Colours of Ostrava, or simply Colours, is a multi-genre festival, the biggest international music festival in the Czech Republic and one of the biggest music events in Central Europe, held every summer since 2002 in

Ostrava Ostrava (; pl, Ostrawa; german: Ostrau ) is a city in the north-east of the Czech Republic, and the capital of the Moravian-Silesian Region. It has about 280,000 inhabitants. It lies from the border with Poland, at the confluences of four rive ...

, the third biggest city in the country. Colours features 16 stages including 4 big open-air stages (the main one with a capacity of 15,000), 6 indoor stages, a theatre stage, a workshop stage, a kids' stage, a cinema and live discussions. It features performers from all major

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...

genres as well as

avant-garde music Avant-garde music is music that is considered to be at the forefront of innovation in its field, with the term "avant-garde" implying a critique of existing aesthetic conventions, rejection of the status quo in favor of unique or original elemen ...

and world music. Until 2012 Colours took place in the well-known

Silesian Ostrava Castle Silesian Ostrava Castle is a castle in Ostrava, in the northeastern Czech Republic. It was originally built in the 1280s near the confluence of the Lučina and Ostravice rivers. The castle was built for military purposes due to its proximity to th ...

entertainment district and on the ''Černá louka'' Fairgrounds, as well as at other places in the city centre. In 2010, attendance exceeded 30,000 and it became the first festival in the Czech Republic to be sold out a month in advance. In 2011, the festival celebrated its 10th anniversary, being held from 14 to 17 July. Since 2012 the festival takes place on recultivated brownfields in the Vítkovice city district.

History

2002 (1st year): More than 300 musicians in 50 bands and 24 DJs, out of which 14 were from abroad, including: Senses (FR), Transsylvanians (HU + DE), Uado Taraban (PL), Carantuohill (PL), Africa Mma. The festival took place at 6 scenes (3 outdoor and 3 indoor). About 8,000 visitors attended Colours of Ostrava in 2002. 2003 (2nd year): More than 500 musicians in 60 bands and 27 DJs, out of which 16 were from abroad, including: Goran Bregovic & Wedding and Funeral Band (Eastern Europe), Geoffrey Oryema (Uganda),

Kosheen Kosheen are a British electronic music group based in Bristol, United Kingdom. The group consist of singer-songwriter Sian Evans, songwriter-producer Markee Ledge and producer-songwriter Darren Decoder. The name Kosheen derives from the name of ...

(GB), Oi-Va-Voi (GB), Sheva (Israel), Te Vaka (Polynesia), ZikFa (FR), Drum Machina (PL), Hey (PL), Korai Öröm (HU). The festival took place at 9 scenes (6 outdoor and 4 indoor). About 9,000 visitors attended Colours of Ostrava in 2003. 2004 (3rd year): 384 musicians in 64 bands and 22 DJs, out of which 26 were from abroad, including:

Natacha Atlas Natacha Atlas ( ar, نتاشا أطلس}; born 20 March 1964) is an Egyptian-Belgian singer known for her fusion of Arabic and Western music, particularly hip-hop. She once termed her music "'' cha'abi moderne''" (modern popular music). Her mu ...

(GB),

Bob Geldof Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof (; born 5 October 1951) is an Irish singer-songwriter, and political activist. He rose to prominence in the late 1970s as lead singer of the Rock music in Ireland, Irish rock band the Boomtown Rats, who achieved ...

(IE),

Rachid Taha Rachid Taha ( ar, رشيد طه, Latn, ar, Rashīd Ṭāhā, ; 18 September 1958 – 12 September 2018) was an Algerian singer and activist based in France described as "sonically adventurous". His music was influenced by many different styles i ...

(Algeria/FR),

Zion Train Zion Train are a British dub ensemble that formed in Oxford, 1988. They have consistently released music and toured from 1992 to present day. Their mix of reggae and dance music was a notable innovation in the early 1990s. History Co-founder ...

(GB), So Kalmery (DR Congo), Duoud (Algeria/FR), Kanjar'Oc (FR), Urban Trad (B), Oyster band (GB), B. Traore (Mali), Elliot Murphy (USA/FR), UR'IA (BY), Haydamaky (UA). The festival took place at 7 scenes (4 outdoor and 3 indoor). About 10,000 visitors attended Colours of Ostrava in 2004. 2005 (4th year): More than 700 musicians in more than 100 bands and 25 DJs, out of which 30 were from abroad, including: George Clinton Parliament/Funkadelic (USA),

Asian Dub Foundation Asian Dub Foundation (ADF) is an English electronic music band that combines musical styles including rap rock, dub, dancehall, ragga, and South Asian music. The group also includes traditional rock instruments such as electric bass and gui ...

