Get Ready: The TrutnOFF Open Air Festival Awaits
TrutnOFF Music Festival is recognized for its diverse range of music and its unique blend of topics beyond music, particularly in areas like ecology, politics, and spiritual beliefs. The festival has a distinct and creative lineup, creating an exceptional atmosphere, influenced by Indian philosophy and featuring guests from various social and cultural backgrounds. Former dissident, playwright, and later president Václav Havel was a regular attendee and became the festival director in 2007.
This year, the festival will be held in its traditional location, under the mountains in Trutnov Battlefield (though it was temporarily held in Brno for some years) on the usual dates of 21-24 August 2025. It serves as a memorial for the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Over fifty different groups are set to perform this year. The colorful program will feature numerous legendary figures from the Czech popular and underground music scenes, alongside fresh, alternative talents and representatives from various musical styles.
International guests will include acts like Saxon and Public Image Ltd., flying in from afar, alongside Public Serpents (from the USA) and Hanggai (a band from Mongolia/China). Local performers will include Prague Selection and Plastic People. Other acts like Monkey Business, Dymytry, Prague Selection, Clear Lever & David Koller, Padlock, Boots, Michal Prokop, Shall We Fly?, Bára Hrzánová, Mucha, Michal Horák, and others will also be on the lineup. This year, for the first time, the festival in Trutnov will showcase Pokáč. Moreover, there will be additional activities, such as a series of workshops for children, as well as a poetry tent featuring works from young contemporary poets from the alternative and underground scenes.
The festival is also supported by President Petr Pavel
TrutnOFF is well-known for bringing together various social communities and performers from different musical styles and viewpoints. The festival grounds host not only concerts but also regular ecumenical services and discussions about cultural, social, and political issues. This year, it has also received backing from President Petr Pavel. He attended the festival in 2023 when TrutnOFF returned from its temporary location in Moravia back to its original Trutnov site. The festival celebrates its 41st anniversary this year and is dedicated to commemorating 80 years since the conclusion of World War II, reflecting on the events of 21 August 1968 and “The Angels of Dachau“, honoring the Sudeten German priest Engelmar Hubert Unzeitig. In the beautiful outdoor setting “among the trees and grasses,” there will also be craft workshops, an observatory, a vegetarian cafeteria, and a new morning yoga session led by musician Nikola Mucha, along with an expanded kid’s camp.
