Respect Festival 2026

Respect Festival, the most significant Czech annual showcase of world music, celebrates its 29th season. The festival programme offers concerts throughout the year, culminating in a two-day Open Air on 13 and 14 June on Štvanice Island in Prague. The festival is organized by Rachot Production with financial support from the Czech Ministry of Culture, Prague City Hall, and SFK. The Open Air will feature musicians from nearly 20 countries. From Tanzania come The Zawose Queens with captivating vocal harmonies, dynamic polyrhythms, and shimmering ilimba tones – their debut Maisha (2024) on Peter Gabriel's Real World label earned them invitations to Glastonbury, Womad, and Womex. Madagascar is represented by Bobo & Behaja with their frenetic "tsapiky" trance style. Ogoya Nengo from Kenya, the last living icon of traditional Lake Victoria songs, returns after 11 years with the project Odd Okoddo & Ogoya Nengo. With a new formation and album Meydan (2025), Meral Polat from the Netherlands, a singer of Kurdish heritage, will return. Five centuries of Indo-Pakistani vocal tradition are represented by Muslim Shaggan from Pakistan. The line-up is closed by the Arab-Balkan project Wassim Halal, Amza Tairov & Gabriel Valtchev (France/Lebanon, Macedonia, Bulgaria). The headliner is Senegalese legend Cheikh Lo. The festival also offers a rich children's programme, international gastronomy, and accompanying cultural events. Tickets are available through GoOut. The festival is dedicated to Karel Schwarzenberg, with visual design by František Skála.