(GB), Fun-Da-Mental (GB), Transglobal Underground (GB),

Alabama 3 Alabama 3 are a British/English musical group founded in Brixton, London in 1995. They are best known for their track "Woke Up This Morning", which was used for the opening credits of the TV series ''The Sopranos''. In the United States, the ...

(GB), Mariza (PT),

The Klezmatics The Klezmatics are an American klezmer music group based in New York City, who have achieved fame singing in several languages, most notably mixing older Yiddish tunes with other types of more contemporary music of differing origins. They have ...

(USA), Farlanders (RU), Septeto Nacional (CU), Enzo Avitabile (IT), Daara J, Alif (SEN). The festival took place at 8 scenes (6 outdoor and 2 indoor). About 12,000 visitors attended Colours of Ostrava in 2005. 2006 (5th year): More than 750 musicians in 123 bands, out of which 33 were from abroad, including:

Salif Keita Salif Keïta () (born 25 August 1949) is a Malian singer-songwriter, referred to as the "Golden Voice of Africa". He is a member of the Keita royal family of Mali. Biography Early life Salif Keita was born a traditional prince in the village o ...

Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the English rock band Led Zeppelin for all of its existence from 1968 until 1980, when the band broke up following the ...

Gogol Bordello Gogol Bordello is an American punk rock band from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, formed in 1999 by musicians from all over the world and known for theatrical stage shows and persistent touring. Much of the band's sound is inspired by Ro ...

, Resin Dogs,

The Frames The Frames are an Irish rock band based in Dublin. Founded in 1990 by Glen Hansard, the band has been influential in the Dublin rock music scene. The group has released six studio albums. In addition to Hansard, the band's current line-up incl ...

Delirious? Delirious? (formerly known as The Cutting Edge Band) were an English contemporary Christian music, contemporary Christian band. For the majority of their career, the lineup featured Martin Smith (English musician), Martin Smith on vocals and gu ...

, Woven Hand,

Cheikh Lo Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...

, Senses, Rabasa, Oojami, Mariem Hasan, Titi Robin, Mojmir Novakovic, Dubioza, Zakopower, Bingui Jaa Jammy, Zagar, Sergnet Peper, Funset, Canaman, Stephan Micus. The festival took place at 12 scenes (6 outdoor and 6 indoor). About 16,000 visitors attended Colours of Ostrava in 2006. 2007 (6th year): The festival featured e.g.:

Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (born 29 December 1946) is an English singer and actress. She achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her hit single " As Tears Go By" and became one of the lead female artists during the British I ...

Mando Diao Mando Diao is an alternative rock band from Borlänge, Sweden. The band got their breakthrough with the release of the album ''Hurricane Bar''. Their main fan base is in Sweden, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan. Band members are Björn Di ...

Bajofondo Tango Club Bajofondo is a Río de la Plata-based music band consisting of eight musicians from Argentina and Uruguay, which aims to create a more contemporary version of tango and other musical styles of the Río de la Plata region. It was founded in the ear ...

Gipsy Kings Gipsy Kings are a group of flamenco, salsa, and pop musicians from Arles and Montpellier in southern France, who perform mostly in Catalan but also mix in Spanish with southern French dialects. Although the group members were born in France, t ...

Coldcut Coldcut are an English electronic music duo composed of Matt Black and Jonathan More. Credited as pioneers for pop sampling in the 1980s, Coldcut are also considered the first stars of UK electronic dance music due to their innovative style, ...

Yungchen Lhamo Yungchen Lhamo (Tibetan: དབྱངས་ཅན་ལྷ་མོ, ''lhamo'' meaning "goddess of song") is a Tibetan singer-songwriter living in the United States. She won the ARIA Award for Best World Music Album in 1995 and was then signed ...

Vinicio Capossela Vinicio Capossela (born 14 December 1965) is an Italian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. Capossela is renowned for the highly original and poetic lyrics of his songs. Many of them draw from traditions of Italian folk music, especially those ...

Orange Blossom Orange Blossom is a French band that plays a mix of electronic and world music. The band was formed in Nantes in 1993 with Pierre-Jean Chabot (known as ''PJ Chabot'') on violin and Jean-Christophe Waechter (known as ''Jay C.'') on percussions ...

, The Idan Raichel project, Ba Cissoko,

Goran Bregovic Goran may refer to: Ethnic groups *Gorane, or Goran, an ethnic group of northern Africa *Goran (Kurdish tribe), an ethnic group of the Middle East *Gorani (ethnic group), an ethnic group of the southeastern Europe Other uses *Göran, a Swedis ...

