The international Engaged Investments conference, taking place on October 21 and 22, 2026, is significantly expanding its scope this year. The event, which brings hundreds of startup investors from all over Europe to Prague, is now fully opening its doors to tech founders and the broader innovation ecosystem. Alongside the main program, the two-day event will feature two specialized industry tracks focusing on fintech and defense, pitches from up to 80 startups, and an extended accompanying program. Real defense instead of geopolitical theories The defense track is being organized in collaboration with the Invest in Bravery initiative, which is deeply involved in the Ukrainian ecosystem, alongside the European EUDIS Matchmaking program for defense and Cassini Matchmaking for space technologies. A special guest will be Senior Lieutenant Mykyta Puz, Defense Industry Liaison Officer of the Azov Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. He previously worked in business and AI product management before volunteering for the front lines in 2024. He will shed light on what a modern army truly and urgently needs from the defense industry. Alongside him, speakers will include Erin Hallock, Managing Partner of the NATO Innovation Fund, a representative of the renowned Ukrainian fund Brave1, and others....
The 28th edition of Designblok, Prague’s international design festival, will take place from October 6 to 11, 2026, across six locations in the city. The professional program and conference begin on Tuesday, October 6, while the main festival opens to the public on Wednesday, October 7. This year’s theme is “Light,” with exhibitions and installations exploring both the practical and symbolic role of light in design. The program will look at design as a tool for addressing social and economic challenges and examine its role in everyday life. Curated exhibitions, exhibitor installations, discussions on the Designblok Stage and the Designblok Talks conference will explore themes including knowledge, truth, hope and sustainability. The Trade Fair Palace (Veletržní palác) will serve as the festival’s main venue. It will bring together hundreds of presentations by designers, brands, schools and emerging talents, alongside curated exhibitions, lectures and workshops. The venue will also host activities for children and adults. At the Prague Castle Riding School, Designblok will present two curated exhibitions connecting contemporary design and craftsmanship with Czech cultural history. The Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague will host one of the festival’s main exhibitions, as well as dozens of design presentations and a special...
The Prague Indian Film Festival will return for its 23rd edition from October 8 to 10, bringing a selection of recent Indian films to Kino Světozor. The festival will open with a historical drama and feature Bollywood, arthouse cinema, a Sundance-winning film and a vampire comedy. The festival opens on Thursday, October 8, in the presence of the Ambassador of India with Main Vaapas Aaunga, directed by Imtiaz Ali. Set against the Partition of British India in 1947, the film follows a young Sikh man and his Muslim girlfriend whose lives are transformed by the political upheaval of the period. Friday’s program will offer two very different takes on contemporary Indian cinema. Bollywood fans can see Cocktail 2, a romantic comedy about a love triangle starring Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna. The film follows the successful 2012 movie Cocktail. The festival will also screen Cactus Pears, an arthouse drama set in a remote village in Maharashtra. The story follows a man who returns home after his father’s death and, while observing traditional mourning rituals, reconnects with a childhood friend. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, where it drew attention for its portrayal...
One of Prague’s best-known nightlife venues is closing after more than three decades beside the Charles Bridge. Lávka, which opened in 1990 on the banks of the Vltava, held its final farewell party on September 30. The club will leave its historic premises by October 8 as the City of Prague prepares to renovate the building. For 36 years, Lávka was more than a nightclub. Its programme included concerts, theater, exhibitions, fashion shows and other cultural events. Its visitors included former president Václav Havel, politician Karel Schwarzenberg and singer Karel Gott. The venue also hosted Czech acts including Lucie and Lunetic, as well as international performers such as Supertramp and R.E.M. The first version of the venue was modest. It began as a theater bar in the Bedřich Smetana Museum, replacing the building’s cloakroom. With little money available, co-founder Boris Gaydečka and his partners constructed the bar themselves using scaffolding and wooden boards found on the site. Advertising on the newly launched Radio Evropa 2 helped attract customers, and the business soon outgrew its original space. Over the years, Lávka became a regular stop for performers from very different parts of Prague’s cultural scene. Its stage hosted the avant-garde Opera...
