A Prague district council has proposed a ban on “outrageous” costumes worn by revelers at stag and hen parties that are a growing part of the city’s tourism and nightlife scenes, especially as other cities, especially Amsterdam, have discouraged the parties.
The council with the proposal covers the UNESCO World Heritage Old Town as well as Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge. The councilor proposing the ban cited negative effects on children and elderly people in the area, and said that “silly costumes…exceed generally acceptable social conventions.”
A British company, StagWeb, that specializes in organizing the parties told reporters that “We completely understand if places want to ban stags from wearing offensive or explicit costumes, but we’re not entirely sure how that will stop noise pollution. The majority of guys who dress up are very respectful and just having a bit of fun, so it seems like a strange measure if it’s a blanket ban. I get they’re trying to placate the locals whilst still benefiting from the thousands of stag parties that head there, but I don’t see the measure having any impact.”