Richard Bona Richard Bona (born 28 October 1967) is a Cameroon-born American multi-instrumentalist and singer. Early life Bona Penda Nya Yuma Elolo was born in Minta, Cameroon, into a family of musicians, which enabled him to start learning music from a y ...

Balkan Beat Box Balkan Beat Box (BBB) is an Israeli musical group. Founded by Tamir Muskat and Ori Kaplan in 2003, BBB was later joined by Tomer Yosef who became a core member. The group plays Mediterranean-influenced music that incorporates Jewish, Southeastern ...

, Watcha clan, J. Gasparyan,

Salsa Celtica Salsa Celtica are a Scottish group that plays a fusion of salsa music with traditional Scottish instruments, including elements of folk and jazz. History Salsa Celtica was formed in 1995 by Scottish jazz and folk musicians. In 1997 they visite ...

, Alfonso X, OSB Crew,

CocoRosie CocoRosie is an American musical group formed in 2003 by sisters Sierra Rose "Rosie" and Bianca Leilani "Coco" Casady. The group's music has been described as folktronica, freak folk and "New Weird America", and incorporates elements of pop, blu ...

, David Hykes, Martyna Jakubowicz, Saucy Monky. In 2007, for the first time, the attendance of Colours of Ostrava was over 20,000 visitors. Jamie Cullum at Colours of Ostrava 2009

2008 (7th year): The festival featured e.g.:

Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor on 8 December 1966; ) is an Irish singer-songwriter. Her debut album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her second album, ''I Do Not Want What ...

Goldfrapp Goldfrapp are an English electronic music duo from London, formed in 1999. The duo consists of Alison Goldfrapp (vocals, synthesiser) and Will Gregory (synthesiser). Despite favourable reviews and a short-listing for the Mercury Prize, their ...

Happy Mondays Happy Mondays are an English rock band formed in Salford in 1980. The original line-up was Shaun Ryder (vocals), his brother Paul Ryder ( bass), Gary Whelan (drums), Paul Davis (keyboard), and Mark Day (guitar). Mark "Bez" Berry later joined t ...

, Jan Garbarek Group and Trilok Gurtu,

, Habib Koite, Dandy Warhols, Koop, Lou Rhodes, Shantel and Bucovina Club Orkestar, Daby Toure, Hawkwind, Noa, Sergant Garcia, Inga Liljestrom, Craig Adams and The Higher Dimension Praise, Recycler, Tim Eriksem, Tanya Tagaq, Les Boukakes, Irfan,

Deva Premal Deva Premal (born 2 April 1970 in Nürnberg, Germany, as Jolantha Fries) is a singer known for introducing Sanskrit mantras into the mainstream. Her meditative, spiritual music — composed and produced with Prabhu Music — puts ancient Tibeta ...

and Miten, Tosh Meets Marley, A Filleta and others. About 22,000 visitors attended. 2009 (8th year): 99 music bands (35 from abroad), including:

Ahn Trio The Ahn Trio is a classical piano trio composed of three sisters: Angella (violin), Lucia (piano), and Maria (cello) Ahn; Lucia and Maria are twins. Born in Seoul, Korea, they moved to New York City in 1981, and began their training at the Juilli ...

David Byrne David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...

Jamie Cullum Jamie Cullum (born 20 August 1979) is an English jazz-pop singer, songwriter and radio presenter. Although primarily a vocalist and pianist, he also accompanies himself on other instruments, including guitar and drums. He has recorded nine stu ...

Jape Jape is a synonym for a practical joke. Jape or JAPE may also refer to: * Jape (band), an Irish electronic/rock band * JAPE (linguistics), a transformation language widely used in natural language processing * JAPE, an automated pun generator * J ...

Johnny Clegg Jonathan Paul Clegg, (7 June 195316 July 2019) was a South African musician, singer-songwriter, dancer, anthropologist and anti-apartheid activist, some of whose work was in musicology focused on the music of indigenous South African people ...

, Jon Anderson, KTU, LA-33,

Michael Nyman Michael Laurence Nyman, Order of the British Empire, CBE (born 23 March 1944) is an English composer, pianist, libretto, librettist, musicologist, and filmmaker. He is known for numerous film soundtrack, scores (many written during his length ...

Band,

Morcheeba Morcheeba is an English electronic band formed in the mid-1990s with founding members vocalist Skye Edwards and the brothers Paul and Ross Godfrey. They mix influences from trip hop, rock music, rock, folk rock and downtempo, and have produced ...

