(Hip hop kemp 2008)

Prague, June 2008 Where else can you see so many music stars for such a great price? Only at open-air summer festivals! Choose your favourite performers and immerse yourself for a couple of days in a world typified by a laid-back atmosphere and, most importantly, music of all genres.

The holidays start with the 14th annual Rock for people festival, which takes place from 3 to 6 July 2008 in the Festival Park in Hradec Králové. This year's festival boasts possibly the strongest line-up in its history. Among the main acts are one of today's most sought after concert groups The offspring, as well as stars of the British music scene The kaiser chiefs and the cult performers of trip-hop Massive attack. A whole host of other excellent performers will be at the festival, including Enter Shikari, Black Mountain, Donots, Flogging Molly, H2O, Holy Fuck, Helmet, Madball, Locos and others. Nor will the very best of the Czech and Slovak scene be missing. Completely new to the programme will be the inclusion of the film festival Music on Film - Film on Music, and the "Kašpárek v rohlíku" (clown in a roll) music-theatre project which, in an all-day programme, offers entertainment for the whole family.

The 7th annual Colours of Ostrava festival will take over the centre of Ostrava from 10 to 13 July 2008. In addition to the Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor, the biggest names are the British electronic duo Goldfrapp and the Swedish duo Koop. Guests will once again be able to take advantage of the Colours Plus benefit, which provides cheaper admission prices to cultural institutions and a reduction on transport costs. 

The largest international open-air rock festival in the Czech Republic, Masters of rock 2008, takes place over 10-13 July 2008 in Vizovice. Headlining this year are the British group Def Leppard and Apocalyptica from Finland. An unusual combination of genres is offered by a joint concert of the Czech group Arakain featuring the Pilsen Philharmonic.

From 31 July to 3 August 2008, the O₂Sázavafest in Kácov welcomes a variety of foreign stars, with the emphasis this year on a multi-genre festival. The festival presents, for example, the R´n´B singer Sean Kingston, who is visiting the Czech Republic for the very first time, Jamaican Ska old-boys The Skatalites, DJ Sister Bliss, the large British group Transglobal Underground, legendary German electronic group Camouflage, reggae singer Yaz Alexander and hundreds of other foreign and Czech performers.

The highly popular Summer of Love dance festival, now in its 12th year,will take place this year on 16 August at the Pardubice Racecourse. Over 80 performers, world stars and headliners as well as new talent, will be presented on 7 stages. On the main stage, for example, the Stereo MCs will bring the public to the boil, whilst a sunrise set will be emceed by DJ Rush. All sets are supported by large-screen projections, lasers and, above all, first-rate sound.

Hip Hop Kempinvites all hip-hop fans totheFestival Park in Hradec Králové on the 22-24 August 2008. The biggest hip hop festival in Europe welcomes stars such as The Roots, Pharoahe Monch, Atmosphere and the British rapper Kano. You can look forward to 400 performers from around the world, a unique helicopter show and 6 music stages. Between performances, you can rest in the chill-out lounge or go for a swim in the lake.

Markéta Chaloupková

CzechTourism, chaloupkova@czechtourism.cz