• Prague Men's Singing Society [Prager Männergesangsverein]: participating institution
• ensemble of Imperial First Field Artillery Regiment of Franz Joseph: participating ensemble
• musical ensemble of Royal Infantry Regiment of Wilhelm I, King of Prussia: participating ensemble

A preliminary announcement of this event was published by Prager Morgenpost 17/8/1863, which noted that ‘The local Men’s Singing Society arranges on 21st August an Academy [Akademie], the profit from which is destined for fire victims in Polná.’ In the wake of this report the date of the event changed. On 21/8/1863 the German-language newspaper Bohemia reported: ‘(Academy in aid of a good cause [Wohlthätigkeitsakademie]). A production on the Žofín Island is arranged by the Prague Men’s Singing Society, with the participation of the musical ensembles of the Emperor Franz-Joseph I. Artillery Regiment as well as the Inf.-Reg. [Infantry Regiment King Wilhelm I. of Prussia, which takes place on Saturday 22nd August and the entire profit from which is destined for fire victims in Polná. Notwithstanding the participation of the musical ensembles and the well-recognized able direction of the Men’s Singing Society, the attraction [of the event] on this occasion will for certain also be the good cause for the desparately needy amongst the said fire victims.’ The report concluded by noting that the weather would not influence the success of the occasion given that in the case of inclement weather the event would take place in the Hall.  

The medieval Czech town of Polná, by the early nineteenth century the third largest town in the Jihlava region, suffered a fire in August 1863. The disaster, which destroyed 189 houses and made many people homeless captured the attention of the press and of charitable institutions in Prague and other towns in the Czech lands.