, Maceo Parker, Mamady Keita, Mercury Rev, N.O.H.A., Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Speed Caravan, Stereo MCs, Diwan Project, Nina Stiller, Dikanda,

Glenn Kaiser Glenn Kaiser (born January 21, 1953) is a Chicago-based Christian blues musician, singer, songwriter and pastor. He was the leader of Resurrection Band and is currently the leader of The Glenn Kaiser Band. Personal life Childhood Kaiser's ol ...

Band,

The Violet Burning The Violet Burning is an independent American Christian alternative rock band based in Boston, Massachusetts. The band was formed in 1989 in Orange County, California by Michael J. Pritzl. The band is the project of singer, songwriter and guit ...

, Terl Bryant & Red Drum, Svjata Vatra, and many others. The attendance was about 25,000 visitors. 2010 (9th year): More than 100 bands (39 from abroad), including:

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...

The Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave ...

The Cranberries The Cranberries were an Irish rock band formed in Limerick, Ireland. Originally named the Cranberry Saw Us, the band were formed in 1989 by lead singer Niall Quinn, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler. Quinn was ...

Regina Spektor Regina Ilyinichna Spektor (russian: Регинa Ильинична Спектор, ; born February 18, 1980) is a Russian–born American singer, songwriter, and pianist. After self-releasing her first three records and gaining popularity in ...

Afro Celt Sound System Afro Celt Sound System is a British musical group who fuse electronic music with traditional Gaelic and West African music. Afro Celt Sound System was formed in 1995 by producer-guitarist Simon Emmerson, and feature a wide range of guest artists. ...

, The Gypsy Queens and Kings,

Jaga Jazzist Jaga Jazzist (also known as Jaga) is a Norwegian experimental jazz band, that rose to prominence when the BBC named their second album, ''A Livingroom Hush'' (Smalltown Supersound/Ninja Tune), the best jazz album of 2002. (in Norwegian) Biograph ...

El Gran Silencio El Gran Silencio is a rock en español band from Monterrey, Mexico that blends a variety of rock, reggae, dancehall, and hip-hop influences with traditional Latin American musical forms such as cumbia, vallenato and Norteño. Their lyrics tend ...

Erik Truffaz Erik Truffaz (born 3 April 1960 in Chêne-Bougeries, Switzerland) is a French jazz trumpeter, infusing elements of hip hop, rock and roll and dance music into his compositions. Early life Truffaz was introduced to music by his father, a saxop ...

Paris Project,

Porcupine Tree Porcupine Tree are an English rock band formed by musician Steven Wilson in 1987. During an initial career spanning more than twenty years, they earned critical acclaim from critics and fellow musicians, developed a cult following, and became ...

, Dulsori, Peyoti for President, Alamaailman Vasarat, Huong Thanh, A Hawk and a Hacksaw, Valravn, Maria Kalaniemi, Nive Nielsen,

Mor Karbasi Mor Karbasi (born April 23, 1986) is a singer-songwriter born in Jerusalem, and now based in Seville after five years in London. One of her main projects is Ladino music, also known as Judezmo, Spanyolit, or Sephardic—the ancient language and ...

, Oy Division, Acoustic Ladyland, Iarla O'Lionáird,

Alejandro Toledo Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique (; born 28 March 1946) is a Peruvian politician who served President of Peru, from 2001 to 2006. He gained international prominence after leading the opposition against president Alberto Fujimori, who held ...

and the Magic Tombolinos, Mokoomba, Open Hands,

The Proclaimers ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

, Sophie Hunger, Zion Train, Dubmarine, Zagar, Etna Kontrabande, Marky Ramone's Blitzkrieg, Don Blackman, Fernando Saunders, José James, Lord Bishop Rocks, New York Ska Jazz Ensemble, Thierry Arpino & Essouna, Brooklyn Funk Essentials. The attendance was almost 30,000 visitors, and for the first time, the festival was sold out before the opening. 2011 (10th year):

Grinderman Grinderman was an Australian-American rock band that formed in London, England, in 2006. The band included Nick Cave (vocals, guitar, organ, piano), Warren Ellis (tenor guitar, electric mandolin, violin, viola, guitar, backing vocals), Martyn ...

(UK),

(Mali),

Public Image Ltd Public Image Ltd (abbreviated and stylized as PiL) are an English post-punk band (and incorporated limited company) formed by singer John Lydon (previously known as the singer of Sex Pistols), guitarist Keith Levene, bassist Jah Wobble, and dr ...

