8 Top Nights Out in Prague: An Expert Guide

Prague is one of the most culturally versatile cities in Europe, alive with theatre and music of all genres, all set against the fairytale backdrop of its historic cobbled streets, churches, mighty castle and fanciful bridges across the Vltava River. Once renowned as the wildest stag-party destination in Europe, the city has now thankfully largely shed that reputation with the banning of organised beer crawls through the Old Town at night – although it has to be said that its clubbing scene still trounces most other cities hands down. However, in addition to the wild side of the city, nights out in Prague have always involved classical concerts, traditional theatre performances or simply chilling in beer gardens at sunset. Here’s a guide to nights out in Prague that needn’t involve staying up until dawn (and a couple that do!). Staying in central Prague hotels puts you close to all the following venues.

Music is deeply embedded in Prague’s cultural zeitgeist, with the connection to Mozart central to its legacy – in 1787 his opera Don Giovanni premiered in the city – and the fabled Bohemian composers Bedřich Smetana and Antonín Dvořák cemented this reputation. Today classical music is not confined to concert halls; you’ll hear it played all over the city. Keen to get a handle on Prague’s prodigious cultural heritage? Here’s where to get started.

Guarded by sculptures of famous Czech composers, the colonnaded, neo-Renaissance Rudolfinum sits on the banks of the Vltava River. It’s famous for the perfect acoustics of its Dvořák Hall, home of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, which is currently led by Russian-American conductor Semyon Bychkov. The repertoire is a mixed bag of symphonies (Smetana and Dvořák feature often), chamber music, virtuoso soloists and occasional jazz sessions. Concerts have a sophisticated ambience, so dressing smartly is advised.

• Alšovo nábřeží 79/12, 110 00 Staré Město, Prague 1
• Concerts start at 7pm or 7:30pm, with the hall opening up to an hour earlier
• Tickets start around CZK140 (€5.80) but can be much more expensive!
• Metro Line A to Staroměstská station

There are numerous classical recitals held every night in Prague, and you can normally buy tickets outside the venues – often ornate Baroque-era churches like St. Nicholas (where Mozart played) and St. Francis of Assisi near Charles Bridge. The Spanish Synagogue provides the most spectacular backdrop of all – it’s an extraordinary, mid-19th-century Moorish masterpiece with tiled colonnades and soaring domes. Concert programmes vary from traditional Jewish songs to works by Verdi, Mozart, Smetana or Dvořák.

• Vězeňská 1, 110 00 Staré Město, Prague 1
• Open for concerts 5:30pm in winter and 7pm summer
• Tickets start at CZK1,050 (€43.50)
• Metro Line A to Staroměstská station

If you’re looking for authentic experiences found only on Prague nights out, you’ll need to look beyond the evening stroll over Charles Bridge (although that comes heartily recommended too!) to quirkier nocturnal happenings. Here are two ways to capture the essence of Prague after dark – and both are happily family-friendly too.

With its origins in Chinese puppetry, black light theatre became popular in Prague after 1989’s Velvet Revolution. Basically it’s a mime performance illuminated by ultra-violet light, in which actors wearing fluorescent costumes and using fluorescent props appear to erupt onto a jet-black stage in an other-worldly explosion of colour. There are several such theatres in Prague, with Image known for its mesmerising, ethereal shows celebrating the human form, magic and the beauty of Africa. Don’t miss out – this is a chance to see a phenomenon that’s uniquely Czech.

• Národní 25, 110 00 Staré Město, Prague 1
• Ticket office opens Mon-Sat at 4pm; shows Mon-Sat 8pm, sometimes closed Tuesdays
• Adult tickets CZK590 (€24.50)
• Metro Line B to Národní třída

There are myriad guided tours available in beautiful Prague – river cruises, beer tasting and street-food feasts to name but a few – but nothing reveals its darker side like a downright creepy, after-dark ghost walk. If you’d like to uncover the unsolved mysteries of Europe’s most haunted city, McGee’s entertaining forays into the hidden cobbled alleys of Prague’s Old Town dig deep into the city’s dark past, with grisly tales of ghouls and hauntings, witch burnings, and betrayed lovers meeting violent deaths.

