The last evening of April will once again belong to jazz in Prague. The Mladí ladí jazz festival will celebrate International Jazz Day with its traditional open-air event, which will take place for the first time this year at the Prague 7 Výstaviště. Visitors can look forward to a concert by British guitarist and singer Oscar Jerome, Italian producer Coca Puma, the energetic British trio New Car Smell, and the Czech project Osmosis. The concerts will take place on April 30, and admission to the event is by donation. The entire program will be broadcast live by Český rozhlas Vltava.

“Since 2018, our Open Air has become a popular event attended by thousands of fans. This year, due to the renovation of Karlovo náměstí, we’ll be holding our premiere at the Prague Výstaviště. We’re very happy to have found a more than worthy alternative that offers the chance to combine a world-class musical experience with the pleasant atmosphere of the park—whether you want to dance or just grab a blanket and listen in peace. The venue will once again offer plenty of great food and drinks, as well as entertainment. Celebrate jazz with us in its most contemporary form—we look forward to seeing you!” says festival director Jan Gregar.

“For us, Open Air is a celebration of jazz and its many facets, so we put together the lineup to ensure the bands complement each other well and showcase jazz in all its modern forms. It’s important to us how these projects will work together in a single day. Oscar Jerome is a key figure on the London scene for us, having long represented the new wave of jazz; at the same time, we sought out other artists who could complement him and even shift things up a bit, whether it’s the dreamier, more intimate vibe of Coca Puma, or conversely, the uncompromising energy of New Car Smell. It was also important to us that the local scene be an equal part of this, not just an add-on. For example, Osmosis is exactly the type of band that brings its own confident voice to the table, representing contemporary Czech jazz. “In the end, we didn’t just want to put together a lineup, but to create a day that has dynamics, contrasts, and works as a whole,” explains Veronika Friedlová, one of the programmers for this year’s Mladí ladí jazz Open Air.

The evening’s main international guest will be British guitarist, singer, and producer Oscar Jerome, a prominent figure on the current London scene. In his music, he blends jazz with funk, soul, and alternative rock, and his distinctive guitar style draws inspiration from Prince, Jimi Hendrix, and West African music. On his latest album, *The Fork*, he continues his unique fusion of genres and introspective songwriting.

Italian producer and singer Coca Puma is bringing her dreamy blend of electronica, nu-jazz, and dream pop to Prague. Her debut album, Panorama Olivia, was created over several years between bustling Rome and the countryside of the Treja Valley, crafting an atmospheric musical world filled with delicate vocals and layered soundscapes.

The British trio New Car Smell, which describes itself as a “punk band disguised as a brass band,” will also deliver a huge dose of energy. The band combines the speed of drum and bass, the groove of funk, and the raw energy of rock, proving that it’s not just brass ensembles that can create an intense dance sound.

The local scene will be represented by, among others, the quintet Osmosis, whose music is based on original compositions by František Kukula and Robin Galia. Their work blends jazz with electronic music, pop, and contemporary classical music, and can shift within a single song from gentle jazz tones to psychedelic rock.

Mladí ladí jazz Open Air is free to attend and operates on a pay-what-you-can basis. Visitors can also support the festival in advance through the GoOut network.

This year, the Mladí ladí jazz festival program has moved from fall to spring, and Open Air thus symbolically concludes its spring concert series, which showcases the current state of the European jazz scene and its genre-blending. This year, Open Air is also moving for the first time from the traditional Karlovo Square to Prague’s Výstaviště, due to the ongoing revitalization of the square.

About the Mladí ladí jazz Festival

Now in its 18th year, the Mladí ladí jazz Festival features concerts by artists who aren’t afraid to break down established jazz stereotypes and embrace a wide variety of musical genres. It focuses on the latest discoveries on the international scene while also highlighting local bands and artists, and regularly hosts concerts by young musicians at the Jazz Dock club. Every year on April 30, it celebrates International Jazz Day under the banner of Mladí ladí jazz Open Air and, in collaboration with Grammy co-winner Oran Etkin, organizes a series of educational concerts called Mladí ladí dětem. It also participates in school education through the Timbalooloo project and organizes workshops for parents with children and educators. The event is organized by the Nerudný fest organization, which regularly hosts the Concert for the Future and the festivals Praha žije hudbou and Student Fest.

More information:

Date: April 30, 2026, starting at 4:00 PM  

Suggested donation: https://admin.goout.net/cs/ticketing/sale/547553/desk/

Website: www.mladiladijazz.cz

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mladiladijazz/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mladiladijazz/

YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCNkQH82TDFzveqpxZsW5Mrw

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3SuxCU7LOjOGQKp04OsZOs?si=d5651e8838d34352

Supported by: Prague City Hall, Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic

Co-organized by: Výstaviště Praha

Main Media Partner: Český rozhlas Vltava

Special Partners: Budějovický Budvar, Pražská plynárenská 

Partners: Pražské vodovody a kanalizace, OSA

Media Partners: ČRo Jazz, ČRo Wave, Radio 1, Czechmag,  Aerokina 

We are part of: European Jazz Network, International Jazz Day, European Talent Exchange

Organizer: Nerudný fest.cz

The Mladí ladí jazz Open Air is held under the patronage of Prague City Councilor Ing. Tomáš Slabihoudek and Hana Třeštíková, Deputy Mayor of Prague 7 for Culture, Sports, and Neighborhood Relations.