Prague’s top 10 weekend events: Christmas markets, Krampus crawls, and South Asian feasts

This week heralds the first openings of Christmas markets around Prague, with the pleasures of mulled wine and trinket shops already having landed in Náměstí Míru last night. These markets will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with Anděl’s markets opening from on Sunday with the same hours. See the full list of markets and opening times below.

With festivities settling into the city, you may want to bring some of the cheer into your home—and what better way than to create your own advent wreath in one of Prague’s most picturesque villas. The Christmas Flower Workshop at Villa Winternitz will be set up on Nov. 22 for wreath-making guided by florist Kamila Sichrovská, with small treats and wine parsed out. You can walk through the exhibition in the villa afterwards, free of charge, and take home your luxurious wreath.

Enter an inferno of hellish characters drawn from Christmas folklore at the Prague Exhibition Grounds on Nov. 24, where more than 140 Krampus characters from famous Austrian parades will put on a frightening show. The Krampus Show 2024 will see impressive costumes, small light and fire shows, devil’s sausages, and other refreshments, running from afternoon until evening. Wander a 600 meter long route and expect to be rattled.

Head to the Christmas-themed Sunset Cinema this weekend for a cozy screening of Home Alone on Nov. 245 with friends or family, complete with a secret entrance, Christmas drinks from the food bar, letters to Santa, elves, and more in Holešovice.

The French Film Festival at Cinema 35 of the French Institute, Lucerna, Světozor, and Edison Filmhub kicks off tonight and runs until Nov. 27. Catch a French classic with the romantic comedy César and Rosalie or the 2023 hit Daaaaaalí! with English subtitles this weekend.

Running until Nov. 23, the Malá Strana district will be hosting a festival of international comedy performances in English, featuring 10 hand-picked artists from across the globe, for Fringe Comedy Nights. The lineup includes award-winning stand-up, theater, and a mix of traditional and experimental comedy shows, such as the Italian Horror comedy and Bombay Comedy Nights. With returning favorites and fresh talent from Australia, Scotland, England, and beyond, this festival promises a hysterical escape from the autumn chill.

Don’t miss the furore over Ridley Scott’s follow-up to his cult classic film as Gladiator II opens this weekend. Cinemas around the city will be screening the highly anticipated sequel starring Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal, such as Cinema Pilotů, Cinema Svetozor, and Cinema City.

Dive into a world of South Korean culture full of food tastings, dance performances, K-Beauty, K-Pop, and more at the Radlická cultural sports hall this Saturday. K-Day 2024 is pulling out all the stops for their 6th year of running, with K-hairstyling stalls, nail design, demonstrations of martial arts, and plenty of K-Pop merch for avid fans.

A three-day food fest at Manifesto Market will bring the flavors of South Asia to Anděl from Nov. 22 to 24. Each day, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., you can expect a new live performer to take to the stage—whether that’s the Persian Divas or singer Anastacia Petrucká. Enjoy Afghan cuisine, traditional Indian street food, Indonesian delicacies, and more.

Often lurking behind the scenes on major pop hit accreditations but loudly loved by fans of deconstructed club and electronic music, producer, DJ, and songwriter Sega Bodega is headed to ARCHA+ on Nov. 23. Party to his intoxicating beats which have seeped into the sound of his collaborations with big alternative names such as Björk, Rosalia, FKA Twigs, and Caroline Polacheck.