November in Prague arrives wrapped in fog and falling leaves, the kind of month when the city trades its summer crowds for candlelight, young wine and the first proper chill off the Vltava. It is a month built on ritual: the solemn remembrance of All Souls' Day gives way to the boisterous arrival of St Martin on his white horse, and the sobering anniversary of 17 November turns Narodni Avenue into an open-air memorial before the city pivots, almost overnight, toward Christmas markets and mulled wine.
Beyond the folklore, the calendar is thick with international festivals - short films, queer cinema, French releases, German-language theatre, Brazilian cinema - alongside concerts, exhibitions and a horned Alpine demon or two for those who like their autumn with a little fright attached. Families are not left out, with everything from a Hogwarts-themed exhibition to a Diwali evening at the zoo. Whether you come for goose and wine, protest history, or puppet theatre inspired by a UNESCO-listed tradition, Prague in November rewards visitors willing to wrap up warm and step outside after dark.
Lifestyle Events
National Museum Free Admission Day (1 Nov 2026 | National Museum - selected buildings)
Several times a year the National Museum waives its entrance fee, and this is one of those days, with selected buildings open at no charge. The offer is popular enough that queues tend to form at the main building well before opening.
Halloween in Karlin (1 Nov 2026, 11:00-19:00 | Karlin Square)
Costumed children and autumn food stalls take over the square in front of the Church of Sts Cyril and Methodius for a neighbourhood Halloween gathering. Entertainment is pitched squarely at families, making it an easy, low-key way to start the month.
Czech Academy of Sciences Week (2-8 Nov 2026 | various locations across Prague)
For one week, laboratories that are normally closed to outsiders throw open their doors, with institutes across the city hosting lectures, tours and hands-on workshops. Most of the programme is free, offering a rare glimpse behind the scenes of Czech research.
Dia de los Muertos (5 Nov 2026, 11:00-23:00 | Holesovice Market - Holesovicka trznice)
The former slaughterhouse halls of Holesovice Market are transformed into a riot of colour for Mexico's Day of the Dead, complete with marigold-strewn altars and skull motifs. Mexican food and drink keep the evening going until late, well past the point most Prague markets have packed up.
Festive Illumination of Vrtba Garden (5 Nov 2026, 17:00-21:00 | Vrtba Garden - Vrtbovska zahrada)
This terraced Baroque garden beneath Petrin hill rarely stays open after dark, which makes this illuminated evening opening something of a treat. Climbing the stone staircases by lamplight rewards visitors with views over the rooftops of the Lesser Town and Prague Castle beyond.
Weekend Shop (7 Nov 2026, 10:00-16:30 | Endorfin)
Independent Czech brands set up for a single day at this design and makers' pop-up, selling everything from jewellery to homeware. It makes a pleasant excuse to get ahead on Christmas shopping before the big markets arrive.
All Souls' Day at Vysehrad (7 Nov 2026, 13:00-18:00 | Vysehrad)
At the national cemetery surrounding the Slavin tomb, where many of the country's greatest artists are buried, an afternoon programme marks the Dusicky tradition. As dusk falls, candles lit on the graves give the fortress grounds a hushed, reflective mood rarely felt elsewhere in the city.
4+4 Days in Motion (7-14 Nov 2026 | Galaxie and other venues)
Prague's long-running international festival of contemporary art returns for its 31st edition with a week of theatre and dance. The programme is centred on the Galaxie Cultural Station, a former multiplex cinema in Haje, and opens on 7 and 8 November with Sarah Hugentobler.
St Martin on Charles Bridge (11 Nov 2026, 11:00-18:00 | Charles Bridge - Karluv most)
On the feast of St Martin, Prague's most famous bridge turns into a stage for the saint who, by Czech tradition, rides in on a white horse bringing the first snow. Stalls pour the season's young St Martin's wine, opened across the country at precisely 11:11, while the Vltava flows grey and wintry below the statues.
St Martin's Lantern Parade (11 Nov 2026, 16:00 | Vysehrad)
As evening falls on St Martin's Day, families gather with lanterns for a procession winding through the Vysehrad fortress grounds. It has become one of the neighbourhood's best-loved traditions, equal parts folklore and children's outing.
Festival of Freedom (17 Nov 2026 | various locations across Prague)
Marking the Day of Struggle for Freedom and Democracy, this city-wide programme commemorates both the 1939 student protests against Nazi occupation and the 1989 demonstrations that sparked the Velvet Revolution. Concerts, debates and outdoor events fill locations across Prague for the occasion.
Korzo Narodni (17 Nov 2026 | Narodni Avenue - Narodni trida)
Traffic disappears from Narodni Avenue for a day as the street becomes a pedestrian promenade of stages, exhibitions and public discussions. This is the exact spot where riot police stopped the 1989 student march, and many visitors still pause to leave a candle at the memorial plaque.
