The Summer Shakespeare Festival is the oldest and largest open-air theater festival in Europe dedicated to staging the works of William Shakespeare. In Prague, performances take place in the area in front of the Supreme Burgrave’s House at Prague Castle and on the outdoor stage of the Liechtenstein Palace in the upper part of Lesser Town Square. And the 2026 Summer Shakespeare Festival once again proves that Shakespeare remains relevant today. Traditional texts with a modern twist, exceptional acting, and the magic of summer evenings come together to create a festival that appeals to both new and loyal audiences. At the end of June, the Summer Shakespeare Festival will kick off with the premiere of The Comedy of Errors, directed by Vojtěch Štěpánek. The program will also feature favorite plays from previous years — As You Like It, Othello, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, Love’s Labour’s Lost, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and The Winter’s Tale. Although the festival is primarily intended for a Czech audience, the organizers collaborate with international theater companies specializing in Shakespeare. This year, two performances will be presented in English: As You Like It and Twelfth Night. → Programe → Tickets The festival was initiated by President Václav Havel. In the early 1990s, he opened Prague Castle to artists in order to attract the public to the Castle. The first Shakespeare performance took place there as early as 1990, and the festival has been held there regularly since 1998. The festival runs from late June to early September and takes place on open-air stages in Prague, Brno, and Ostrava. related events drama As you Like It 17. 7. 2026, 20:30 drama Twelfth Night 18. 7. 2026, 20:30