• Meet at Týnská, 7/627, 110 00 Staré Město, Prague 1
• Tours in English last 90 minutes and start Oct-Apr 7:30pm; May-Sept 8:30pm
• Tickets CZK450 (€18)
• Metro Line A to Staroměstská

Czech beer is rightly lauded throughout Europe for its pale Pilsner-style lagers; over the years many microbreweries have set up shop in Prague to take advantage of this. In summer the drinking action moves outdoors to leafy gardens and parks with panoramic views.

Set among the scores of bars and cafés moored along the river, you can now visit a floating brewery and beer pub too – a “buoyant brewery” if you will. The owners of Loď Pivovar do all the brewing aboard the vessel, where you can sample their core beers and guest ales such as IPAs in the pub, eat paprika-infused goulash or pork knuckle in the minimalist restaurant (where the actual brewing is done in gleaming vats) and catch great views over Prague from the top deck (only open in summer).

• Štefánik’s Bridge, Dvořák Embankment, Berth 19, 110 00 Staré Město, Prague 1
• Open Sun-Thur 11.30am-10pm; Fri-Sat 11.30am-11pm
• Metro Lines A or B to Můstek

In summer, Prague appears to morph into one enormous beer garden, but for visitors to the city, Letná (Letenský Zámeček a Zahrádky na Letné) is the clear winner, both for its leafy hilltop location and its staggering views over the Vltava River to the red rooftops and bristling Gothic spires of the Old Town. After a day of sightseeing, head up there at sunset for an affordable Pilsner beer or Czech wine accompanied by an al fresco snack of fries or salads; there’s also a kebab stand at weekends. The pub is cash only but if you arrive empty-handed, there’s an ATM nearby.

• Letenské sady 341, 170 00 Holešovice, Prague 7
• Open daily 11am-11pm in summer
• Tram to Letenské náměstí

Ah yes, those notorious Prague nightclubs. The most famous is Karlovy Lázně, a 5-storey megalith of a place housed in a former 14th-century bath house; it is central Europe’s largest club and has an ice bar and robot bartenders. There are many contenders for the city’s top club, but the two mentioned here have been entertaining punters on nights out in Prague for decades.

A staple night out in Prague for more than 30 years, Roxy was in a previous incarnation an Art Deco theatre, and its cavernous interior lends it a warehouse vibe redolent of the 1990s. Expect a rotating schedule of big-name DJs like Fritz Kalkbrenner, drum and bass sessions, techno or house nights, and gigs from international stars like The Kills. Bolster yourself with a pre-club cocktail at the neighbouring NoD bar before getting stuck into the music; if you need time out, there’s a chill lounge in the club’s vaulted stone cellars.

• Dlouhá 33, 110 00 Staré Město, Prague 1
• Open Fri 11pm-4:30am; Sat 11pm-5am; Sun 7pm-10 pm
• Dependent on event; tickets start from around CZK150 (€6.20)
• Metro Line B to Náměstí Republiky

If you can fight your way past the grungy scrap-metallic maze at the entrance – there’s something of the Mad Max about it – the Cross Club is a genre-bending venue with a glimmering steampunk interior lit by flashing neon. Spread over three floors of burger restaurant, bars and dance floors, its design is a futuristic mishmash of wrought-iron balconies and recycled furniture. With a reputation for hosting the city’s coolest DJs, it’s a hub of alternative music from hip hop to drum ’n’ bass and hardcore 1980s ska or punk rock.

• Plynární 23, 170 00 Holešovice, Prague 7
• Café open daily 2pm-2am; club Sun-Thur 6pm-5am, Fri-Sat 6pm-7am; gigs start at 8pm
• Free entry during the week. Weekend tickets start at around CZK200 (€8.25)
• Metro Line C to Nádraží Holešovice.

1. Start your night out in Prague enjoying a Pilsner (or prosecco) on board the Prague Beer Bus.
2. The Prague party scene starts late, with bars starting to fill up around 10pm and clubs getting busy from midnight.
3. Always drink responsibly; designate a driver or return to your Prague hotel by Bolt or Liftago.
4. Prague’s public-transport system runs 24/7. There are several night tram lines that serve the city centre between 12:30am and around 5am.
5. The city is compact; if you’re staying in the city centre, you can walk back to your hotel safely – but do watch your ankles on those cobbles!

If we’ve inspired you with our suggestions for a night out in Prague, you may be interested in Tallinn or Bucharest after dark. Wherever you decide to go, everywhere fills up fast, so book your hotel room early!