The three-day United Islands music festival, which gets underway in Prague on Thursday night, is being held this year for the 10th time. Performers will include visiting acts such as U.S. soul artist Aloe Blacc and Irish singer-songwriter Cathy Davey, as well as local outfits like Midi Lidi and the Plastic People of the Universe. However, the free event isnt actually taking place on an island this year. As final preparations were underway, I spoke to United Islands organizer David Gaydeka.

Please the Trees & Elpida, photo: Official website of Elpida Tonight we are starting with the traditional club night. Ten places, 10 clubs in Prague, will present the Czech contemporary scene. We have chosen bands that are new on the scene and are fresh, original and might be something really inspiring.

The first concert will start at the Nostick palace [Nostitz Palace], which is on Maltzsk nmst. Actually, its a Ministry of Culture building but theyve opened it for us. We start there with Please the Trees, a guitar band, playing with the Elpida vocal choir, and Never Sol, a new project.

And its all free?

Yes, the festival is all free. Access to all clubs and festival venues, including the open air part, is for free. No tickets, no limitations, you can take your dogs or kids and come and have a musical picnic.

In recent years, the festival has taken place on [the island] Steleck ostrov, near the National Theatre, but this year youve had to move it?

Yes. We already moved part of the festival in the autumn to the hills of Petn and to Kinskho zahrada [Kinsky Gardens], because we knew that Steleck ostrov was under reconstruction and it wasnt supposed to be done before our festival was supposed to start.

Ladronka, photo: Official website of Ladronka But actually after the floods the situation became so bad with all the parks I think today Kinskho zahrada is still closed to the public. We received information from the mayors office that the city wouldnt allow people into the parts of the park where we were supposed to hold the festival.

So we had to move it and we were very happy to hear that the city council of Prague 6 had welcomed us to Ladronka. They gave us all the permits we needed very quickly, so the festival will happen in Prague 6 at the park Ladronka, which is a beautiful, compact kind of place.

How many stages will you have at Ladronka?

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United Islands festival moves to Prague’s Ladronka on 10th birthday