Pilsen Had Its Own Wembley. The Magic Tour Came Back to Life in Queenie’s Performance

On Tuesday, 14 July 2026, forty years and two (three) days later, the atmosphere of Queen's legendary concert at London's Wembley Stadium came back to life on a smaller scale in Pilsen. At the time, it was one of the most important events in the history of the legendary rock band Queen, fronted by Freddie Mercury. Today, we had the chance to see an almost identical performance in our own West Bohemian "village."

The event was staged by Queenie, a leading Czech tribute band that closely follows in Queen's footsteps and has already earned international recognition. They have performed for Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and appeared at the Swiss Freddie Mercury Montreux Memorial Day festival following a personal invitation from Peter Freestone, Freddie's secretary. As for their success at home, they sell out Prague's O2 arena fairly regularly (they have already played seven sold-out shows there).

20 Years? 40 Years? Or 80?

We are currently in the middle of the band's 20th-anniversary celebrations, and because twice that amount of time has now passed since the historic Magic Tour, Queenie combined the two and came up with a unique concept for their anniversary tour. They decided to revisit those concerts and perform their setlists with only a few minor changes. And as if those multiples were not enough, Freddie would have celebrated his 80th birthday this September.

By around seven o'clock, the amphitheatre behind the Plaza shopping centre was already fairly full. Visitors could buy band merchandise or enjoy something from the special drinks menu. While waiting for the band, fans were entertained by a truly eclectic musical mix, from Miley Cyrus to Kapitán Demo.

Did Freddie Join Us in Person?

At eight o'clock, two large rectangular lights came on onstage, while the platform beneath the drum kit lit up and unfolded. Bursting with energy, the band ran onto the stage and launched straight into the concert. The opening featured absolute classics such as A Kind of Magic, Under Pressure, Another One Bites the Dust and Who Wants to Live Forever.

During the last of those songs, the sky unfortunately darkened completely and curtains of rain began pouring down. The fans were not deterred. They simply put on their raincoats and remained caught up in the euphoria of the flames and the band's energy. In the distance, some rather iconic lightning also appeared in the sky, as though Freddie Mercury himself wanted to remind us of his presence and join us.

Lead singer Michael Kluch also reminisced about the local theatre (mainly the Chamber Theatre building), where he spent several years around a decade ago performing in the musical Freddie – The King of Queen. And as we can see, the role of Freddie has stayed with him.

Acoustic Moments, Instrument Changes and Guitar Battles…

There was also a guitar solo and several acoustic songs performed with just a guitar, including Love of My Life. For Tutti Frutti, the drummer returned, this time with a tambourine. During the opening notes of the following Bohemian Rhapsody, the singer sat down at the piano. Then, when Crazy Little Thing Called Love began, Michael also picked up a guitar.

At the end of the song, while "messing around" with the guitars, there was even a fight: guitar versus singer, 1:0. As he was taking it off, the guitar's neck caught him above the eyebrow before he could move out of the way. Fortunately, from below the stage it was not very obvious how much he was bleeding, and the band managed to finish the song. Afterwards, he still found time to joke that he would tell everyone he had been in a fight. He also noted that the last time he injured himself and broke his big toe, it happened in Pilsen too.

Iconic Costumes, a Crown and an Opera Diva…

Not even the towel he pressed to the wound could spoil the impact of the hit Show Must Go On. On the contrary, it looked as though the towel was simply part of his image and was wiping away sweat rather than blood. By the encore, Radio Ga Ga, he had returned with a bow-shaped bandage.

More than the bandage, however, everyone noticed the iconic gold jacket and helmet he chose for the encore. That lasted only a short while: before We Will Rock You, he discarded the outfit and remained shirtless. He then pulled on "Freddie's" legendary robe and royal crown, which were perfectly suited to the closing We Are the Champions.

But Queenie would not be Queenie if they did not take advantage of the applause and add one more encore. In this case, Barcelona worked absolutely brilliantly, with the no less talented Petra Alvarez standing in for opera diva Montserrat Caballé. Alvarez is an opera singer and soprano with the National Theatre. It was an absolutely perfect ending.

Queen's Legacy Lives On…

It was an absolutely magnificent performance and a tribute to Queen's most important tour. Apart from a few exceptions (including the songs Show Must Go On and Barcelona, which were released later), the setlist followed the original programme of the Magic Tour. Since our editorial team, and probably the vast majority of the audience, never had the chance to see Freddie and Queen live, we have nothing to compare it with. But we believe that thanks to this authentic tribute band, the legacy of the original musicians continues to spread and remains alive.

Thank you for giving us the chance to experience this. Next time, perhaps just without the persistent rain. On the other hand, as the singer himself pointed out, it also rained during the first Friday concert of this tour at Wembley (11 July 1986). Perhaps it was fate.

Šári