(UK),

Yann Tiersen Yann Tiersen (born 23 June 1970) is a French Breton musician and composer. His musical career is split between studio recordings, music collaborations and film soundtracks songwriting. His music incorporates a large variety of classical and c ...

(France),

Clannad Clannad () is an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, including f ...

(Ireland), Balkan Brass Battle (Romania/Serbia),

Swans Swans are birds of the family Anatidae within the genus ''Cygnus''. The swans' closest relatives include the geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometim ...

(US),

Apollo 440 Apollo 440 (also known as Apollo Four Forty or @440) are a British electronic music group formed in Liverpool in 1990. The group has written, recorded, and produced five studio albums, collaborated with and produced other artists, remixed as ...

(UK),

Brendan Perry Brendan Michael Perry (born 30 June 1959) is a British singer and multi-instrumentalist best known for his work as half of the duo Dead Can Dance with Lisa Gerrard. Early life Perry was born in Whitechapel, London, England, UK, in 1959 to a mot ...

(UK),

Santigold Santi White (born September 25, 1976), known professionally as Santigold (formerly Santogold), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. '' Billboard'' presented her in 2022, saying: "Spanning punk rock, hip-hop, and dance music, S ...

(US),

The Horrors The Horrors are an English rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea in 2005, consisting of lead vocalist Faris Badwan, guitarist Joshua Hayward, keyboardist and synthesizer player Tom Furse, bassist Rhys Webb, and drummer and percussionist Joe Spurg ...

(UK),

Semi Precious Weapons Semi Precious Weapons was an American rock band from New York City, New York, United States, consisting of Justin Tranter on vocals, Stevy Pyne on guitar, Cole Whittle on bass and Dan Crean on drums. Pyne replaced former guitarist, Aaron Lee Tasja ...

(US),

The Herbaliser The Herbaliser is an English jazz hip hop group formed by Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba in London, England during the early 1990s. Although currently releasing on their own label and having previously been signed to !K7 Records, they were one o ...

(UK),

Blackfield Blackfield is a collaborative music project by the English musician and founder of Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson, and Israeli rock singer Aviv Geffen. Together, six albums have been released under the moniker. The first two records, ''Black ...

(UK/Israel),

Lisa Hannigan Lisa Margaret Hannigan (born 12 February 1981) is an Irish musician, singer, composer, and voice actress. She began her musical career as a member of Damien Rice's band. Since beginning her solo career in 2007 she has released three albums: ''Se ...

(Ireland),

Joan As Police Woman Joan Wasser (born July 26, 1970) is an American musician, singer-songwriter and producer who releases music as Joan As Police Woman. She began her career playing violin with the Dambuilders and played with Black Beetle, Antony and the Johnsons, a ...

(US), Andreya Triana (UK), N.O.H.A. – Circus Underground (Spain, Germany, USA, CR), Mono (Japonsko),

Dubioza kolektiv Dubioza kolektiv (also known simply as Dubioza) is a Bosnian avant-garde dub rock group known for their crossover style that incorporates elements of hip hop, dub, ska, reggae, rock, punk, electronic music, and Balkan music, and for their soci ...

(Bosnia and Herzegovina), Luísa Maita (Brazil), Bomba Estéreo (Colombia),

La Shica La Shica is the pseudonym of Elsa Rovayo (born 12 January 1976), a Spanish pop singer with flamenco, Spanish dance, and classical ballet training capable of approaching singing and dancing by drinking in the Copla (music), copla and mixing and fusi ...

(Spain), SMOD (Mali), Sam Karpienia (France), Stephan Micus (Germany), David Hykes (US), Moana and the Tribe (New Zealand), L'Orchestre International du Vetex (Belgium), Aranis (Belgium), Frank Yamma (Australia), Oudaden (Marocco), Anomie Belle (US), Cedric Watson (US), Electric Wire Hustle (New Zealand), Fernando Saunders (US), Hazmat Modine (US), Nils Petter Molvær / Jan Bang (US), Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson (US), Paramount Styles (US), Rain Machine (US), Roy Ayers (US), Tortured Soul (US) and many others. 2012 (11th year):

Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with tw ...

(Canada),

Bobby McFerrin Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American folk and jazz singer. He is known for his vocal techniques, such as singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in pitch—for example, sustaining a melody while also rap ...

(USA),

The Flaming Lips The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steven Drozd (guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, vocals), Derek Brown (keyb ...

(USA), ZAZ (France), Janelle Monáe (US), Antony and the Johnsons (UK/USA), Rufus Wainwright and his Band (US / Canada), Animal Collective (USA),

Infected Mushroom Infected Mushroom is an Israeli musical duo formed in Haifa in 1996 by producers Erez Eisen and Amit Duvdevani. They produce and perform psytrance, electronica, dream trance and psychedelic music. They are one of the best-selling groups in Isra ...

