných slovech."
The festival programme was further enriched by a touching set from Petr Spálený with the band Apollo Beat. At the same time, organisers are clearly betting on the next generation: singer Slavíček, rising star teacher Michal Horák, and the increasingly in-demand Ben Cristovao all delivered strong performances.
While pop stars ruled the main stages, the festival's biggest surprises were unfolding on the smaller ones. The club stage hosted showman Jiří Krhut, offbeat acts like Jochy & jeho bumer, traditional cimbalom music, and an electronic-music lineup. A real sensation came from Ostrava's own Retro B, a band of local actors and musicians performing sixties classics — the crowd danced non-stop, and the set is now being called the festival's biggest party held on its smallest stage. A completely different, more intimate experience came from Dorota Barová, who performed a minimalist duo set with Miloš Klapště.
Organisers stress that Štěrkovna Open Music remains a traditional Czech-Slovak festival built on quality, audience comfort, and a family atmosphere. This year's full sellout, despite the unpredictable weather, was the best proof yet that music here is still made with joy, warmth, and genuine love for people.
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Source: ostravan.cz
