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Slovakian pop-rock band Elán has rescheduled its Prague concert, “Elán & Kamarádi” (Elán & Friends), to June 9 at the O2 arena. The performance was originally slated for June 6 at the Eden Stadium.
In a video released on YouTube, frontman Jožo Ráž hinted at the end of the band’s concert career. “We’ll play one more time, a nostalgic performance, and that will be it,” said the 71-year-old musician. “Fans may have gotten the impression that we’re starting a tour again, but that’s not the case. In 2026, we’ll play the announced concerts and that’s it.”
Before Prague, Elán will perform in Nitra, Slovakia. According to the band’s website, they will then play three more concerts in August, September, and October, culminating in a final show in Bratislava. The “Elán & Kamarádi” concerts, celebrating the 45th anniversary of the release of their debut album *Osmý světadíl* (Eighth World Part), were initially announced last year. The band previously performed in Brno, Ostrava, and Košice in October.
Former members of the band will join Elán as special guests at the O2 arena. Confirmed to appear are guitarists Juraj Farkaš, Juraj Burian, and Henry Tóth, drummers Zdeno Baláž, Gabo Szabó, Ďuso Petrus, Juraj Kuchárek, and Boris Brna, bassist Viktor Hidvéghy, keyboardist Fero Turák, violinist Marián Svetlík, violist Juraj Madari, trumpeter Samuel Šimek, and trombonist Martin Haas.
Photo: Profimedia.cz
Frontman Jožo Ráž and guitarist Peter Farnbauer during an Elán concert in September 2024.
Formed in 1968, Elán has released 15 studio albums, five English-language records, and numerous compilations, earning 25 platinum awards for sales. Their biggest hits include “Láska moja,” “Neviem byť sám,” “Kočka,” “Aj keď bez peňazí,” “Zaľúbil sa chlapec,” “Amnestia na neveru,” “Nie sme zlí,” “Tanečnice z Lúčnice,” “Sestrička z Kramárov,” and “Stužková.” Their latest studio album, *Najvyšší čas* (It’s High Time), was released in 2019, and they released the single “Zavolaj mi” (Call Me) last year.
Elán was one of the most popular bands in Czechoslovakia during the 1980s. Their 2003 concert in Prague’s Letná Park drew an audience of approximately 80,000 fans. Co-founder Vašo Patejdl passed away in August 2023 at the age of 68.
