Country Profile: Czechia

Like most territories, Live Nation is the dominant promoter in Czechia (also known as the Czech Republic), having booked Björk and Blink-182 to perform at the capital’s O2 Arena and is set to close out the year with 50 Cent, Hozier, and The Prodigy — with the latter two acts scheduled to play at Prague’s multipurpose Sportovní hala Fortuna. Depeche Mode, Niall Horan, and the Jonas Brothers are just some of the acts on the 2024 calendar.

However, the multinational giant isn’t the only major promoter in this well-connected central European country. Heartnoize Promotion books a broad range of international acts into venues and festivals, while hard rock and death metal aficionados Obscure Promotion booked Dopelord, Predatory Void, and supergroup The Winery Dogs to play in various indoor Prague venues before the end of the year.

Meanwhile, D Smack U have shows from Thomas Headon, The Subways, and Halestorm to look forward to over the coming months, and Heartnoize Promotion is promoting shows with Rachika Nayar, Slauson Malone, William Basinski, and Black Country, New Road.

Following sold-out gigs from the likes of Harry Styles, Jack Harlow, and Imagine Dragons, indie company Fource Entertainment enjoyed a standout 2022. “Last year was the busiest in our history,” says co-founder and managing director Anthony Jouet. “There was a bottleneck of shows, and we had a lot of work to do, but we managed it well.”

“Last year was the busiest in our history.”

Exclusively working with international acts, Fource has already booked talents ranging from Queens of the Stone Age to Lil Tjay earlier this year, with Cigarettes After Sex, City and Colour, and Yves Tumor still to perform. This variety of genres is something Jouet appreciates, citing the live music industry’s increasing globalisation and the ease with which new artists can be discovered and shared through a number of online platforms.

However, the Czech market is still a tricky one to navigate when it comes to certain music categories. “There’s not a lot of scope for R&B to thrive in the country,” says Jouet. “Especially when compared to countries like France, where the major cities are incredibly cosmopolitan, and the large African communities have helped to enhance the standing of world music over there.”

Almost all live entertainment revenue emanates from the capital, with smaller cities such as Brno not getting the same coverage. “Touring in the country usually goes through Prague,” says Pavla Slívová, head booker of the Colours of Ostrava festival. Situated close to the Polish border, the four-day July extravaganza — with a capacity of around 30,000 — hosted headliners such as OneRepublic, Macklemore, and Niall Horan this year alone. “Sometimes, you can promote a show in Brno, but it’s very difficult to guarantee sufficient sales for international shows in other cities.”

“Sometimes, you can promote a show in Brno, but it’s very difficult to guarantee sufficient sales for international shows in other cities.”

Despite inflation going down to 9% in 2023 compared to 15% in the previous year, Jouet reckons that external factors such as heightened production costs, rising energy prices, and the war in Ukraine continue to affect audiences, local artists, and promotion companies alike. “It’s definitely much harder for emerging talents to break through because there is less money available for shows,” explains Jouet.

“Also, because the national average salary didn’t increase that much, customers are very selective about the gigs they choose to attend these days. This has trickled down to promoters’ behaviour, as we’re a little more hesitant about the shows we book and promote due to those factors.”

That being said, Jouet is optimistic about the market’s outlook over the next few years. “I feel that the live industry
is very resilient, and we’ve always managed to adjust and find new ways to thrive,” he says, pointing towards last year’s collaboration with Live Nation that saw over 120,000 tickets sold across two Imagine Dragon dates. “We’re always looking to provide good shows for mass audiences, and I’m very glad that artists and agents remained loyal to us even through such challenging times.”