Survey results on classical music: do you know how Czechs view classical music?

As we indicated in this recent article, classical music bears a remarkably strong tradition in the Czech Republic and continues to attract new audiences. Data from an exclusive Instant Research survey by the agency Ipsos, which took place in March 2026 with a sample of 800 respondents, confirmed these points. Let’s take a closer look at the most interesting statistics that revealed much more about Czechs’ relationship to classical music.

Classical music is delightful and soothing

Classical music is not just music from the past. For 82% of the survey respondents, it is an important part of Czech culture and 72% believe that it should receive more support from the state and private partners. Respondents most frequently associate the words classical music with serious music, but also describe it as soothing and delightful. Almost 70% of the respondents also consider music education to be an important part of children’s development.

Less formal, more experiences

The survey also showed us what concert features might attract people who haven’t yet developed an interest in classical music. The most common reasons respondents gave for why they don’t go to classical music concerts were that it’s “not their genre”, they believe they will encounter a strict dress code and formal atmosphere and they feel that they don’t understand classical music.

Other potential motivations

The concert features that would attract people included interesting and innovative concert concepts, affordable tickets and performances by well-known performers. Audiences prefer concerts that are short (approximately one hour), are held in unconventional venues and/or combine music with visual projections. Of the Czechs who do attend classical music concerts, more than half go with their partner.

Public perception of the Dvořák Prague Festival

How does the public view the Dvořák Prague Festival? One third of the population is familiar with the Festival. Among those people who are familiar with it, the most frequent descriptions were that it is traditional, important for preserving cultural heritage and prestigious. Almost 30% of the respondents would consider attending a Festival concert.