Tsjechië organiseert open-air Eurofestival als onderdeel van haar voorzitterschap (en)

The second open-air Eurofestival to be held as part of the Czech EU Presidency will take place on 27 March 2009 on Ottokar II Square in Ceské Budejovice.

The two-day Informal Meeting of EU Foreign Ministers will be accompanied by an open-air cultural and educational festival, organised by the Representation of the European Commission in the Czech Republic together with the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic to complement the informal meeting of the 27 EU Foreign Ministers to be held in Hluboká nad Vltavou on 27 - 28 March 2009.

The all-day programme of the Eurofestival in Ceské Budejovice is designed for visitors of all ages. The Eurofestival will offer a varied programme including different types of music, fairy tales for children, creative workshops as well as a discussion with representatives of the European Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, including a presentation of the Czech EU Presidency, EU institutions and individual Member States. Starting mid-morning, heated info-marquees will host discussions with schools on issues related to the European Union. Music entertainment will be provided by the Roma singer, pianist, accordion player and clarinetist Mário Bihári, accompanied by the Romano Trajo Band, X Factor finalist and native of Ceské Budejovice Martina Pártlová and her band, the nine-member pop-funk group Sly Rabbits from Prague, the famous Czech singer Aneta Langerová, and the well-known Slovak pop group No Name.

The on-site info-marquees will hold presentations of selected EU countries, fun competitions and quizzes on Europe, and a presentation of the South Bohemian Region. In the evening, visitors will be able to participate in an hour-long discussion with representatives of the European Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, which will be screened on a videowall next to the main stage.

Children will be entertained by three different theatre companies performing fairy tales, an opportunity to paint on a giant canvas and by other traditional attractions.

A detailed timetable is available from eu2009.cz, www.production1.cz.