Liechtenstein Palace Open Day (17 Nov 2026 | Liechtenstein Palace - Kampa (Lichtenstejnsky palac - Kampa))
Normally reserved for government receptions and visiting delegations, the Kampa palace opens to the public for this single day. It is a rare opportunity to see the interiors where official state business usually unfolds behind closed doors.
Krampus Show 2026 - Night Show (21 Nov 2026, 20:00-21:30, doors open 19:00 | Prague Exhibition Grounds, in front of the Industrial Palace)
Horned, fur-clad demons from the Alpine Krampus tradition descend on the square in front of the Art Nouveau Industrial Palace for the darker, more intense of the two evening performances. Bells, firelight and a genuinely eerie atmosphere make this the version pitched squarely at adults.
MINT Market Prague Christmas (28-29 Nov 2026, from 10:00 | Holesovice Market)
The Christmas edition of Prague's popular MINT design market fills the old market halls with Czech and Slovak designers selling fashion, jewellery, ceramics and gifts. It is a reliable spot for original presents without the mass-produced feel of larger Christmas markets.
Culture Events
Prague Sounds - The Festival (2-22 Nov 2026 | various locations across Prague)
Over three weeks, Prague's concert halls host international artists spanning jazz, classical and contemporary music. The programme's breadth means audiences can move from an intimate jazz set one evening to a full orchestral concert the next.
BOO International Short Film Festival (2-8 Nov 2026 | 4 locations)
Short films from around the world screen across four Prague venues over the course of a week. The format suits an evening of hopping between cinemas, catching a handful of features rather than committing to a single long programme.
One Flew Over the Puppeteer's Nest (4-8 Nov 2026)
This festival of puppet and alternative theatre celebrates a craft so deeply rooted in Czech and Slovak culture that UNESCO has listed it as intangible heritage. Expect inventive, often experimental productions that stretch what puppetry can mean on a modern stage.
Mezipatra Queer Film Festival (5-12 Nov 2026 | various locations across Prague)
The Czech Republic's dedicated queer film festival brings a week of international LGBTQ+ features, documentaries and shorts to screens across the city. Talks and parties accompany the screenings, giving the festival a social life well beyond the cinema seats.
Aussie & Kiwi Film Fest (6-12 Nov 2026 | 3 locations)
Australian and New Zealand cinema gets a dedicated showcase across three Prague venues. It is a niche but welcome addition to the city's packed autumn film calendar.
Ennio Morricone - Original Celebration Concert (11 Nov 2026, 19:00 | O2 universum)
Sweeping themes from Sergio Leone's westerns and other classic Morricone scores fill the arena for a single evening. Fans of cinematic music will recognise entire film scenes replaying in their heads as the orchestra works through the composer's catalogue.
Bohuslav Martinu Days (11 Nov-8 Dec 2026 | Liechtenstein Palace - Bohuslav Martinu Hall and Gallery Hall (Lichtenstejnsky palac - sal Bohuslava Martinu a sal Galerie))
Named for the Czech composer and timed to run up to his 8 December birthday, this chamber music festival unfolds in the Academy of Performing Arts' palace on Malostranske namesti. The intimate halls suit Martinu's chamber works far better than a large concert stage ever could.
National Gallery Prague Free Admission (17 Nov 2026, 10:00-18:00 | National Gallery Prague, selected permanent exhibitions)
On the 17 November public holiday, selected permanent exhibitions open their doors without charge. It is a fitting way to spend part of a day already dedicated to reflection and public memory.
French Film Festival (19-25 Nov 2026 | various locations across Prague)
New French cinema arrives in Prague with subtitled screenings of recent releases across the city's cinemas. The selection tends to favour the kind of films that rarely get wide distribution outside their home country.
Prague Theatre Festival of German Language (20 Nov-6 Dec 2026 | various locations across Prague)
Leading productions from Germany, Austria and Switzerland arrive on Prague stages, performed in German with Czech surtitles. The festival gives local audiences rare access to work that otherwise rarely tours this far east.
Kino Brasil (26-29 Nov 2026 | Bio Oko cinema)
Brazilian cinema takes over this beloved Letna neighbourhood cinema for four days. The programme offers a window into Brazilian storytelling rarely screened elsewhere in the city.
Czech Press Photo 2025 (until 30 Nov 2026 | National Museum New Building - Nova budova Narodniho muzea)
The winning images from the country's leading photojournalism competition remain on display through the end of the month. Walking the exhibition is a quick, sobering tour through the year's defining news moments as seen by Czech photographers.
Havel ALIVE! (5 Oct 2026-17 Jan 2027 | Prague Castle - Prazsky hrad)
Marking what would have been Vaclav Havel's 90th birthday, this multi-genre festival spreads theatre, film, music, design and public debate across the Castle complex. Among its highlights is an exhibition of Havel's restored presidential study, designed by Borek Sipek, giving visitors a rare, personal glimpse of the former president's working life.
