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11th Czech Ukulele Festival will take place, HOORAY!

As always, it will take place on the last weekend of July, 28-30 7/2023, and as always in the wonderful Únětice Brewery on the outskirts of Prague and on Friday 7/28 in Kutná Hora

We are excited to personally welcome the phenomenal Feng E from Taiwan and Ukulele maestro Bartt Warburton from California.

Feng E is a prodigy from Taiwan and a star of America’s Got Talent and Asia’s Got Talent. He is one of the most watched young musicians on YouTube and this young virtuoso will amaze us all with his first performance in Europe.

Ukulele Bartt Warburton is another star of the international scene who participated in our festival in 2019, but only on-line due to the pandemic situation.

The participation of both of these two performers is a great rarity and an honor for us, as neither of them has ever been to the Czech Republic before.

Program & performers

Friday 28 / 7 / 2023 — Kutná Hora

The adress of the festival is available herePublic transport to Kutna hora is here.

15.00 Gabriela la Foley (UK) + Feng E (Taiwan) + Ukulele Bartt Warburton (USA)

16.00 Open Mic

17.00 Avei Varu Polynesia with Hinatea – workshop of Hula & polynesian dances

18.00 U-Kúže (CZ)

19.00 Dead Mans Uke (UK)

20.00 Pražský Ukulele Band a Tři bílé vrány (CZ + JP)

Saturday 29 / 7 / 2023 — Únětice

Full program of workshops

14.00 Open Mic

15.00 Gabriela la Foley (UK)

16.00 David Chen (Taiwan) & Vlas Procházka (CZ)

17.00 Peter Moss (UK)

18.00 Avei Varu Polynesia with Hinatea – dance show (Hula & Polynesian dances)

19.00 Amelia Coburn (UK)

20.00 Calico Ukulele (AT)

21.00 Dead Mans Uke (UK)

Sunday 30 / 7 / 2023 — Únětice

Full program of workshops

14.00 Open Mic

15.00 Ecce Uku (CZ)

16.00 Cleo (CZ)

17.00 Raffle
Thanks to our sponsors we will have several world class ukuleles available to win. We have 2 KoAloha ukuleles from Hawaii; 2 stunning hand made Brüko ukes from Germany and of course the Feng E signature model from Enya and many more!

18.00 Ukulada (Slovenia)

18.30 Playalong with Bartt and others
Now is the chance to shine with your uke, Ukulele Bartt will play a few songs with you, sing, play and jump as you like, all are welcome, from absolute beginners to living legends. Play-along the songbook here.

19.30 Ukulele Bartt Warburton (USA)

20.30 Feng E (Taiwan)

21.30 Grand Finale

Workshops

Please note, that apart from the absolute beginners workshops, you will be expected to bring your own instrument to play at the workshops, or tell us in advance.

Saturday 

 

Block 1  |  10:30 – 11:30

 

1. Dead Mans Uke: Building an act – from plucking to performing (EN)

Aimed at groups and performers - stage tips and advice on building an entertaining act. Please note you will not be learning a song during this workshop.

Level: All levels
Price: 350,- CZK

2. Amelia Coburn: Dublin Serenade – Jazz Chords and Leprechauns (EN)

Amelia will teach the classic Dublin Seranade, song and chords while also discussing inspiration and how it affects songwriting.

Level: Intermediate
Price: 350,- CZK

3. Ukulele Bartt Warburton: Time Signatures, Waltzes, and Tabs: How to read them, play them and write them (EN)

How do you play ¾ time? What about 6/8 time? What does that even mean? Bartt will teach you how to easily count these time signatures correctly, and we may even do something fancy like 5/4 time. You’ll also learn what makes a piece of music a waltz, and Bartt will show you how to write tabs for any piece of music. If you bring paper and pencils, you’ll be able to write tabs and charts during our workshop. We’ll write tabs together, including rests, chords and whatever else pops up. It’s fun, and easier than you probably think. We’ll also write a waltz together and play it as a group. Somebody might sing! Somebody might even dance! Bring your sense of humor!

Level: For everyone who knows their basic accords
Price: 350,- CZK

Block 2  |  Saturday  11:45 – 12:45

 

1. Peter Moss: Intermediate Fingerpicking (EN)

As an alternative to constant strumming, fingerpicking is the perfect solution. We will learn 3 distinct patterns and play them over a set of nice chords that will give the whole workshop experience a happy feel. These patterns can be used in many other pieces that are four beats to the Bar and will improve your playing technique 10 fold overnight.