Only 29 percent of people aged 25 to 64 in Czechia have completed higher education, according to the latest data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The figures highlight a persistent difference in the country’s education profile compared with other developed economies. While university-level education remains less common in Czechia, upper secondary education is far more widespread. Around two-thirds of Czech adults have completed upper secondary education, compared with an OECD average of 39 percent. Vocational secondary education remains particularly common, although its share is gradually declining, as younger generations attain higher levels of education. The change is most visible when comparing age groups. Vocational secondary education is the highest level of education for around 70 percent of Czech residents aged 55 to 64. Among people aged 25 to 34, the figure has fallen to 52 percent. Across the OECD, the proportion of younger adults completing higher education has continued to increase. Czechia, however, is also facing a less positive trend at the lower end of the education scale. Among 25- to 34-year-olds, the share of people who have not completed upper secondary education increased from 6 percent in 2015 to 7 percent in 2025. The trend is...
A growing number of Czech parents are unable to cover the cost of school lunches for their children. The non-profit initiative Lunches for Children (Obědy pro děti), run by Women for Women, cites divorce, job loss, or serious illness as the primary causes driving families to apply for help. Even state food subsidies are proving insufficient. At the start of this school year, demand for support is especially steep. Between January and September, the program aided nearly 16,000 pupils through cooperation with more than 1,150 schools and cafeterias nationwide. Participation rose by about 15 percent compared with the same period last year, with sharp increases in Prague and the Ústí nad Labem region. A typical lunch costs 30–50 crowns, but for older students, monthly totals can exceed 1,000 crowns. Under Women for Women’s rules, schools help identify children in need. Class teachers, principals, and canteen managers evaluate applications based on factors such as low income, single-parent status, or sudden financial crisis. Schools apply on behalf of families; funding is granted under donation agreements and routed directly to the schools (not to parents). The heaviest wave of applications arrives each September, when the new school year begins. In more strained regions,...
Lego will open its second Czech store on Na Příkopě Street in central Prague on October 22. The Lego Store Prague City Center will open to the public at 10 a.m. The 496-square-meter shop will carry the full Lego range, including sets available exclusively through Lego stores. The interior will incorporate references to Prague and Czech history. Among the models on display will be Lego versions of the Prague Astronomical Clock, Charles Bridge, Charles IV and the Czech double-tailed lion. A model of a Prague tram will also be part of the store’s design. Visitors will have access to several interactive features, including a station where they can create their own minifigures and a Pick & Build area. Prague-wide Lego Game The opening campaign will begin earlier in October with a series of Saturday challenges. During the first three Saturdays of the month, families will be able to follow clues published on social media and search different parts of Prague for project ambassadors. The ambassadors will be carrying Lego models representing Prague landmarks, including a tram, the Astronomical Clock and Charles IV. Participants who find the correct location will have to give the ambassador a specific password revealed through the...
Czech President Petr Pavel will not vote in next week’s local elections in Černouček, the village in the Litoměřice region where he lives, because he will be abroad on a private trip. The Presidential Office confirmed on Friday that Pavel had left the Czech Republic and would not be able to participate in the municipal elections. The Castle said the president regrets the planning mistake. Pavel is expected to return to his official schedule on October 19, when he will receive newly appointed ambassadors. During his absence, he will remain in contact with the Presidential Office in case a situation requiring his attention arises. A post by Czech rally driver Martin Prokop has linked Pavel to the Rallye du Maroc. Prokop shared a photograph with the president and wrote that Pavel had visited the event. The rally is taking place in Morocco from September 28 to October 3. According to Czech media reports, Pavel’s private trip is a motorcycle holiday. The Presidential Office itself has not confirmed the location of the trip. The timing of the trip is notable because Pavel himself formally set the dates for this year’s elections in June. Under recently amended electoral rules, local and regional...
