Traditional celebration of spring with Mňaga and Žďorp, Skyline, Annet X and Trocha klidu
Three whole days in May will belong to the traditional May student festival, the Olomouc UP Majáles. From 13th to 15th May, the May celebrations will take place only the UP Armoury at Biskupské Square, but also the reopened Open-air Cinema (Letňák), UP Convictorium, Olomouc clubs, and Telegraph Gallery. This year’s music programme will offer a sampling of all genres – from traditional Moravian hammer dulcimer music and Latin rhythms, to the ageless Mňága a Žďorp band, together with dance scene legends Skyline, to the recent Czech Music Awards winner, rapper Annet X, and the psychedelic band Bert & Friends.
The Olomouc Majáles is one of the last non-commercial May celebrations in the Czech Republic, which renders its unique student character. This year, alongside the AFO film festival and the Long Night of the Sciences, it is going to be the largest university event designed not only for students, but also for all Olomouc citizens. A diverse cultural and sports programme including workshops, contests, and the largest showcase of student and non-profit organisations in the region will once again reflect this.
The university’s celebration of spring will start on Tuesday 13 May, with the first-ever special Latin American Day at the UP Armoury, where visitors can look forward to the Czech-Cuban band Dos Cubañas, a Latin American dance hall, and thematic workshops involving international students. The programme will also offer Mexican, Spanish, and Portuguese cuisine as well as talks on travelling. The first day’s events will be concluded with a thematic open-air film screening and the Slovak DJ duo Malalata at the Hellpaso club.
The main day of the May celebrations will be Wednesday, with two main scenes. The music stage at the UP Armoury will be headlined by the dulcimer band Hejčíňan, indie-pop band The Valentines, punk-rock band Byt číslo 4, and rapper Annet X. The line-up will also include Bert & Friends, Skyline, Mňága a Žďorp, as well as parkour, light, and acrobatic shows. The second stage at the Open-air Cinema grounds will offer the O.LI.V.Y. improv group, a poetry slam, a dozen buskers, and the awards ceremony of the university literary competition. New this year will be a handmade zone full of creative workshops and stalls, an expanded tattoo zone, and interactive science and research presentations – something that even kids will enjoy. Older visitors will appreciate the beer tap training, crossfit workshops, open-air yoga, and graffiti jam. The culmination of Wednesday’s programme will be the crowning of this year’s May king or queen.
Biskupské Square will also be traditionally occupied by 80 interactive stands of student and non-profit organisations, where visitors can compete for prizes worth almost €3,000. This year, the charitable dimension of the event will be articulated by assistance services for families with children with autism spectrum disorder and selected environmental projects.
Thursday will offer a more relaxing programme at the Open-air Cinema grounds, set to re-open its gates by the end of April. Visitors can look forward to workshops throughout the day, outdoor activities for the whole family, and a rich musical programme headlined by the band Trocha klidu and a silent disco at night.
And if that’s not enough, on Monday 12 May you can enjoy a film screening at the Telegraph Gallery, a special May Celebration pub quiz at the Jazz Tibet Club, and a literary discussion at UPoint on the Upper Square (Horní náměstí). In addition, thirty Olomouc gastronomic venues will offer exclusive discounts and events for UP students throughout the entire week.
The Olomouc UP Majáles is organised by Palacký University as one of the last traditional student May events. It is run by the UP Marketing Office and forty students from across all faculties. In the past, personalities such as rector Josef Jařab, photographer Jindřich Štreit, actress Ivana Plíhalová, actor and musician Marek Eben, musician David Koller, actress Erika Stárková, and director Miroslav Krobot were crowned May kings and queens.
This year, the entire Majáles programme will again be free of charge, except for the main music programme, where the entrance fee is 200 CZK. More detailed information and the complete programme are available at www.olomouckymajales.cz.