How to do Signal Festival

Summer and all its free festivals and activities is over. But before the snow starts falling, we get one very special festival to welcome the winter: Signal Festival. This festival of lights is a full-scale event that integrates art and technology into Prague’s urban landscape. Even if you don’t feel like exploring the city, one of the most popular installations is just around the corner from University of New York in Prague. Every year at Namesti Miru, the Church of St. Ludmila becomes the canvas for an amazing video projection. 

If you’re a study abroad student or just new to Prague, this is a can’t-miss. So bundle up, and get ready to make new friends with our tips on how to get the most out of this Signal Festival!

Download the App

This year Signal Festival will be featuring 22 installations that will demonstrate the best of digital imaging and interactive art. The installations will be spread throughout the city, with a focus on Old Town. While Prague isn’t a big city, some of these art pieces will be tucked away in alleys and other hard-to-find places. With such a large program, it can be difficult to know where to begin. The festival’s official app offers a great guide to the entire festival, with an interactive map as well as descriptions so you can plan your route and chose what you want to see first.

Start Early

Running 12–15 October, Signal Festival has become a popular event. Only in its fourth year, it has attracted 1.5 million attendees cumulatively. Which means if you wait until the last day or later in the evening, you might miss out on some of the most popular installations. Since it runs from Thursday into the weekend, we’d suggest going during the week and earlier in the evening to avoid lines.

Dress Appropriately

As you move from installation to installation, you’ll be covering a lot of ground with few breaks. You’re going to be walking all over the city, so wear comfortable shoes that you can stand in for long periods. It’s also common to forget that October nights can be colder than expected. Wool scarves, hats and heavy coats are a good idea so you don’t shiver while you wait in line.

Sign Up for Their Newsletter

The organizers do a great job of updating festival goers of any changes or new additions to the program. For example, this year the famous Losers Cirque Company will be offering a unique acrobatic performance as part of the program and the newsletter was the first place to find out about tickets. The newsletter also offer details about specialized lecturers and other events.

We’ll be out there exploring the installations. Follow us on our Instagram if you’d like to follow along.