Portál Pražana
Final farewell to Karel Gott
Up to 300,000 people are expected to come to Žofín Palace in Prague to pay their final respects to Karel Gott this Friday. Masarykovo Embankment, which is close to the venue, will be pedestrianised. The Office of the Government of the Czech Republic will work with the police, the army and Prague City Hall for the smooth organisation of the event.
“We are cooperating with City Hall in terms of logistics. The embankment between the National Theatre and the Mánes Exhibition Hall will be closed for 24 hours from Thursday to Friday at midnight. Public transport will also be closed, and the zone will be pedestrianised.” the Czech Prime Minister, Andrej Babiš, explained the measures to be taken for the event, adding that there would be a heightened police presence and emergency services, and that more public facilities would be available.
Karel Gott, the greatest icon of Czech pop music, who influenced several generations of listeners with his songs, passed away on Tuesday, the 1st of October, before midnight. The singer was 80 years old, and the last years of his life were marked by serious illness. He passed away as a result of acute leukemia and died at home surrounded by his loved ones.
The public’s final farewell to Karel Gott will take place on Friday, the 11th of October, from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm at Žofín Palace on Slovanský Island in Prague. The Requiem mass will be celebrated on the following day at 11:00 am in St. Vitus Cathedral, for invited guests only.
The government has declared the day of Karel Gott’s funeral as a day of national mourning.
People, coming to file past the catafalque, will be asked to queue in lines of four. According to the organisers, this line will stretch along the Masaryk Embankment, over the Vltava River, and all the way to Zborovská Street in Prague 5.