That heartbeat at the start of the record. The cash register in Money, the clatter of alarm clocks in Time that jolts you out of your seat every time. You may not know the names David Gilmour or Roger Waters, but almost everyone recognises that sound. And now the key point about Pink Floyd Mikulov: on 25 July 2026, The Dark Side of the Moon will ring out at the amphitheatre beneath Mikulov castle, with a symphony orchestra behind it. One fact right off the bat that might make your jaw drop: this recording spent a total of 996 weeks on the American Billboard 200 chart, which is more than nineteen years in the charts. Those 996 non-consecutive weeks correspond to more than 229 months, meaning more than nineteen years.
To be clear from the start: the original British band will not be taking the stage in Mikulov. The Pink Floyd Mikulov event features the Floyds CZ/SK project, which performs this music with a live orchestra and a large light production. For a newcomer it is a gentle entry into the world of Floyd; for a fan it is a fresh perspective on songs they know note by note.
Pink Floyd Mikulov: what is happening at the amphitheatre on 25 July
TL;DR: On 25 July 2026, the Floyds CZ/SK project will perform the Pink Floyd Symphony Show with the Mladí brněnští symfonikové orchestra at the Mikulov amphitheatre. Tickets are available through the official event portal.
The Floyds CZ/SK - Pink Floyd Symphony Show is a large concert format. In 2026, the Pink Floyd Symphony Show project is going on tour across the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Mikulov stop is one of the summer highlights of this journey. The amphitheatre in Mikulov will become the venue for the Pink Floyd Symphony Show on Saturday 25 July 2026, where the albums The Dark Side of the Moon and Pulse will be performed by the Floyds CZ/SK band and orchestra, accompanied by video projections, laser effects and an elaborate light design.
The backbone of the show is the home-grown band. Floyds CZ/SK consists of Petr Kahánek (vocals and guitar), Mišo Mlynarič (lead guitar), Petr Palacký (keyboards), Aleš Žídek (bass guitar), Peter Kertvel (drums), saxophonist Milan Kubica and three vocalists Katka, Dominika and Jana. They will be joined in Mikulov by the orchestra: the Mladí brněnští symfonikové symphony orchestra performs under the direction of Gabriela Tardonová. Together, as the organisers promise, 70 artists stand on one stage, rock and orchestra combined. Anyone who wants to know exactly who will be on stage can check the profiles of Floyds CZ/SK and Mladí brněnští symfonikové.
It is not the original Pink Floyd, but it is worth knowing
TL;DR: The original line-up no longer tours. The Mikulov show is a tribute to the music of Pink Floyd with a live orchestra, not a performance by the band itself.
To avoid any confusion: a ticket will not take you to Gilmour or Waters. Pink Floyd in their original form stopped performing long ago, and their last full appearance in the Czech Republic was more than thirty years ago. Exactly thirty years ago the band's first Prague concert took place, and those who were there agree that the combination of music and a spectacular light show remains unforgettable to this day. It was on 7 September 1994 at Strahov, and more than 130,000 people attended in person. It was the first concert on Czech territory to exceed the threshold of 100,000 attendees.
Since then the band has moved into history. The group, which sold 67 million records, has not returned to the Czech Republic in this line-up. Solo, yes: in May 2023 Roger Waters performed here first, and two months later drummer Nick Mason came with his band. But the full Pink Floyd on one bus no longer exists. And that is precisely where a symphonic tribute makes sense. It offers the chance to hear this music live, with a large ensemble and arrangements the band itself never played in this form.
What will be performed: Dark Side of the Moon and Pulse
TL;DR: The evening is built around Pink Floyd's eighth studio album and the live album Pulse. The exact setlist and order of songs has not yet been published by the organiser.
The core of the programme is the 1973 record. The Dark Side of the Moon and Pulse will be performed in new orchestral arrangements with a live band, orchestra and vocal harmonies. Whether the full Dark Side will be played in its original order, or a selection, and exactly what from the live Pulse, the organiser does not specify for the event, so do not expect a published song-by-song list. What is certain is the backbone of the repertoire: the two most-performed things the band ever created.
Dark Side was never an ordinary collection of songs. It is the eighth studio album by the English progressive rock group Pink Floyd, released on 1 March 1973; it was conceived as a concept record about the pressures the band faced during a demanding life, and it also addresses the mental health struggles of former member Syd Barrett. The album feels like a single breath: a heartbeat opens and closes it, so it holds one continuous thread from start to finish. And did it catch on? In April 1973 it climbed to number one on the Billboard chart, where it stayed for one week, and it contains the band's first entry on the Hot 100, the song Money, which reached number 13. That single peak was later overshadowed by the record-breaking long run.
The story of the album that would not leave the charts
TL;DR: Dark Side holds the record for the most weeks on the Billboard chart, and its most famous sounds were born from chance and improvisation in the studio.
Let us start with the numbers, because they are a story in themselves. The Dark Side of the Moon holds the record for the most weeks on the Billboard 200, and it became the longest-charting album in the history of the chart back in 1983, a title it has held ever since. More than 50 million copies have been sold worldwide, it is the best-selling Pink Floyd record, and in the United Kingdom it holds a 14-times platinum certification. For comparison: the second longest-charting album trails by dozens of weeks.
The second half of the magic lies in the studio. The album was recorded at EMI Studios, now Abbey Road, over roughly 60 days between the end of May 1972 and the beginning of February 1973. Much of its fame rests on a detail that a laptop could handle in a few minutes today. Sound engineer Alan Parsons recorded the clock sounds as a quadraphonic test, each piece separately in an antique shop, and only afterwards did the recordings become parts of the song. Parsons literally asked the shop owner to stop all the clocks, then recorded them one by one - ticking and chiming - and painstakingly synchronised them in the studio. The heartbeat you hear at the beginning and end of the record is a processed bass drum.
