A week that brings people together. The largest Romani festival, Khamoro, kicks off this Sunday

The best Romani artists from around the world and an unforgettable atmosphere. Starting Sunday, May 24, Prague will host the 28th annual edition of the world's largest Romani festival – Khamoro. Visitors can look forward to a total of seven concerts featuring traditional and contemporary Romani music, gypsy jazz, and classical music. The festival will also offer two dozen accompanying events, a large part of which are dedicated to commemorating the Romani Holocaust. The festival has been organized by Slovo 21 and Studio Production Saga since 1999. This year's edition is held under the auspices of the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel.

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"The musical program will once again show how incredibly diverse Romani music is. Every concert will be completely different. But they are all united by the atmosphere that makes Khamoro the most beautiful week of the year. A week when prejudices disappear for a moment and people are closer to one another. If the whole world looked like our festival, we would all be living much better," says the festival's producer and head dramaturg, Džemil Silajdžić.

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The festival, with the motto "Khamoro (the sun) shines for everyone," kicks off on Sunday, May 24, with the Khamoro party on Střelecký Island. Performers from the Czech Republic will appear at the contemporary Romani music concert. "Local bands are naturally the core of our festival. A total of twelve Romani groups from various parts of the country will perform at the concerts and accompanying events. And eighteen local amateur dance troupes will also arrive, which is roughly three hundred dancers," reveals festival spokesperson Vojtěch Lavička.

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Monday, May 25, and Tuesday, May 26, will belong to concerts of world-renowned gypsy jazz. "Truly the greatest masters of this genre will perform. For example, Reinhardt Sinti Jazz Ensemble from Germany and Basily Gipsy Band and Marius Preda from the Netherlands will arrive," adds the festival's producer and head dramaturg, Džemil Silajdžić.

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The biggest draw of the festival remains, year after year, the traditional Romani music concerts. Visitors will be able to enjoy these from Thursday, May 28, until Saturday, May 30, when Khamoro culminates with a final gala concert at the SaSaZu club. The local scene will be represented at the concerts by Gipsy Brothers with singer David Kraus. Romani artists from Bulgaria, Lithuania, Spain, Hungary, and Moldova will also be arriving.

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People will be able to see all the traditional bands along with hundreds of amateur dancers in the historic center of Prague during the participants' parade, which starts on Friday, May 29, at noon from Wenceslas Square.

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Khamoro is far more than just a music festival. This year’s program includes nearly twenty side events, a significant portion of which focuses on commemorating the Holocaust of Roma and Sinti—a tragedy often overlooked in European history.

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One of the most significant events of this year’s festival will be the exhibition "Ma Bistrass! – Let Us Not Forget!," which has already been seen by millions of visitors around the world. It features large-format portraits of Roma and Sinti survivors of Nazi persecution. The project was created by internationally acclaimed photographer Luigi Toscano, a UNESCO Artist for Peace. "When you look into these people's eyes, history suddenly stops being just a chapter in a textbook," says festival spokesperson Vojtěch Lavička.

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The exhibition will be on display at Kampa starting May 27. That same day, visitors can attend two guided tours with the photographer and a debate exploring how culture and art can help preserve the memory of the Roma Holocaust at a time when prejudice and social tension are once again resonating across Europe. The Roma Holocaust and its contemporary relevance will also be highlighted by the exhibition and performance When Numbers Cry by Alex Dzurko.

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The side program also features film screenings, storytelling, a children's day, school events, and theatrical performances. For example, the festival will present the production Rukeli about Sinti boxer Johann Trollmann, whose career and life were stolen by the Nazis, or the performance Black Partisan by Divadlo Minor, inspired by the life of Josef Serinek. The organizers have also introduced Puppet Debate – an unconventional discussion format, which originated at Prague's DAMU. In this format, anonymous participants represented by puppets will address pressing questions regarding the status of Roma in society.

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Khamoro attracts approximately 10,000 visitors annually. Over its 27-year history, about 280 bands from 40 countries have performed at the festival. Its primary goal is to bridge the gap between the Roma minority and the majority through culture and art.

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MEDIA CONTACTS

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Vojtěch Lavička

Press Spokesperson

Phone: +420 777 767 298

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Sára Procházková

Public Relations

Email: sara.prochazkova@slovo21.cz

Phone: +420 778 140 652