Premiere of the Film Karlovy Vary: The Power of Water | Feel Karlovy Vary
The Premiere of the Documentary Film “Karlovy Vary: The Power of Water” Took Place at the Imperial…
KVIFF 2026: What Is the Karlovy Vary Film Festival and How to Get There
Every July, Karlovy Vary transforms. Hotels fill to capacity, film stars appear on the promenade, queues form outside the Thermal cinema, and the entire city runs on one rhythm — the festival rhythm. This is KVIFF, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. In 2026, it celebrates its 60th edition — and this isn’t just a round number. It’s an anniversary edition with a programme and scale that sets it apart from any previous year.
Whether you’re already planning a trip to Karlovy Vary in July or wondering whether now is the right time to come — this guide covers everything: what KVIFF is, what makes 2026 special, how to buy tickets, what it costs, and what to get from the festival even if you didn’t come specifically for the films.
What Is KVIFF — The Short Version
KVIFF (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival) was founded in 1946, making it one of the oldest film festivals in the world. It is the only Category A festival in Central Europe — the same category as Cannes, Berlin, and Venice. The grand prize is the Crystal Globe.
Each year the festival screens around 200 films from across the world — competition entries, out-of-competition screenings, world premieres, and retrospectives. Venues are spread across the city: the main Thermal cinema on the banks of the Teplá river, the Grandhotel Pupp, smaller theatres in the centre, and — importantly for visitors — the open-air KVIFF.TV Park, where selected screenings are free.
Over nine days, the festival draws tens of thousands of visitors. During KVIFF, Karlovy Vary is not a quiet spa town — it becomes one of Europe’s most vibrant cultural focal points.
KVIFF 2026: Why This Year Is Different
3–11 July 2026. The 60th edition. The 80th anniversary.
A double milestone: 60 festival editions and 80 years since the founding in 1946. The organisers have built the programme accordingly — larger, more historically aware, and with special events that won’t happen at any other KVIFF.
The Crystal Globe Competition includes 24 world premieres — a record. Key competition titles:
- Hijamat — Iranian director Nader Saeivar, produced and edited by 2025 Cannes Palme d’Or winner Jafar Panahi, who again faces trial in Iran on charges of propaganda against the regime
- The Guest — Danish director Mads Mengel, starring Trine Dyrholm
- Black Money for White Nights — Bulgarian duo Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, who won the Crystal Globe in 2019
- Gregorius, the Chosen One — Czech/Polish/Romanian absurdist comedy, world premiere
- To Die to Live — world premiere Ukrainian/Latvian/Slovak documentary by Yuliia Hontaruk
The jury is headed by Norwegian screenwriter and director Eskil Vogt (The Worst Person in the World, two-time Oscar nominee), alongside Malaysian filmmaker Amanda Nell Eu (Tiger Stripes).
Out of the Past – KVIFF 60/80: the retrospective section this year focuses on 20 carefully selected titles from the festival’s own history — films that shaped KVIFF’s identity and reputation. Confirmed screenings include Trainspotting and Sexy Beast. Also announced: a gala screening of a digitally restored print of Věra Chytilová’s 1989 tragicomedy Tainted Horseplay, the Czechoslovak Oscar submission that year.
Special Screenings include Mark Cousins’ new episode of his documentary series on cinema history, and Learning to Breathe Under Water by Rebekah Fortune, starring Rory Kinnear and Maria Bakalova, presented at Cannes last year.
The President’s Award goes to Slovak actress Magda Vášáryová.
Stars confirmed for KVIFF 2026: Michael Douglas, Dakota Johnson, and Stellan Skarsgård are among the guests announced for red carpet events and KVIFF Talks.
Anniversary exhibition: 30 outdoor panels installed along the route between the Grandhotel Pupp and Hotel Thermal, taking visitors through 80 years of festival history — the pre-1989 editions, lesser-known early years, key guests and moments. Free to view, open throughout the festival.
Special preview in Mariánské Lázně on 1 July — one day before the official opening — at the historic Municipal Theatre, recalling the twin-city format of KVIFF’s very first edition in 1946.
How to Buy Tickets: Full Guide with Prices
This is the most practical question — and it comes with rules worth knowing in advance.
Ticket options
Single screening ticket
- Standard: 130 CZK (~5.50 €)
- Concession (students, seniors 65+, ZTP card holders): 100 CZK (~4.20 €)
Festival Pass — the standard multi-day pass
- Entitles the holder to 3 complimentary tickets per day
- Access to KVIFF Talks and press conferences at the Thermal (subject to availability after accredited press)
- Price range: 500–2,400 CZK (~22–100 €) depending on type
Festival Pass+ — digital pass, new format for 2026
- Festival Pass+ Full (3–11 July): covers all 9 days, online booking from home before the festival begins, up to 3 tickets per day. Price: ~2,500–2,700 CZK (~104–113 €)
- Festival Pass+ Smart (6–11 July): covers the second half of the festival — without the opening weekend crowds. Same online booking advantages. The most practical option for first-time visitors who want to actually watch films without standing in queues
Both digital passes were limited in number; applications were submitted via personal accounts on kviff.com from 18 May 2026.
How the system works in practice
Online booking opens one week before the festival. Tickets for popular films sell out in seconds. This is not an exaggeration. If there’s a specific film you want to see — track the booking opening date on kviff.com and act immediately.