Level: Intermediate
Price: 350,- CZK

2. Dead Mans Uke: The Fine Art of Dum Ching (EN)

The Fine art of dum Ching ideal for beginners, we work through an old song and give it the DMU treatment covering chords, picking patterns and more.

Level: Intermediate
Price: 350,- CZK

3. David Chen: Two finger style – Traditional Hawaiian ukulele style (EN)

What's two finger style? When your index finger plays melody, while your thumb plays the harmony to create a rich wave-like rhythm. In this workshop you will learn it step-by-step, but also when to use it and how to apply it technique to a song.

Level: Intermediate
Price: 350,- CZK

4. Marcela Brožová – Absolute beginners for adults and children (CZ/EN)

Take your first step to playing the ukulele and sign up for a beginner's workshop with Marcela.

Ukes can be borrowed.

Price: 300 CZK

Sunday 

 

Block 3  |  11:00 – 12:00

 

1. Gabriela la Foley: FIND YOUR INNER UKULELE CONFIDENCE (EN)

Don’t be stuck in the beginners level. Play the ukulele confidently. How to deal with ma-king a mistake when performing. Opening and closing a song. Music session and stage etiqu-ette. We will learn to play at least one song without looking at lyrics or chords. This is workshop of Ukulele Happiness!

Level: Beginners and better:)
Price: 350,- CZK

4. Marcela Brožová – Absolute begginers, for children and adults (CZ/EN)

Take your first step to playing the ukulele and sign up for a beginner's workshop with Marcela.

Ukes can be borrowed.

Price: 300 CZK

3. Feng E: Brushing the strings (EN)

Learn to play like Feng E. Brushing the strings and making his distinctive style. Ideal for those who can already sing and play at the same time, but you don´t have to sing if you don´t want to.

Level: Intermediate
Price: 350,- CZK

4. Calico Ukulele: Sway (EN)

Juliana, Tina and Albert will present this highly entertaining workshop and teach you how to play the song “Sway”. This workshop has something for everyone, if you can already play 4 or 6 chords, then you can do it, of you are more advanced, then you can also get a lot from it.

Level: Slightely advanced
Price: 350,- CZK

Block 4  |  12:15 – 13:15

 

1. Peter Moss: Uke & Sing – Silly Love Songs (EN)

"Silly Love Songs" were written by Paul McCartney and Wings. This is a workshop explores how to create an arrangement for the ukulele. There are only 6 chords so very easy to participa-te. The arrangement will also look at different and overlapping vocal parts so bring your best singing voice to the party. This could be classed as a Fun Shop rather than a workshop.

Level: Beginners
Price: 350,- CZK

2. Ukulele Bartt Warburton: Ice Cream and Blues Patterns in Every Key plus a Bonus: Intro to Fingerpicking (EN)

How do musicians jam with each other, even when they’ve never met before or heard the song before? They recognise patterns. And so will you, after this groovy workshop with Bartt. You’ll discover how to play Ice Cream patterns, even if you don’t know what they are yet. You’ll also learn how to play Blues in any key. We’ll write a blues song as a group, and then we’ll play and sing it. If we’re lucky, we’ll get loud and rock the house! We will also do a bit of fingerpicking, which Bartt will demonstrate and explain clearly. The emphasis is on fun, while you learn stuff and exercise your fingers and vocal cords!

Level: For everyone who knows their basic accords
Price: 350,- CZK

3. Mirek Pátek: Low G ukulele – Can we play it like a "small guitar"? (CZ/AJ)

Our model will be the bluegrass guitar (Lester Flatt played it with thumbpick and index fingerpick) and we will explore the possibilities of the boom-chuck rhythm alternating the single note and the strummed chord. Unlike the chord-melody style, where the melody is on the highest string, our "walking bass" or even the melody will be played on thick strings. The plastic thumbpick (or the flatpick) helps to emphasise those low notes, the optional fingerpick on the index finger helps to highlight the off-beat notes. We will discuss the five best major keys suitable for this style (C, D, F, G, A).

Preview of the play style

Level: Intermediate
Price: 350,- CZK

4. Ondřej Šárek - Songs by Jaroslav Ježek for ukulele

In the workshop we will learn how to play two well-known songs that are beautiful in both their melody and harmony. We will play in a chord-melodic style. The songs are adapted for ukulele with a high G string.

