Prague’s central district has taken a firm stance against a new municipal decree that would allow outdoor music events to continue past 10 PM. The district council approved a list of objections on April 16, calling for either a complete withdrawal or substantial revision of the proposal spearheaded by City Councilor Adam Zábranský of the Pirate Party.
District Mayor Terezie Radoměřská (TOP 09) highlighted significant legal flaws in the decree, stating they are “practically impossible to fix without undermining the entire concept.” A major point of contention is the lack of requirement for event organizers to obtain approval from affected district authorities.
The proposal has also drawn criticism for its missing crucial definitions, including what constitutes “immediate surroundings” and “publicly accessible cultural venues.” District representatives argue that while the decree claims to build upon previous noise regulation efforts, it actually does the opposite by extending concert hours beyond quiet hours.
This isn’t the first time Prague has grappled with concert noise regulations. The issue previously came to a head during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding events at the former Braník ice houses, though the earlier version of the decree, which only applied to that specific venue, was never approved.
Notably, the current proposal doesn’t address noise limits at all. This stems from a 2015 amendment that removed musical productions from public health protection laws, meaning hygiene stations can no longer regulate them as noise. Instead, municipalities can only implement non-measurement-based regulations to balance public peace with cultural vitality.