With a Festival Pass, next-day ticket reservations are made through the Vodafone KVIFF Guide app or by SMS — booking opens at 7:00 AM. Box offices open at 8:00 AM.
Practical tip: five minutes before any screening, unsold seats open for walk-in entry — first come, first served. For less popular screenings, this works well.
Where to buy
Official site: kviff.com On-site box offices: Hotel Thermal and several central locations, open daily during the festival.
What the Festival Looks Like from the Inside
Even if you didn’t come specifically for the films, KVIFF is an atmosphere that’s difficult to describe — easier to list what actually happens.
Opening and closing ceremonies at the Thermal — red carpet, stars, photographers. Entry requires accreditation or a pass, but watching from outside is free and genuinely spectacular.
KVIFF Talks — public Q&As with directors and actors after screenings. Among the best things the festival offers for anyone who wants to understand how films are made, not just watch them. Access with Festival Pass.
KVIFF.TV Park — the open-air cinema next to the Thermal. Free screenings under the sky. Arrive early, bring a layer — July evenings in Karlovy Vary can be cool.
Stars on the street — genuinely common. Karlovy Vary is a small city. During KVIFF, directors and actors walk the same streets, drink coffee at the same cafés. The Teplá promenade and the area around the Thermal are the main zones.
Parties and side events — some official (accreditation only), some open. Updates appear on kviff.com and KVIFF social channels in real time.
Practical Tips: Before and During the Festival
Before you arrive
Book accommodation now if you haven’t. During KVIFF, hotels in the city are fully booked and prices double or triple. Realistic options: apartments in the centre or hotels within 10 minutes’ walk of the Thermal. Anything further means a different level of logistics.
Follow the programme on kviff.com. The full schedule is published 1–2 weeks before opening. The moment it’s live — build your shortlist and be ready for ticket booking the day sales open.
Install the Vodafone KVIFF Guide app — the official festival app with full schedule, venue maps, and the ticket reservation system.
Check transport. During the festival, free festival buses run routes F1–F3 across the city. From Prague: bus (~1.5 hrs, ~10–20 €) or car. Confirmed star arrivals are announced with live commentary on the red carpet — details via festival social channels.
During the festival
Arrive 15–20 minutes early — popular screenings fill up. Seating is assigned, but the walk-in zone at the entrance operates on a first-come basis.
Pace yourself. Nine days is a marathon. Karlovy Vary itself provides a natural balance: a walk along the colonnades, mineral water from the springs, an evening on the promenade. Burning out by day three is a real risk.
Restaurants and queues. Central restaurants are packed. Book ahead or choose places slightly off the main tourist routes — quality is just as good, waits are shorter.
Free screenings at KVIFF.TV Park — an excellent way to absorb the festival atmosphere at no cost. Schedule at kviff.com.
Cinema About Karlovy Vary: Something to Watch Right Here
The festival runs for nine days. But there’s a film you can watch on any day of the year, right in the centre of the city — and one that gives a completely different understanding of the place you’re in.
“Karlovy Vary: The Power of Water” is a documentary about the resort, its history, and the unique properties of Karlovy Vary’s mineral water. On screen: historians, physicians, hydrogeologists, laboratory staff, and UNESCO representatives. This is not a tourist promotion piece — it’s an honest examination of why this city has functioned as a resort for 600 years and what the Karlovy Vary phenomenon actually consists of.
Screenings: daily at 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM, in four languages. Running time approximately 60 minutes.
The film plays at Cinema Hub in City Hub Karlovy Vary, Lázeňská 14 — in the heart of the spa zone, five minutes from the Sadová Colonnade. If you’re at KVIFF and want to understand the city more deeply, this is a must between festival screenings.
City Hub Karlovy Vary: Cinema, Souvenirs and Spa Products in One Place
While you’re in the centre — City Hub at Lázeňská 14 is worth visiting beyond the cinema. The same building houses a shop with Karlovy Vary products: mineral salt, balneological cosmetics, Vincentka, spa cups, and everything produced by or connected to the resort.
This is not a souvenir stall. It’s a place to buy what locals actually use and what makes a considered gift — bath salt, arnica shampoo, mineral face cream — all with proper explanation of what each product is and why it works.
During KVIFF, when the city is running at full speed, City Hub is one of the few spots to slow down — watch a film, choose something to take home, and take a break from the festival pace.
City Hub Karlovy Vary, Lázeňská 14 — open daily, in the centre of the spa zone. Online shop: shop.feelkarlovyvary.cz
Quick Reference: KVIFF 2026
- Dates: 3–11 July 2026
- 60th edition, 80th anniversary
- 24 world premieres in the main competition
- Confirmed guests: Michael Douglas, Dakota Johnson, Stellan Skarsgård
- Single ticket: 130 CZK / 100 CZK (concession)
- Festival Pass+: ~2,500–2,700 CZK, online booking from home
- Free: KVIFF.TV Park open-air screenings, anniversary exhibition along the Pupp–Thermal route
- Tickets and programme: kviff.com
- Separately: “The Power of Water” at Cinema Hub, Lázeňská 14 — daily at 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM
Karlovy Vary in July is the city at its best. Come.
