Amfiteátr Lochotín, Open-air theatre in Lochotínský park, Plzeň, Czech Republic.
The Amfiteátr Lochotín is an open-air amphitheatre on the northern slope of a hill on the border of the Lochotín and Vinice districts, partly in Lochotínský Park at Pod Vinicemi 928/6. Architects František Sammer and Stanislav Suda designed it; it opened in 1961 with a capacity of over 30,000 spectators, making it one of the largest structures of its kind in former Czechoslovakia. It stands next to the Plzeň zoo.
Construction began in 1951 as a civic self-build project on the former Kodet garden and part of Lochotínský Park, and the amphitheatre opened in 1961, designed by architects František Sammer and Stanislav Suda. It was conceived for 20,000 spectators, a figure repeatedly exceeded during events. In 1963 the Plzeň zoo and botanical garden moved next door, and between 2014 and 2015 the site underwent a large reconstruction costing nearly 35 million korunas.
The venue hosted the Porta music festival from 1981 to 1991 and a 1987 peace concert honouring the murdered Swedish politician Olaf Palme, where Die Toten Hosen broke the schedule and Michal David was pelted off stage. Robert Plant performed here in 2016.
The venue is located within Lochotínský Park and shares space with a zoological and botanical garden, making it easy to access as part of a larger visit. Events happen mainly during warmer months, so dressing for changeable weather is wise.
The Plzeň zoo and botanical garden moved next to the amphitheatre in 1963, not through a later merger. The venue's original design counted 20,000 visitors, but events repeatedly pushed attendance past 30,000, including a sold-out 1964 premiere of Limonádový Joe with Karel Fiala.
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