This year, the original United Islands Festival will transform into a special edition called United Islands of Europe: Freedom Edition. On the second weekend in June, the Czech capital will host new music discoveries from neighboring countries such as Poland and Germany, but also from Ukraine and Belarus. The Prague islands, with the main stage called Freedom Stage on Střelecký Island, will once again come alive with various music genres, rising stars of the music scene as well as with a non-musical programme known as the Islands of Inspiration.
This year the United Islands Festival is going to introduce new faces from Central and Eastern European countries, including Ukraine and Belarus, to the music scene. During the weekend of June 10, when the festival takes place, the Prague islands will light up with the performance of the rising European star of the Belarusian electropop, trio Dlina Volny - as well as forty other artists from Central and Eastern Europe. The musicians are going to perform on five stages in total, including the so-called Freedom Stage on Střelecký Island. The popular urban festival in the heart of Prague continues with its special editions - this year it is dedicated to the theme of freedom. This is the main story behind the name United Islands of Europe: Freedom Edition.
"This year, we want to introduce the visitors to the Eastern European music scene and at least symbolically support those artists who are currently for various different reasons unable to perform at home. That's why we are delighted that Dlina Volny accepted our invitation and will join us with their performance," says the festival manager Kamila Buráňová revealing this year's dramaturgical concept of the festival. "We also want to inspire other festivals to invite representatives of the Eastern European cultural scene, which still hasn’t been properly discovered here, to perform at their events as well. This way we can all celebrate European values and freedom together, at least symbolically," she adds.
The young organizing team that has taken over the reins of the United Islands Festival during the pandemic changes not only its name, but also the selection of artists of this multi-genre event. On the dramaturgical level, the team spearheaded by Buráňová currently closely cooperates for example with the partnering German showcase festival c/o pop or with the independent collective Heartnoize. The music on offer will hopefully interest and satisfy also the listeners of the already established media partners of the festival, such as Radio 1. Both c/o pop and Radio 1 will each overlook one of the festival stages.
Furthermore, this year´s visitors can look forward to a non-musical programme known as the Islands of Inspiration. It will consist of workshops, lectures and panel discussions on the topics of freedom, diversity and sustainability. With a number of sustainable food trends to be presented, sustainability will also be a major theme of the Gastro Zone or Gastro Islands. According to the organizers, the United Islands Festival, which is traditionally held free of charge, may represent an ideal opportunity in connecting and integrating people from Ukraine who have left their homes due to the war and are seeking refuge in the Czech Republic.