Food and Drink
Whisky Life! Prague (6-7 Nov 2026 | New Town Hall - Novomestska radnice)
The Gothic halls of the New Town Hall host two days of whisky tasting, with Scotch, Irish, American, Japanese and Czech bottles all represented. Masterclasses run alongside the free tastings for those wanting to go deeper than a casual sip.
Restaurant Week - Autumn Edition (13 Oct-18 Nov 2026 | restaurants across Prague)
Restaurants across the city offer specially designed three-course tasting menus at a fixed price for this twice-yearly event. November marks the final stretch of the autumn edition, so it is the last real chance to book a table before the menus disappear.
St Martin's Toast (11 Nov 2026, 11:00 | Prague Botanical Garden - Botanicka zahrada hl. m. Prahy)
At precisely 11:11, glasses are raised to the year's first young St Martin's wine inside the Botanical Garden in Troja, home to its own historic St Clare vineyard. The setting among vines rather than market stalls gives this toast a quieter, more rural feel than the city-centre celebrations.
St Martin's Celebrations and Roast Goose (14 Nov 2026, 10:00-20:00 | Naplavka - Rasin Embankment (Rasinovo nabrezi))
Running the length of a full day along the Vltava, this riverside festival pairs roast goose, red cabbage and dumplings with glasses of young St Martin's wine. The embankment location makes it an easy stop for anyone already wandering along Naplavka's houseboats and cafes.
Letna Goose: St Martin's Wine Tasting (14 Nov 2026, from 10:00 | National Museum of Agriculture - Narodni zemedelske muzeum)
Goose specialities and a wine tasting take over the agriculture museum on Letna the same day as the Naplavka festival, but with a rooftop terrace offering views across the city as a bonus. It is a quieter, more panoramic alternative to the riverside crowds.
Karlin Goose (15 Nov 2026, 11:00-18:00 | Karlin Square - Karlinske namesti)
A Sunday goose feast settles over Karlin Square, combining roast goose specialities and young wine with the relaxed feel of a neighbourhood market. Coming the day after the main St Martin weekend, it offers one more chance to catch the tradition before it fades for the year.
Winter Apetit Picnic (21 Nov 2026, 9:00-18:00 | National Museum of Agriculture - Narodni zemedelske muzeum)
Small producers, chefs and food stalls fill the museum grounds for the winter edition of this gastronomy picnic. It is a good spot to pick up festive food gifts before the Christmas market rush begins in earnest.
Family Events
Harry Potter: The Exhibition (6 Aug 2026-21 Mar 2027 | PVA EXPO Prague Letnany, Hall 6)
Authentic costumes and props from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films fill this large interactive exhibition, which runs well into next year. Along the route, visitors choose a Hogwarts house, a wand and even a Patronus, turning the visit into a personal journey rather than a straightforward walk-through.
Sherlock Holmes: The Exhibition (ongoing through 10 Jan 2027 | Bila Labut department store)
Set inside a recreated Victorian London, this interactive exhibition hands visitors a case notebook to gather clues and work through an original mystery. Alongside the detective story runs a history of the real forensic science that inspired Arthur Conan Doyle's creation.
Small Eyes (7-8 Nov 2026 | 2 locations)
This weekend programme for children and families spreads across two Prague venues. It makes for an easy, low-pressure outing for parents looking to fill a November weekend without much planning.
Diwali - Festival of Lights (8 Nov 2026 | Prague Zoo)
Prague Zoo marks the Hindu festival of lights with an evening tied to its Indian Jungle pavilion and its Asian animal residents. Lights and an Indian cultural programme give the usual zoo visit a festive, after-dark twist.
Create Your Own Chocolate - Steiner & Kovarik (all November 2026, by reservation | Steiner & Kovarik, Prague)
Throughout November, this hands-on workshop lets children and adults make and decorate their own chocolate bars to take home. Spaces are by reservation only, so booking ahead is essential.
Krampus Show 2026 - Family Show (21 Nov 2026, 16:00-17:30, doors open 15:00 | Prague Exhibition Grounds, in front of the Industrial Palace)
Held in daylight earlier the same day as the night performance, this version of the Krampus Show softens the Alpine horned-demon tradition into something suitable for young children. The bells and costumes remain, but the tone is considerably gentler than after dark.
From candlelit remembrance to roast goose and young wine, from Velvet Revolution anniversaries to horned Alpine demons, Prague in November moves between solemnity and celebration almost daily. Whatever draws visitors in - a film festival, a chamber concert, or simply the smell of mulled wine drifting across a square - the city offers plenty of reasons to spend the month's shortening days outdoors before winter properly sets in.
