This August marks 57 years since Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia. The NeverMore 68 Festival at the Prague Exhibition Grounds remembers the occupation with a diverse programme — this year with a special focus on international perspectives.
On 21 August, it will be 57 years since Warsaw Pact troops invaded what was then Czechoslovakia. Under the title NeverMore 68, the Prague Exhibition Grounds (Výstaviště Praha) once again invite the public to a cultural and societal commemorative festival.
From 2 pm to 11.30 pm, visitors can expect a varied programme that this time especially examines the viewpoint of international media, governments, and institutions on the dramatic events of 1968. For the first time, the British Embassy in Prague and the British Council are also participating in the event.
For four years now, NeverMore 68 has been the largest private event on the topic of 1968 in Prague. The festival sees itself not only as a platform for remembrance but also as a place for exchange, discussion, and engagement with the country’s recent history. In addition to exhibitions, debate panels, and interactive installations, the award-winning drama Vlny (Waves) by director Jiří Mádl is also featured in the programme. Moreover, a special exhibition presents previously unknown British government documents, diplomatic dispatches, and newspaper reports from that time.
“The significance of this event is more relevant today than ever. Freedom, democracy, respect, and humanity are values we must defend — yesterday as today,” emphasises Tomáš Hübl, head of the Prague Exhibition Grounds. He is particularly looking forward to the contributions of the British partners and the perspectives with which the events were reported at the time.
The festival is organised by Výstaviště Praha in cooperation with numerous organisations such as Paměť národa (Post Bellum), the Museum of 20th Century Memory, gulag.cz, and other civil society initiatives. Those unable to attend in person have the opportunity to follow parts of the programme via Czech Radio or the livestream Dárek pro Putina.
Highlights include:
- Panel discussions and video talks with journalists, historians, and eyewitnesses
- Exhibitions about the events of 1968 and their international reactions
- Interactive installation “Mapy okupace”, visualising the course of the invasion and its consequences for the population
- Film screenings, including Jiří Mádl’s Vlny and Robert Kvalipl’s Velký vlastenecký výlet
Entry to the festival, as in previous years, is free.
NeverMore 68
August 21, from 14:00 to 23:30
Výstaviště Prague Holešovice