Zendaya recently came to Prague to film a promotional campaign for Swiss sportswear and footwear brand On, with several recognizable locations across the city serving as the backdrop. The actress filmed at the Strahov ventilation towers, the building used by Prague’s Technical Road Administration for tunnel management, and the roof of the National Museum’s New Building. The two-minute campaign video follows Zendaya as she runs through Prague while being pursued by a group of women. The opening scenes were filmed around the Strahov ventilation towers before the action moves to the brutalist TSK tunnel administration building. A fight takes place outside the building and continues underneath it, before Zendaya escapes and heads toward the National Museum’s New Building. The final part of the video was filmed inside the museum building, including its staircase and corridors, and on the roof. The campaign ends with Zendaya jumping from the rooftop. The video was directed by Pantera, an Argentine directing trio. On selected Prague for the launch of its new collection, using the city as the setting for both still photography and the campaign film. Zendaya is the latest major international star to film in Prague, which has become an increasingly popular location...
Bolt has introduced two new ride categories in Prague that allow passengers to request drivers who speak either Czech or English. The new options are available at the same price as a standard Bolt ride. They are open to drivers of any nationality who can communicate in the relevant language at a level suitable for everyday conversation. Czech-speaking passengers who are less comfortable communicating in English can request a Czech-speaking driver, while foreign residents, tourists and business travellers can choose a driver who speaks English. Bolt already provides automatic translation for communication between passengers and drivers within its app. Booking information, addresses and messages can therefore be translated automatically. The new categories are designed to cover situations in which communication takes place outside the app, particularly during the journey itself. The company said the new options are already available in Prague, where it has enough partner drivers who meet the language requirements. Drivers can choose whether to participate in the new categories. They may offer rides in Czech, English, both languages or continue driving exclusively in the standard category. Participation is voluntary. Passengers will see the two new options directly in the Bolt app. The Czech-speaking category is identified by...
Pegasus Airlines has completed its acquisition of Czech Airlines and the Smartwings Group, marking a major change in the ownership of one of the Czech Republic’s most established aviation businesses. The Turkish low-cost carrier announced the completion of the transaction on Thursday, October 1, following the approval of the relevant regulatory authorities and the fulfilment of the required closing conditions. The deal brings together Pegasus Airlines and the Czech-based Smartwings Group, creating an aviation group with a combined fleet of more than 175 aircraft. The two airlines also have firm orders for a further 140 aircraft. For passengers in Prague and across the Czech Republic, Smartwings will continue to operate under its existing brand. Its day-to-day operations, customer relationships and service are expected to remain in place, while the company will gain access to new opportunities for expansion and development through its new ownership. Pegasus expands further into Central Europe Founded in 1990, Pegasus Airlines has operated as a low-cost carrier since 2005. The airline currently serves 161 destinations in 57 countries from its main hub at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport and other bases in Türkiye. Its network covers Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Asia, making the acquisition...
On April 17, 2027, OX Club in Prague will transform for one night into an Ibiza-inspired party featuring DJs, immersive visuals and tropical-themed spaces. The Sound of Ibiza event will bring British DJ and producer Daxson, Dutch DJ and producer Laura Van Dam, Czech DJ Lucca and DJ TiGi to one stage. The night will combine electronic music with a full immersive laser show, acrobatic performances above the dancefloor and Ibiza-inspired décor throughout the club. There will also be a dedicated Sunset Experience for photos and social media, as well as a Chillout Zone with its own DJ programme and mentoring by Pavel Bidlo. Daxson has performed at major festivals and clubs including Creamfields, EDC, UNTOLD and Ministry of Sound, while also creating several anthems for Transmission Festival. Laura Van Dam has appeared at Tomorrowland, Ultra, EDC, Sziget and Ushuaïa Ibiza and has built a following with her melodic techno and trance sound. DJ Lucca, one of the country’s best-known electronic music artists, has performed alongside international names including Carl Cox and Paul van Dyk. The event will also feature competitions for an iPhone and other prizes. An Ibiza Beach Outfit is suggested, although the dress code is optional. With...
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