Starved for culture, Czechs hold drive-in festival

Video. Starved for culture, Czechs hold drive-in festival

A Prague festival producer said the coronavirus pandemic has forced him to turn his festival into a drive-in event. 

A Prague festival producer said the coronavirus pandemic has forced him to turn his festival into a drive-in event. 

Concert halls, cinemas and theatres in the Czech Republic have been closed since mid-March because safe social distancing could not be ensured.

After driving in, audience members are handed a receiver and headset to plug into their car stereo system, or they can listen out of the windows.

Staff wearing face masks also hand out menus and sell food and drinks throughout the performances, which are held at the Prague city market and a derelict railway station.

On Saturday, almost 60 cars found their way to a concert by the Czech rock band Znouzectnost, which translates to "making the best of a bad job".

The audience honked their horns and flashed their lights, cheered and danced out of car windows -- with many struggling to observe the safe distance rule.