Vycházím z knihy: „Jaroslav Ježek v úpravě pro ukulele“

Level: Intermediate
Price: 350,- CZK

Songbook 2023

Download the Songbook

Tickets — pre-sale started

The tickets will be also available to buy at the festival, but we prefer online pre-sales, which are cheaper too.

Tickets for the evening performances will be available for purchase at the festival, however, all tickets will be more expensive after the presale ends.

Saturday: 600 CZK / discounted 400 CZK
Nedělní: 600 CZK / discounted 400 CZK
– 
Full weekend ticket:: 1 100 CZK / discounted 800,- Kč
Family tickets: na celý víkend: 2 200,- Kč / jednodenní: 1.300,- Kč

Discounted tickets: The following are entitled to discounted admission: ZTP, ZTP / P, children up to 15 years (inclusive) and students with a student card.

Family ticketsvalid for 2 adults and 2 children up to 15 years old.

Buy the tickets Support us and get rewards!

This year, after 10 successful festivals, we need your help. The cost inflation of international participation has exceeded our capabilities and so we prepared a list of rewards for donations on the crowdfunding platform Donio.cz

We hope that together we will be able to continue in this great summer event and we will be happy if you buy tickets and also support the festival at Donio.cz

Festival T-shirts

Unique festival T-shirts are discounted this year when purchasing tickets to the festival.

DISCOUNT 25 %:

When you buy 3 one-day or all-weekend tickets, you get a 25 % discount on the price of one festival T-shirt.

You apply the discount by forwarding the order to: sleva@ukulelefestival.cz

Pre-order T-shirts at: t-shirt@ukulelefestival.cz

Price 400,- CZK per any size of the T-shirt

Contact Us

Festival director

Ben Anderson

ukefest@email.cz
+420 602 267 684

Press & marketing

Tereza Novotná

novot.terka@email.cz
+420 721 315 327

ICT production

Dan Šilhavý

dan@silhavy.work
+420 608 731 222

The festival happens every year in Únětice village close to Prague. Únětice Brewery. The festival is being run under the auspices of the Society for the Renewal of Únětice Culture, a non-profit organisation, reg No. 68378939.

You can reach us also via Facebook.

How to get to the festival

Kutná Hora

On Friday the 28th we take the festival to Kutná Hora for the second time. Situated in the park next to the glorious St Barbara abbey, we will present a varied program of concerts headed by The Prague Ukulele Band and 3 white ravens.

The best way to reach Kutná Hora from Prague is by train from Prague main station, purchase a ticket to Kutná Hora, Město and you change trains at Kutna Hora to the tiny train that will take you to the centre.

Direct trains leave from Prague station every two hours at: 10.06, 12.06, 14.06 etc. Trains back leave at 18.46, 20.30, and 22.34 , there is also a bus from Kutna Hora that takes you to the train at Kolin which leaves at 21.38. More information is available on: idos.cz.

Kutná Hora ukulele

 

Únětice

Illustrated map of Únětice

Autem

Únětice is situated just outside of Prague and is a 15 minute drive from the airport.. If you are arriving by car from Prague, we recommend that you drive via Roztoky or Suchdol. From the airport or highway, we recommend to reach Únětice from the North. On the upper, northern side of Únětice there is plenty of available parking space, near the Sokolovna pub and in the housing development Svaty Jan above the pub. Please be considerate to the residents and do not block access to houses and garages.

Parking

Public transport

Public transport in Prague is usually easy and efficient.

Local bus timetable is available here..

The last bus from Únětice to Dejvická metro station leaves at 23.29. Make sure you don't miss it!

On the festival days, we will have extra public transport links available, especially the last buses to Horoměřice and Prague. If you are in accommodation in Suchdol, you can catch a 147 or 107 bus towards Prague and get off at Podbaba where you can catch the 355 to Horoměřice.

From Prague there is a bus line 355 going to Únětice.
Name of that bus station is Horoměřická.

Tickets

Při cestování po Praze zpravidla vybíráte jízdenku na 30 minut za 30,- Kč nebo jízdenku na 90 minut za 40,- Kč. Jízdenky zakoupíte na všech stanicích metra. Únětice ale jsou mimo Prahu, proto tato jízdenka není dostatečná. Máte v zásadě dvě možnosti:

→ Rovnou si koupit kombinovanou jízdenku za 50,- Kč, která platí po Praze i do Únětic (doporučeno)
→ Jestli už máte zakoupenou jízdenku po Praze, musíte u řidiče autobusu doplatit 20,- Kč. Hlídejte si čas, cesta busem trvá cca 22 minut.

