The Brno National Theatre (NdB) encountered its most successful year on record in 2024, in terms of the number of tickets sold and the number of viewers who watched productions, festivals, concerts and all other events, despite the economic difficulties brought by the energy crisis and inflation. NdB says it is planning to follow this by setting high goals for 2025 in order to continue to deliver cultural experiences for audiences from home and abroad.
In 2024, NdB welcomed over 260,000 people to the audiences of the Janáček, Mahen, and Reduta Theatres, as well as the traditional summer scenes at Biskupské dvůr and Špilberk, an increase of 27,000 visitors compared to 2023. These included 22,900 seniors and 43,632 schoolchildren and students, reflecting the long-term strategy of NdB as an institution open to all.
NdB continues to confirm its position as one of the city’s most important cultural institutions, with ticket sales growing 19% to reach CZK 106 million by the end of 2024, exceeding CZK 100 million for the first time ever.
According to audience feedback, favourite productions of the year included classical drama The Servant of Two Masters, the opera Rusalka and ballet show Coco Chanel. The opera Here I Am, Orlando, the most demanding project of the 2024 season, won the Theatre Newspaper Award 2024 in the Musical Theatre category, and received an International Opera Award nomination for its production.
A large number of plays were also performed for schools during 2024, welcoming many of the youngest to the theatre for the first time. As part of NdB’s efforts to remain accessible to the most people possible, discounted tickets were sold for seniors and students and some school performances were set with an open pricing for everyone.
NdB represented Brno on 15 foreign tours in Germany, Poland, Korea and the United Kingdom, where 8,000 people came to see the actors perform. Additionally, international theatre festivals attracted foreign viewers and artists, strengthening the position of Brno as an important European cultural destination.
The 9th year of the Janáček festival in Brno broke records with almost doubled sales between the 2023 edition and the 2024 one. Auditoriums were filled to 91%, with a total of 16,603 viewers.
Regardless of these achievements, NdB continues to face a number of challenges that prevent further progress in the development of the theatre. The absence of suitable premises for the Education Center, for example, prevents teaching activities and at the same time complicates the functioning of the Ivo Váni Psoty Ballet School. NdB is also struggling with personnel at all levels, which is especially noticeable during foreign tours. For example, there is a lack of funds to supplement the dancers in the main ensemble ballet, and employees’ salaries continue to remain, similar to most of the cultural sphere, below the national average.
Despite these challenges, NdB has set further high goals for 2025. The theatre hopes to strengthen the position of Brno as a city reflecting European culture, improve audience experiences and occupancy in auditoriums, and improve economic results.
