A Scottish man is missing in Prague after “jumping off a party boat for a swim”. Joop Sparkes, from Galashiels, reportedly went overboard during a organized party boat trip with friends on the Vltava River at around 1 am on Sunday, April 27. His girlfriend, Charley Maben, and members of his family have flown out to Prague in an effort to try and locate him, but have yet to find any answers. Charley has since launched a desperate plea on social media, saying: “My boyfriend Joop went missing early hours of Sunday, April 27. Around 12:30/1 am. He was on board the boat that leaves from the Preside ..read more

Prague’s legendary Spirála theater is set to make a return this autumn after a two-decade hiatus. Reborn as the multi-genre venue Nová Spirála, the iconic structure within the Prague Exhibition Center promises a unique experience. Within its circular hall, it boasts a 360° auditorium with 800 seats. Two rotating telescopic stages further enhance the dynamism of each performance, ensuring that nothing remains hidden from the audience. Additionally, a smaller stage is being completed, where visitors can attend chamber musicals, and theatrical productions, with a capacity of up to 340 guests. In ..read more

The 9th annual Beer and Burger (‘Pivo a Burger’) Festival will return to Karlínské náměstí on May 19, from 11 am. A total of 25 burger stands will be operating throughout the day, including many of the Czech favorite food trucks and burger joints. You can taste burgers from several Karlin restaurants but also some of Prague’s highest-rated burgers, like, Kaiser Franz, Hell Smoke, Take Eat Ez, Diego Pivni Bar, Zelva, and many others. You can find the full list of participants here. The best domestic breweries will also offer bottom-fermented beers: 23 craft brewer ..read more

The Prague Marathon on May 5th will cause temporary road closures and public transport disruptions. Plan your trip accordingly to avoid delays. The 29th edition of the Prague International Marathon takes place this Sunday, May 5th, impacting traffic flow in the city center. Expect temporary road closures and changes to tram and bus routes throughout the event. The marathon starts at 9:00 am from Old Town Square, with runners traversing a 42.195 km course across various Prague districts. The race concludes around 4:00 pm, with most closures lifted shortly after. Police will manage traffic flow ..read more

* SPORT: This Sunday will take place the Prague International Marathon 2024, attracting more than eight thousand runners.The marathon will kick off at 9 am from the Old Town Square, and will predominantly cover areas around the Vltava within Prague 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8. From 8 am to 4 pm, streets and intersections along the race course will gradually be closed and opened. * ECONOMY: While the OECD has upgraded the global economic growth forecast for this year to 3.1%, Czechia is expected to experience the slowest growth among the Visegrad Group countries, with its GDP projected to grow by only ..read more

A play about Baron Münchhausen is coming to Prague! The Mad and Merry Men, renowned for their captivating productions, present a world premiere: Baron Munchausen Between the Stars. This hilarious and visually stunning play transports you on the Baron’s extraordinary adventures, from a quaint German village to the moon itself. Immerse yourself in a vibrant spectacle featuring a live orchestra, opera singers, and captivating backdrops. Encounter legendary figures like the alchemist Hermes Trismegistos and the knight Don Quixote, and journey across the globe with the fairy king Map. The productio ..read more

E-scooter accidents are becoming a major cause for alarm, with a disturbing trend of riders operating under the influence of alcohol. Statistics released by the Czech police reveal that a staggering 42% of e-scooter accidents in the past year involved riders who were intoxicated. As Novinky.cz reports, last year alone saw 499 scooter-related traffic accidents, with 403 caused by the scooter rider. Tragically, four people lost their lives in these incidents. While this is the first year the police have separated scooter statistics, data from the Prague Emergency Medical Service paints a worryin ..read more

Czech customs officers intercepted a significant drug smuggling operation at Václav Havel Airport last week, seizing 4.5 kilograms of cocaine from a 44-year-old Polish man. As Novinky.cz reports, the suspect, who arrived on a flight from Medellín, Colombia, via Bogotá and Frankfurt, was detained following a tip-off from the National Drug Control Centre. During a routine check, customs officials discovered four concealed blocks of an unknown substance within the man’s luggage. Subsequent analysis confirmed the substance to be cocaine. “The total weight, including packaging, was 4,647 grams,” po ..read more

Slovakia has granted temporary asylum to Artem Marchevsky, a pro-Russian propagandist and former Ukrainian TV producer, Czech newspaper Denik N reported on April 30. The decision to grant asylum was made by the Slovak Interior Ministry, according to Marchevsky’s lawyer, Leonid Kushnarenko. Czechia previously denied asylum to the propagandist, imposing sanctions on him and freezing his assets in the country. Czech authorities suspect Marchevsky, along with former Ukrainian MP Viktor Medvedchuk, of leading a Russian influence network behind the website Voice of Europe, known for disseminating pr ..read more

A decade after his last visit, Tim Burton is back in Prague, captivating audiences once again with a new exhibition showcasing over 600 works from his career. Titled “Returns,” the exhibition at the Municipal House delves into the creative process of the visionary filmmaker, primarily through storyboards, sketches, photographs, and film puppets. The exhibition offers a unique glimpse into Burton’s artistic world. The first room presents a “typical gallery setting,” according to Martina Kárová, the exhibition’s architect. In contrast, the second room boasts a more intriguing design. Here, film ..read more