Keep your tickets with you as the fines are nasty.

Taxi

Nedoporučujeme Vám chytit si taxi na ulici. Lepší je se s nimi dopředu telefonicky spojit. Běžně užívám AAA taxi, číslo na jejich dispečing je: 14014.

Prices for MHD to the festival:

If you have a Prague pass, the extra cost to get to Únětice is 20 CZK each way, and you can pay the driver of the 355 bus. In Prague, single ticket for 30 minutes cost 30 ,- CZK and for 90minutes the cost is 40 CZK.

Emergency numbers

Fire - 150
Medical Emergency (Ambulance/First Aid) - 155
Prague City Police - 156
Police - 158

Accommodation

VThere is limited accommodation available directly in the village, and most is reserved for the performers.

Camping

There will be a small basic camp site available in a garden close to the festival site, the camp site has a port-a-loo and a wash station but no showers. The exact location will be shown on the festival map.

Hotel Modrá Stodola

We have agreed excellent terms for festival goers at the Hotel Modrá Stodola. Modrá stodola v Horoměřicích. This village is just 2 km from where the festival takes place in Únětice and there is a direct bus link.

Penzion U Nováků

We can also recommend Penzion U Novákůover the hill in Roztoky. Unfortunatelly no direct bus, but a 40 minute walk from the festival or a short car ride.

Other local hotels:
Hotel Carl Inn – Suchdol
Pension Jasoň – Velké Přílepy

Budget variant

You can stay in the Czech University of Life Sciences Halls of Residence..
Of course, if you want to combine the festival with a stay in the beautiful city of Prague, there are hundreds of hotels throughout the city and the festival site is easily accessible by public transport. You can also choose Airbnb.

Sponsors

The Central Bohemian region has been our partner since 2016, and we are very grateful for that.

Media partners

Thanks to sponsors

An event such as ours is not possible to put on without sponsorship from our partners. Whether they help financially or just donate something to the raffle. They are all valued partners and we say thank you.!

Main sponsors

Enya Music
Big thank you to our main festival partner.

Taiwan Ministry of Culture - The Ministry of Culture (文化部)
We are proud to have received support from this important institution this year.

The Central Bohemian region
The Central Bohemian region is our partner since 2016, and we are very grateful to the region for that.

The Village of Únětice
We would like to thank the local authority for their support (and in some cases tolerance) of the project.

Kutná Hora
Děkujeme městu Kutná Hora za jejich pžízeň a podporu.

Letiště Praha
Velmi nás těší a jsme vděčni za podporu Letišti Praha.

Brüko Ukuleles
Každoročně nám německý výrobce ukulelí daruje do tomboly ručně vyráběné ukulele.

Philip Morris ČR
Děkujeme firmě Philip Moris za jejich podporu.

Ohana Music
Vynikající kalifornský výrobce ukulelí, který nám do tomboly daruje svá ručně vyráběná ukulele.

Kaloha & Gute Ukulele
Musíme poděkovat těmto vynijakícím organizacím za vstčícnost a poděkovat jim.

Únětický Pivovar – Brewery
The brewery has enthusiastically served as the host for the festival and also contributes food and drink for the performers, and have supported the project since its inception.

U Parlamentu
We would like to thank the owners of the restaurant U Parlamentu in Kaprova street, Prague 1 for their financial support for the third year running. When in the centre, a good place for a beer and a meal.

Society for the Renewal of Únětice Culture
The local village cultural society is the umbrella association for the event.

Respekt
Děkujeme týdenníku Respekt za jejich podporu

Ukeshop.cz
The only specialist ukulele outlet in the country has donated a couple of instruments to the raffle.

Risa Musical Instruments
Rick Sauer from Risa in Germany will be donating a couple of his Koki´o ukulelel to the raffle.

Prague Music Center
Děkujeme Pražsému Music Centru (Henry’s strings) za letoší podporu.

Flight Ukuleles
Naši slovinští přátelé darovali pár ukulelí do tomboly.

Expats.cz and Howlings company
We truly thank Howlings company for the needed marketing support of the festival on the server Expats.cz.