Colours of Ostrava festival releases star-studded 2024 lineup

The Colours of Ostrava festival, set to take place from July 17 to 20, has announced a line-up of over 70 international acts from over three dozen countries, including British pop star Sam Smith, American rock band Queens of the Stone Age, and Swedish singer Zara Larsson.

"We are thrilled to present a diverse range of music…including rock, blues, pop, electronica, punk, jazz, soul, funk, and more. We are also excited to bring new and unique names to the Czech Republic, with over half of our lineup being first-time performers in the country," said Filip Košťálek, the festival's dramaturg.

The festival has confirmed other big names in the lineup, including Grammy-winning American singer-songwriter Lenny Kravitz and Jamaican rapper Sean Paul, who in the 2000s topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S.

Singers at the festival will have a combined total of 19 Grammy awards and 68 nominations. British artist and producer James Blake, who has collaborated with the likes of U.S. rappers Kanye West and Jay-Z, will also perform in Czechia.

Not only will the festival showcase international talent, but it will also feature performances from well-known Czech artists, such as Mig 21, Lenny, DYK, Tata Bojs, Aneta Langerová, Bratři Ebenová, and Lake Malawi. 

This year's festival will also include the seventh installment of the Meltingpot international discussion forum, featuring over 250 speakers from various fields on 11 stages. Among the notable guests are professor of psychology and behavioral economics Dan Ariely, writer Irvine Welsh, and astronaut Meganne Christianová. Czech guests include psychiatrist Jiří Horáček, Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the Czech Republic Karel Řehka, and physicist Dana Drábová.

Theater performances will also be a part of the festival, with productions on three stages. One highly anticipated show is Marta, a production about the life of Czech singer Marta Kubišová, written by screenwriter and producer Daniela Sodomová and directed by Adéla Laštovková Stodolová, both from Czechia.

Colours of Ostrava began in 2002. Since 2015, the festival has been held in the area of ​​Dolní Vítkovice, and this year marks its 21st anniversary. A four-day ticket to the festival costs EUR 170 (about CZK 4,300) and securing a spot for a tent costs EUR 29 (CZK 735). Last year, around 40,000 people attended the festival.