First time at the festival? Here's everything you need to know!
Whether you're 16 or 70, if you're attending the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival for the first time this year, we've got a quick guide to help you make the most of it.
How to get tickets at the festival
There are two main ways to attend screenings:
- Available for purchase on-site at box office in Karlovy Vary. There are 25 box offices in total – around the Thermal Hotel, the Grandhotel Pupp, and in the festival campsite.
- Log in to the Vodafone KVIFF Guide app, add your pass to your profile and start reserving up to 3 tickets per day.
- Reservations open daily from 7:00 AM – for the current and the next day. On July 3rd, reservations and box offices open at 9:00 AM.
- Read more about Festival Passes, tickets, and reservations here.
Individual tickets without accreditation
- Buy individual tickets for selected films at the box office.
- This option is ideal for day visitors who want to catch just one or two screenings.
- You can still use the Vodafone KVIFF Guide app to look up movie info, screening times, or additional programs.
The app says all seats are taken?
Try your luck at a ticket counter – separate ticket quotas are reserved for the app and for counters.
Missed the reservation window and have a Festival Pass?
Head to the Last Minute counter by the Thermal stairs – 15 minutes before screenings, unclaimed tickets are offered to Festival Pass or accredited visitors. Or wait in line at the cinema – 5 minutes before the start, unoccupied seats are offered to waiting pass holders.
No Festival Pass?
You can still buy individual tickets at the ticket counter.
You have your ticket. Now what?
Make sure you’re seated in time – 5 minutes before the start, any empty seats are released to other viewers and your claim to the seat expires.
Where to watch films
- Festival films are screened in several cinemas around town, including the Great Hall of the Thermal Hotel – the main festival hub with premieres and gala events.
- A new addition this year is the newly opened cinema at the Imperial Spa – a unique hall with 283 seats.
- The Čas cinema has also been renovated, featuring new seats, screen, and carpets.
- The festival offers the No Barriers project, with barrier-free access, assistance, special transport, and subtitles for the hearing-impaired.
- You can find the complete list of festival cinemas here.
Evening plans
- The festival’s accompanying program has something for everyone each evening. Enhance your experience with parties alongside friends, or attend a concert by your favorite band.
- You can go to the KVIFF.TV Park or one of the zones run by our partners.
Where to stay
- In addition to the dense network of Karlovy Vary hotels, the festival itself offers various alternatives on where to stay here.
- Visitors can use the services of accommodation agencies.
- Options include festival campsite, guesthouses, and last‑minute accommodation, offering unused festival room capacity at a discount.
- There’s also a Facebook group – “Accommodation at KVIFF” – where you can find offers and requests from private individuals.
Transport
- During the 59th KVIFF, you can get around Karlovy Vary by bike or use special festival bus lines.
- Rent a bike from Specialized Bicycles and explore festival venues sustainably. The first hour is free, and every additional crown goes to the Sue Ryder Foundation and other charitable projects. The bike rental is supported by ČEZ Group.
- This year festival bus lines are also running regularly throughout the festival – including routes to the campsite and other festival venues.
- Both forms of transport are free for Festival Pass and Festival Pass+ holders.
- New bus lines from Cheb and Sokolov have also been introduced.
Vodafone KVIFF Guide App
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Download our app, where you’ll find the complete catalogue of films, all screening times, a map of cinemas and other festival venues, concerts and more.
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With the app you can also reserve tickets for screenings. Don’t forget: after reserving, you still need to go to the box office to pick up your physical tickets—anytime during the day, but at least 60 minutes before the screening starts.