(Israel / USA), Mogwai (UK), Parov Stelar Band (Austria), Kronos Quartet / Kimmo Pohjonen / Samuli Kosminen - Uniko (USA / Finland), Fink (UK), Hugh Masekela (JAR), Ibrahim Maalouf (Libanon), Staff Benda Bilili (Kongo), Orquesta Típica Fernández Fierro (Argentina), Banco de Gaia (UK), Celso Piña (Mexico), Hjaltalín (Iceland), Portico Quartet (UK), Tamikrest (Mali), Katzenjammer (Norway), Quique Neira & Najavibes (Chile), Gangpol & Mit (France), Ewert and The Two Dragons (Estonia), GaBlé (France), R.U.T.A.(Poland), Acollective (Israel), Shtetl Superstars (UK, Germany, Italy, Ukraine, Israel), Barons Of Tang (Australia), Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba (Mali), Euzen (Denmark), Dánjal (Faerské ostrovy / Denmark), Sauti Sol (Keňa), Árstíðir (Iceland), Rubik (Finland), Lindigo (Réunion / France), Ensemble Yaman (Israel), Sea and Air (Germany), The Creole Choir of Cuba (Cuba / Haiti), Svjata Vatra (Estonia/Ukraine) and others... 2013 (12th year):

Sigur Rós Sigur Rós () is an Icelandic post-rock band from Reykjavík, active since 1994. The band comprises singer and guitarist Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, bassist Georg Hólm, and keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. Known for their ethereal sound, fron ...

(Iceland),

(UK),

The xx The xx are an English indie rock band from Wandsworth, London, formed in 2005. The band consists of Romy Madley Croft (guitar, vocals), Oliver Sim (bass guitar, vocals), Jamie Smith, also known as Jamie xx (beats, MPC, record production), a ...

(UK), The Knife (Sweden),

Tomahawk A tomahawk is a type of single-handed axe used by the many Indigenous peoples and nations of North America. It traditionally resembles a hatchet with a straight shaft. In pre-colonial times the head was made of stone, bone, or antler, and Europ ...

(USA),

Damien Rice Damien George Rice (born 7 December 1973) is an Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He began his career as a member of the 1990s rock group Juniper, who were signed to Polygram Records in 1997. The band enjoyed moderate success i ...

(Ireland), Bonobo (UK), Asaf Avidan (Israel), Woodkid (France), Dub FX (Australia), Devendra Banhart (US), Tiken Jah Fakoly (Ivory Coast), Rokia Traoré (Mali),

Inspiral Carpets Inspiral Carpets are an English rock band, part of the late-1980s/early-1990s Madchester movement. Formed in Oldham in 1980, the band's most successful lineup featured frontman Tom Hingley, drummer Craig Gill, guitarist Graham Lambert, bassist ...

(UK),

Jon Hassell Jon Hassell (March 22, 1937 – June 26, 2021) was an American trumpet player and composer. He was best known for developing the concept of "Fourth World" music, which describes a "unified primitive/futurist sound" combining elements of various w ...

(USA), Sara Tavares (Portugal), Submotion Orchestra (UK), Acoustic Africa (Ivory Coast, Kamerun, Mali), Fanfara Tirana meets Transglobal Underground (UK / Albánie), Balkan Beat Box (Israel), Botanica (USA), Girls Against Boys (USA), The Bots (USA), Dr Meaker (UK), Maria Peszek (Poland),Sam Lee (UK), Aziz Sahmaoui & University of Gnawa (Morocco), Savina Yannatou & Primavera en Salonic (Greece), Dhafer Youssef (Tunisia), Amparo Sánchez (Spain), Kumbia Queers (Argentina), Anna Maria Jopek (Poland), Mama Marjas (Italy), Irie Révoltés (Germany), Duke Special (Severní Ireland), Mich Gerber (Switzerland), Gin Ga (Austria), Russkaja (Austria). Colours of Ostrava

2014 (13th year):

(UK), The National (USA), ZAZ (France),

MGMT MGMT () is an American indie rock band formed in 2002 in Middletown, Connecticut. It was founded by multi-instrumentalists Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser. Alongside VanWyngarden and Goldwasser, MGMT's live lineup currently consists of ...

(USA),

Bastille The Bastille (, ) was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. It was sto ...

