Every year, Pilsen imaginatively returns to the year 1945 when the city was liberated by the American army. The Liberation Festival offers a diverse, multi-day programme that includes historical military camps with examples of the soldiers’ and civilians’ lives from that period, a convoy of historical military vehicles, thematic cultural events, and commemorative gatherings at the WWII memorials.
This year, Republic Square will be temporarily omitted from the festival venues due to ongoing reconstruction. Military vehicles from the Convoy of Liberty will return to individual camps instead of arriving at the square and the main cultural zone will be moved to the amphitheatre behind the Pilsen Plaza shopping centre.
The complete programme including the overview of commemorative events and events in the entire region is available here.
Military programme
- Convoy of Liberty (Sun) – the traditional convoy of historical military vehicles & flyovers of authentic military aircraft
- Park behind the Pilsen Plaza shopping centre (Fri – Sun) a military camp of the Czechoslovak Independent Armored Brigade, a camp with RAF and WAAF equipment including field workshops, medical services and a field airfield, a replica of a Spitfire fighter aircraft, demonstrations of civilian life during the Protectorate
- Křižíkovy sady parks (Fri – Sun) – a military camp of the 16th Armored Division with field kitchen, a field workshop, and heavy and light armored vehicles
- Pobřežní Street & the area at the Patton Memorial Pilsen museum (Fri – Sun) – the JTF Raiders camp – presentation of the current U.S. Army, including military equipment such as weapons and gear
- Parachute jumps (Fri)
- Flyovers of historical aircraft (Fri)
- Military demonstration & the exhibition of military equipment at the “Sv. Jiří area” (SO)
- Opening of the Hangár 3 aviation museum at the Plzeň-Líně airport (Sat)
Music programme
- The Main Stage (at the amphitheatre behind the Pilsen Plaza shopping centre)
- Libé rty Stage (near the J. K. Tyl Theatre – the Grand Theatre building) – contemporary music
- 40’s Stage (Křižíkovy sady parks – „Proluka“) – swing, jazz, blues, folklore, dixieland jazz
- Beats for Liberty (riverside of the Radbuza river) – audiovisual DJ show
Cultural & Sports programme
- Run for the Memory of Nations (Fri) – 5 km, 10 km, family run 1 km with participation of the veterans’ families, children’s runs
- Slow Market (Fri) – a market with designer and handcrafted products from Czechia
- Freedom Linden Tree (Sat) – accompanying commemorative programme at the U Matoušů farmhouse (Pilsen-Bolevec Open Air Museum)
- Train rides around region with the locomotive “Brejlovec” (Fri – Sun accdording to the timetable)
- Patton Memorial Pilsen museum open to visitors
- Outdoor exhibition: 250 years of the U.S. (Fri)
- Retro hairdressing salon for ladies (Sat) – the 1945 fashion
- American car meet – Freedom Ameriky
- Dance workshops & dance hall at the 40’s music stage
- Theatre performance (Sun)
- Discussions & live podcast recordings
Programme for children
- Hurvínek’s Trail of Courage (Fri – Sun) – an interactive trail commemorating Josef Skupa and 100th anniversary of the Hurvínek puppet
- Activities as part of the Run for the Memory of Nations (Fri)
