I recently traveled to the Czech Republic to attend the Colours of Ostrava music festival. This festival has it all: an incredible festival site, good lineup, and the friendliest audience. Read on for practical tips on how to enjoy Colours of Ostrava.

Getting to Colours of Ostrava festival

Ostrava is located about 3 hours west of Prague. You’ll need to fly to Prague, and then take a train or a car to get to the festival.

Prague is a charming city, full of historical buildings and museums, so it’s definitely worth spending a day or two there before you head to the festival. The best hotels are the Four Seasons and the Mandarin Oriental. The best place to stay is in the old town on the east side of the river, as it is easier to get to the train station.

Taking the train is, in my opinion, the most relaxing way to get to Ostrava. There are a few companies to choose from. Leo premium class is the most comfortable way to get there.

Tip: Trains to Ostrava do sell out entirely during the festival, so you’ll want to be sure to book a few weeks in advance.

We had booked Leo, but missed our train. We scrambled to rebook with a company called CD. We paid for first-class seats, but unbeknown to us, we didn’t actually get assigned seats. So I spent most of the three-hour trip seated on the floor, despite having bought a first-class ticket. That was the low point of the trip.

There was good wifi on the train and a restaurant that serves an extensive food and drink menu.

Tip: We got off the train at Ostrava Sninov, instead of Ostrava Central Station, since it was closer to the Best Western hotel where we were staying.

 

Where to stay for Colours of Ostrava

Hotels get booked up very quickly during the festival, so you need to plan ahead. I’d recommend booking your hotel at least three months in advance.

We stayed at the Best Western Vista. It has a four-star rating, but it is a standard Best Western. You can expect rooms to be two to four times as expensive during the festival. But even though it’s a little pricey, it is still better than staying in a tent. We found the hotel to be entirely adequate.

Breakfast at the hotel was much better than I expected. With the Serrano ham carving station, the wide selection of teas, and a variety of cheeses and fruits, there was something for everyone. I especially liked the vitamin bar: beneficial to remineralize after too much dancing at the festival.

 

Getting to and from Colours of Ostrava

The best western is 10 kilometers from the festival site, but it’s only a ten-minute taxi trip on the highways.

Taxis were readily available. To go to the festival, we would ask the hotel to call a taxi for us, and it cost 200 (about 8 euros). On the way back, we took street taxis outside the festival. They were plentiful, and we only had to wait about five minutes for them, even on the busiest days. The cost at night was 400 (about 16 euros).

The Vibe at Colours of Ostrava

The festival takes place in an industrial park. It’s a really atmospheric venue that really set this festival apart. It is clear that people don’t come to Colours of Ostrava just for the music. The festival has invested in making the site visually appealing, with art installations, lounging areas, and light effects through the whole park.

This edition of Colours offered over 350 events spread onto 24 stages. Over 40000 people were attending, but the site rarely felt crowded. Besides the main draw of 120 concerts, the program offered discussion sessions, activism workshops, and films.

From kundalini yoga to a workshop on Papua New Guinea, or Nick Cave’s latest movie: the choice is yours.

There is a children’s area, a designers’ area where local artists showcased their creations and even a beauty area where you could get your hair and makeup done. There was also a massage pavilion, which was great if all that dancing left you sore.

The Audience at Colours of Ostrava

Czech people are fantastic! The vast majority of participants are from the Czech republic. The age range was quite wide, and there were many families with children attending the festival. The Czech audience might win the awards of the best festival audience ever.

Everyone was super friendly, and it felt like a safe environment. There was no pushing, no crowd surfing. The site was super clean, and everyone took care of their own trash. We also saw a lot less security staff than at other comparable festivals. Maybe they are not needed given the friendliness of the Czech public.

We didn’t meet many foreigners, which was a shame since they are missing out on a great festival. The atmosphere was so relaxed and friendly.

Food and Drink at Colours of Ostrava

You will not go hungry or thirsty. There are tens of vendors in little cabins offering a variety of food. While none of the food we tried was amazing, it was good enough, diverse and quite affordable.

The lines for food and drinks varied wildly. You could queue for over 40 minutes for the most popular stalls, but don’t worry. there are plenty of other stalls where it was possible to get food in under five minutes.

Drinks were equally diverse. In addition to the usual beer and soft drinks, there were a few wine bars with a wide selection to choose from. For the more adventurous, there were also a few cocktail bars.

Tables and chairs are spread out through the festival site, and it was usually easy to find a table to eat and relax.

 

Is the VIP area worth it at Colours of Ostrava?

The festival offers a VIP area that costs about 120 euro more than a regular ticket for the four days of the festival.

The VIP area at Colours of Ostrava is located quite far from the main stage. While you can see the stage, you will nevertheless be a bit out of the main action. So while the location of the VIP area is not great to view the stages, it is a convenient place to rest.

It is composed of a large outdoor and indoor area with tables and chairs.

There is a restaurant and a few bars inside. The VIP area doesn’t include any complimentary food or wine.

The restaurant had good food, and we enjoyed their extensive a la carte menu. The bars serve the same drinks as outside the VIP area, and the lines to get a drink would sometimes be as long as outside.

What in my mind made the VIP area worthwhile was the toilets! Most of the toilets outside are those plastic cabins without water or light. If you have tried them, you know what I mean. The VIP area has bathrooms with running water, and often had shorter lines.

Tip: You can also use the VIP area pathways to cross between the two main stages. At the end of a concert, the regular path tends to get busy, so using the VIP pathway definitely saves time.

Given the small price difference between a normal and a VIP ticket, I would recommend upgrading to the VIP area.

The concerts at Colours of Ostrava

We came mainly for The Cure. I had seen their show at the Sydney Opera House a few months before, and was looking forward to seeing their festival show.

You could tell that they were the stars of the weekend, as suddenly the whole festival became a lot busier. They played a massive number of hits, but also a few of their lesser-known songs.

I don’t think I have ever seen Robert Smith and the band as happy as they seemed during the Colours of Ostrava concert. Robert smiled from ear to ear for most of the show. The sound was good, and it was a very relaxed atmosphere. Robert even tried to get the crowd singing on the caterpillar. This could very well be a world premiere!

Aside from enjoying the phenomenal show from The Cure, we spent a lot of time walking around the festival area and discovering new bands. There were a lot of good Czech bands there. On our way out, we stumbled upon a tiny concert from Vitkovo Kvarteto. They were rocking it! Tiny stage, but a colossal atmosphere.

What a tremendous final note to Colours of Ostrava.

Conclusion

If you didn’t get tickets to Glastonbury and want to experience a laid back music festival with an excellent line-up, give Colours of Ostrava a chance. Colours of Ostrava deserves a better recognition on the international stage. I hope to attend again next year.