(UK), John Newman (UK), John Butler Trio (Australia), Angélique Kidjo (Benin), Chet Faker (Australia),

Emilíana Torrini Emilíana Torrini (born 16 May 1977) is an Icelandic singer and songwriter. She is best known for her 2009 single "Jungle Drum", her 1999 album '' Love in the Time of Science'', and her performance of " Gollum's Song" for the 2002 film '' The Lo ...

(Iceland), Trentemøller (Denmark), Seasick Steve (USA), Jamie Woon (UK), The Asteroids Galaxy Tour (Denmark), Ólafur Arnalds (Iceland), MØ (Denmark), John Grant (USA), Shaka Ponk (France), Charles Bradley And His Extraordinaires (USA), Goat (Sweden), Les Tambours du Bronx (France), Hidden Orchestra (UK), Korben Dallas (Slovakia) 2015 (14th year):

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

(Iceland),

Kasabian Kasabian ( ) are an English rock band formed in Leicester in 1997 by lead vocalist Tom Meighan, guitarist and occasional vocalist Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist Chris Karloff, and bassist Chris Edwards. Drummer Ian Matthews joined in 2004. Karlof ...

(UK),

Rudimental Rudimental are a British drum and bass band, signed to Asylum Records, Atlantic Records and Black Butter Records. The band consists of Piers Aggett, Kesi Dryden and Leon "Locksmith" Rolle. They were nominated for a Mercury Prize in 2013, and ...

(UK),

St. Vincent Saint Vincent may refer to: People Saints * Vincent of Saragossa (died 304), a.k.a. Vincent the Deacon, deacon and martyr * Saint Vincenca, 3rd century Roman martyress, whose relics are in Blato, Croatia * Vincent, Orontius, and Victor (died 305) ...

(USA),

Mika Mika is a given name, a nickname and a surname. Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People known just as Mika * Mika (singer) (born 1983), Lebanese-born British singer-songwriter Michael Penniman, Jr. * Mika (footbal ...

(UK), Caribou (Canada), Clean Bandit (UK), José González (Sweden), The Cinematic Orchestra (UK), Rodrigo y Gabriela (Mexico), Klangkarussell (Austria), HVOB (Austria), Swans (USA) 2016 (15th year): 130 bands (76 from abroad, 54 from the Czech Republic), including:

Tame Impala Tame Impala is the psychedelic music project of Australian multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker. In the recording studio, Parker writes, records, performs, and produces all of the project's music. As a touring act, Tame Impala consists of Parke ...

(Australia),

Of Monsters and Men Of Monsters and Men is an Icelandic indie folk/rock band formed in Reykjavík in 2010. The members are lead singer and guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, singer and guitarist Ragnar "Raggi" Þórhallsson, lead guitarist Brynjar Leifsson ...

(Iceland), M83 (France),

Passenger A passenger (also abbreviated as pax) is a person who travels in a vehicle, but does not bear any responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination or otherwise operate the vehicle, and is not a steward. The ...

(UK),

Thievery Corporation Thievery Corporation is an American electronic music duo consisting of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton. Their musical style mixes elements of dub, acid jazz, reggae, Indian classical, Middle Eastern music, hip hop and Brazilian music, including bo ...

Kodaline Kodaline () are an Irish rock band. Originally known as 21 Demands, the band adopted their current name in 2012 to coincide with the changing of their music. The group comprises Steve Garrigan, Mark Prendergast, Vincent May and Jason Boland. Ga ...

(Ireland),

The Vaccines The Vaccines are an English indie rock band, formed in West London in 2010. Band members Justin Hayward-Young (lead vocals, guitar), Freddie Cowan (lead guitar, vocals), Árni Árnason (bass, vocals), Timothy Lanham (guitars, keys, vocals) and ...

(UK),

Caro Emerald Caroline Esmeralda van der Leeuw (born 26 April 1981), known for the project Caro Emerald, is a Dutch pop and jazz singer who mainly performs in English. Active since 2007, she rose to prominence in 2009 with the debut single, " Back It Up". Th ...

(The Netherlands),

Underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld. ...

(UK),

Sharon Kovacs Sharon Kovacs (born 15 April 1990), known professionally as Kovacs, is a Dutch singer from Baarlo. Career Kovacs studied at Rock City Institute, a vocational school in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. She graduated in 2013. In 2014 she worked wit ...

(The Netherlands), Monkey Business (Czech Republic), Mydy Rabycad (Czech Republic),

Lake Malawi Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa in Tanzania and Lago Niassa in Mozambique, is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the East African Rift system, located between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. It is the fifth largest fre ...

