Building Bridges Between Cultures: The “Vienna Meets Prague” Festival 2026 Invites You to Explore

The festival opens on April 22 at the Czech Embassy (Penzinger Straße 11-13) with a performance by father-daughter duo Vanda Šabaková and Luděk Šabaka. Their program showcases the unique combination of harp and piano.

Special attention will be given to the world premiere and presentation of contemporary works such as “Calligraphy” by Pavel Trojan. The piece is inspired by a Japanese calligraphy work by the artist Keiko Ban—a cultural bridge to the Far East, built by Czech virtuosos in Vienna. Vanda Šabaková, who has been the harpist with the Graz Philharmonic since the 2024/25 season, is considered one of the greatest talents in her field.

Literature as an Experience: “Mutated” Readings at the Depot

On April 23 and 24 at the Depot in the 7th district, the festival reimagines traditional readings. The following performance artists will present literature as a form of live experience:

• Jaromír Typlt & Luka Dimić: Typlt, a bridge-builder between surrealism and sound poetry, is supported by Nestroy Prize winner Luka Dimić. Together, they explore the “shadow of words.” Typlt is known for his “mutated readings,” which go far beyond mere recitation.
• Pavel Novotný: The 2022 Dresden Poetry Prize winner brings his “procedures” to Vienna. He harnesses the dynamics of spoken language and often presents texts in a radio-style composition.
• Anna Luňáková: The young chairwoman of the Czech Writers’ Union presents “City Amalgam,” a work of literary field research. Accompanied by electronic textures created by sound designer Jakub Štourač, the sounds of Prague merge with modern poetry.

A special highlight for fans of the avant-garde: On April 24, Typlt and Novotný will perform their interpretation of Kurt Schwitters’ “Ursonate” for the first time in Vienna—a sound-poetic spectacle that will celebrate its 20th stage anniversary in 2026.

Cinema of the Great Themes: Otakar Vávra at Top Kino

The festival concludes on April 25 with a tribute to Czechoslovak cinema at Top Kino. Two restored classics by Otakar Vávra will be screened, presented in collaboration with the National Film Archive (NFA) in Prague:

• Krakatit (1948): A visionary film adaptation of Karel Čapek’s science fiction novel. The story of a chemist who loses control of a super-explosive feels more relevant today than ever—in the age of nuclear threats and AI ethics.
• Witch Hunt (Kladivo na čarodějnice, 1969): A dark masterpiece about the Inquisition in the 17th century. In 1960s Czechoslovakia, however, the film was immediately understood as a bitter parable of the Stalinist show trials of the 1950s.

A Festival of Encounters

The festival is curated by Ludger Hagedorn (IWM). Its stated goal is to reestablish the historically rooted but often neglected cultural ties between Vienna and Prague. Thanks to the support of Stadt Wien Kultur and the Czech Embassy, the festival remains accessible to all interested parties.

IWM Institute for Human Sciences

Vienna Meets Prague