The Prague Spring International Music Festival, held every year from 12 May to 3 June, is one of Europe's major classical music events. It opens on the anniversary of Smetana's death, traditionally with a performance of his cycle of tone poems Má vlast (My Homeland), played in the Rudolfinum concert hall on the embankment.
Orchestras and soloists from across the world perform in venues across the city: the Rudolfinum, the Municipal House, the Smetana Hall, and historic churches. Tickets sell out months in advance for the opening concert; for other performances, availability is better. The festival takes place in late spring, coinciding with Prague's most pleasant weather.