Barbora Poláková Barbora Poláková (born 3 October 1983 in Kolín) is a Czech actress and singer. Selected filmography Films * ''Beauty in Trouble, Kráska v nesnázích'' (2006) * ''Láska z kontejneru'' (2011) * ''Láska je láska'' (2012) * ''Život je ...

(Czech Republic), Ohm Square (Czech Republic), Republic of Two (Czech Republic), DVA (Czech Republic), Ivan Hlas Trio (Czech Republic), Už jsme doma (Czech Republic), Terne Čhave (Czech Republic), Korben Dallas (Slovakia) and others. 2017 (16th year): first year which was sold out. In total 20 stages with 132 bands (80 from abroad and 52 from the Czech Republic) including:

Imagine Dragons Imagine Dragons is an American pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, consisting of lead singer Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee and drummer Daniel Platzman. The band first gained exposure with the release of their sing ...

(USA),

alt-J Alt-J (stylised as alt-J, real name Δ) are an English indie rock band formed in 2007 in Leeds. Their lineup includes Joe Newman (guitar/lead vocals), Thom Sonny Green (drums), Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboards/vocals), and formerly Gwilym Sainsbur ...

(UK),

Norah Jones Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has won several awards for her music and as of 2012, has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' named her the ...

(USA),

Jamiroquai Jamiroquai () are an English funk and acid jazz band from London. Formed in 1992, they are fronted by vocalist Jay Kay, and were prominent in the London-based funk and acid jazz movement of the 1990s. They built on their acid jazz sound in the ...

(UK),

Midnight Oil Midnight Oil (known informally as "The Oils") are an Australian rock band composed of Peter Garrett (vocals, harmonica), Rob Hirst (drums), Jim Moginie (guitar, keyboard) and Martin Rotsey (guitar). The group was formed in Sydney in 1972 by ...

(Australia),

Moderat Moderat is a German electronic music supergroup originating in Berlin between Sascha Ring, also known as Apparat, and Modeselektor members Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary. The band have released four studio albums to date, their most recent ...

(Germany), Birdy (UK), LP (USA),

Laura Mvula Laura Mvula ( Douglas; born 23 April 1986) is a British singer. A native of Birmingham, England, Mvula has gained experience as a young member or leader of a cappella, jazz/neo-soul and gospel groups and choirs. She was classically trained. In ...

(UK),

Benjamin Clementine Benjamin Sainte-Clémentine (; born 7 December 1988) is a British composer, musician and actor. Born and raised in London, England, Clementine later moved to Paris, France, where he experienced homelessness for a time. After moving back to Lond ...

(UK), Unkle (UK),

Michael Kiwanuka Michael Samuel Kiwanuka (born 3 May 1987) is a British singer-songwriter and record producer who is signed with Polydor Records. His 2012 debut album, '' Home Again'', went gold in the United Kingdom and his second album, '' Love & Hate'', debu ...

(UK),

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

(France), Zrní (Czech Republic), Michal Hrůza (Czech Republic),

Tata Bojs Tata Bojs is a Czech Republic, Czech pop rock band, formed in 1988 by bass-player Mardoša and drummer/singer Milan Cais. The band plays Synthpop, electronic pop music. The band is famous for its creative lyrics and word play. The current line-up ...

(Czech Republic),

Aneta Langerová Aneta Langerová (born 26 November 1986) is a Czech pop singer. Born in Benešov, Czech Republic and grew up in Říčany, she first rose to fame at age 17 as the first winner of '' Česko hledá SuperStar'', the Czech version of ''Pop Idol'', ...

(Czech Republic),

Nouvelle Vague French New Wave (french: La Nouvelle Vague) is a French art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s. The movement was characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favor of experimentation and a spirit of iconocla ...

(France),

Walking on Cars Walking on Cars was a four-piece Irish rock band, whose 2020 line-up consisted of Pa Sheehy (singer/lyricist), Sorcha Durham (pianist), Paul Flannery (bass guitarist) and Evan Hadnett (drummer). Their debut single "Catch Me If You Can", release ...

(Ireland),

Faada Freddy Daara J (pronounced , which means "the school" in Wolof) are a Senegalese rap duet that consists of N'Dongo D and Faada Freddy. Their music takes influence from hip hop, Afro-Cuban rhythms, and reggae and is performed in English, French, Span ...

(Senegal) and others...

References

External links

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Colours of Ostrava on Sonicbids
{{Authority control Ostrava World music festivals Rock festivals in the Czech Republic Recurring events established in 2002 Tourist attractions in the Moravian-Silesian Region 2002 establishments in the Czech Republic Summer events in the Czech Republic