Other iconic moments were created in a similar way. The song Money opens with a loop of money-related sounds that Roger Waters recorded at home, and continues with a bass riff in the odd time signature of 7/8, which was highly unusual at the time. And one of the greatest vocal moments on the record does not belong to a band member: Parsons was responsible for many aspects of the recording, and he also brought in singer Clare Torry, whose voice is heard in The Great Gig in the Sky. So when you take your seat in the Mikulov auditorium, you are hearing music that was largely born from studio ingenuity.
Why the symphonic treatment suits Floyd
TL;DR: Pink Floyd songs are built on layers, vocals and long sustained passages. An orchestra and three vocalists can expand them to a breadth that a regular band simply cannot accommodate.
Combining a rock band with a symphony orchestra does not sound gratuitous in the case of Floyd, and for a specific reason. The Great Gig in the Sky is built on a powerful female vocal, Us and Them on a slow, almost cathedral-like build of texture, Time on a dynamic arc from silence to eruption. All of this is naturally developed by the orchestra and three vocalists, because where a band has to layer tracks in the studio, a live ensemble has real instruments.
Floyd were never a band of quick hits. They were a group that mastered huge stadium stages and turned a concert into a multimedia spectacle with lights, projections and quadraphonic sound. It is precisely this thread that the Mikulov version picks up: the live music is accompanied by original projections, light design and a laser show. The second pillar of the programme is the live Pulse, a concert recording from the nineties that captured this "band as big stage" era. In an amphitheatre beneath a castle this makes double sense, because the stage itself is generous and the darkness over the Pálava hills does the light show a great favour.
Mikulov amphitheatre and summer beneath the Pálava hills
TL;DR: Mikulov in summer is not just about one evening. Around the concert you can put together an entire long weekend with wine, the castle and theatre.
The amphitheatre beneath the castle hosts a varied programme and a symphonic tribute fits right in. A few days before, the same venue hosts Pocta Haně Hegerové v amfiteátru Mikulov (11 July 2026), so lovers of live music have two opportunities at the amphitheatre within a single month.
If you arrive early or stay for the weekend, there is plenty to choose from. The castle hosts the Mikulovský Prosecco Festival (18 July), evening tours Večerní zámek (1 July) and Moravský Parnas. Divadelní festival Mikulov (24 July), which is exactly the day before the concert. Combining the symphonic Floyd experience with wine from the Pálava region and a walk through the historic town is an obvious choice. A complete overview of what is happening in the area can be found in our events calendar.
Practical tips: tickets and what to expect
TL;DR: Buy tickets in advance from verified sources, expect a laser and light production and an outdoor venue. An extra layer for the cool evening air is a good idea.
Tickets for the Mikulov Pink Floyd Mikulov concert are sold through the official event portal; you will find the link directly on the event page. Go for advance purchase and only buy from verified sources; for large summer concerts it pays to have your ticket well before the last minute. Current prices and seat availability are always shown by the official sale, not by resellers.
As for the experience: it is an outdoor venue, so keep an eye on the forecast and bring something for the evening. The programme includes a laser and light show, and if you are sensitive to flashing and strobe effects, bear that in mind and keep some distance from the stage. Arrive with time to spare so you can find your spot calmly and catch the very first notes. More tips on similar concerts across the Czech Republic can be found in the concerts section, and a full overview of artists in the artists section.
Frequently asked questions
Will the real Pink Floyd perform in Mikulov?
No. The Pink Floyd Mikulov event is a symphonic tribute to the band's music, performed by the Floyds CZ/SK project and the Mladí brněnští symfonikové orchestra. The original line-up no longer tours and has not returned to the Czech Republic in its original formation.
When and where is the concert?
The amphitheatre in Mikulov will become the venue for the Pink Floyd Symphony Show on Saturday 25 July 2026. It is one of the summer stops on the project's tour of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
What will I hear at the concert?
The programme is based on the album The Dark Side of the Moon and the live album Pulse, both in new orchestral arrangements for band, symphony orchestra and vocalists. The organiser has not published the exact order of songs in advance, so the detailed setlist will only be known on the night.
How many musicians will be on stage?
The organisers cite a large line-up. 70 artists are set to stand on one stage, the rock band and the orchestra together. The backbone is the Floyds CZ/SK band and the Brno orchestra under the direction of Gabriela Tardonová.
Did Pink Floyd ever perform in the Czech Republic?
Yes, and it was one of the most celebrated concerts ever held here. Thirty years ago the band's first Prague concert took place and more than 130,000 people attended in person. It was the first concert in the Czech Republic to exceed the threshold of 100,000 people.
Sources
- Floyds CZ/SK - Pink Floyd Symphony Show, Amfiteátr Mikulov, 25. 7. 2026 (kdykam.com)
- Pocta Haně Hegerové v amfiteátru Mikulov and other Mikulov events of summer 2026 (kdykam.com)
- smsticket.cz and goout.net - official show description (cast, programme, light and laser production)
- floyds.cz - official website of the Floyds CZ/SK project
- Billboard and Wikipedia - the record-breaking run of The Dark Side of the Moon on the Billboard 200
- Wikipedia, Ultimate Classic Rock and The Strange Brew - the making of the album and Alan Parsons's work (clocks in Time, Money, The Great Gig in the Sky)
- iROZHLAS and iREPORT - the Pink Floyd concert at Prague's Strahov on 7 September 1994