News

Updated Yesterday 13:51 Construction of the highly anticipated penguin pavilion at Ostrava Zoo and Botanical Park is progressing on schedule. Once completed, the new exhibit is expected to become one of the zoo’s major attractions. Rising on the site of the former tiger enclosures, the pavilion will offer a modern habitat where visitors will be able to observe penguins in a variety of settings – on land, in the water and even beneath the surface. The new attraction is expected to open in autumn 2027, further enhancing one of Ostrava’s most visited destinations.

Updated 20.07.2026 10:59 Visitors heading to Colours of Ostrava, taking place from 15 to 18 July in the unique industrial setting of Dolní Vítkovice, can look forward to much more than an outstanding music programme. Throughout the festival, Ostrava offers countless opportunities to explore its culture, architecture, gastronomy and distinctive atmosphere. Once again, the city invites festival-goers to arrive early or extend their stay and discover everything Ostrava has to offer beyond the festival grounds.

With the arrival of summer, Ostrava once again becomes a vibrant centre of music and culture. As every year, the city's biggest attractions are the two internationally renowned festivals Beats for Love and Colours of Ostrava, which traditionally draw tens of thousands of visitors from across the Czech Republic and abroad. Record-breaking attendance and world-class performers confirm Ostrava's long-standing position as one of Europe's most exciting festival destinations.

Updated 02.07.2026 07:42 The latest in the series of educational and information activities organised by the City of Ostrava under the Safer Ostrava programme has just begun. This time, prevention officers are focusing on increasing the safety of visitors’ property at the city’s outdoor swimming facilities. The series of events will take place at Poruba Summer Swimming Pool (Vřesina), the Indoor Swimming Pool in Poruba, the Water Sports Complex Jih, and Water World (Čapkárna).

Updated 22.06.2026 12:40 The City of Ostrava presented the City of Ostrava Award to four distinguished individuals in recognition of their exceptional contribution to the development of the Moravian-Silesian metropolis. The award ceremony took place at the Antonín Dvořák Theatre. For the first time ever, the presentation of the City of Ostrava Awards was combined with the announcement of the Educational Staff Awards, Athlete of the Year Awards, and the Entrepreneurial Discovery of the Year Award. In doing so, the City of Ostrava drew inspiration from formats used by several of its partner cities.

On 8 June 2026, the first joint meeting of the Investment and Transport Committees of the partner cities of Katowice and Ostrava took place at the National Cultural Monument of Ostrava’s New City Hall. The meeting marked another important milestone in the long-standing cooperation between the two cities, which dates back to 1970. The topic of this inaugural session was of strategic importance, as specialists discussed the development of a high-speed rail connection.

Updated 08.06.2026 12:31 The Statutory City of Ostrava is proving that the transformation of an industrial city into a modern and sustainable metropolis is more than a vision on paper. According to a new monitoring report on the SECAP (Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan), the city has managed to reduce CO₂ emissions by more than 53% compared to 2000 - bringing it almost to the level of the 55% target it had set for 2030.

Updated 25.05.2026 12:39 Eight years of preparation. Three orchestras. Thirteen choirs. Eight soloists. A chief conductor and two assistant conductors. Sixteen institutions. Nearly six hundred performers. These were the key parameters of the Mahler 8 project, which transformed Ostrava’s Trojhalí Karolina into the venue of the largest classical music concert in the history of the Moravian-Silesian Region on May 17 and 18.

Updated 11.05.2026 11:01 On 17 and 18 May 2025, Ostrava will host a performance of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major, widely known for its monumental scale as the “Symphony of a Thousand.” The exceptional Mahler 8 project, organized by Trojhalí Karolina and the Moravian-Silesian Sinfonietta, will bring together 600 artists from the Czech Republic and abroad, transforming the industrial space of Trojhalí into a unique concert hall.

Updated 05.05.2026 10:22 For the third year now, visitors in Ostrava have been able to explore the restored, heritage-protected Grossmann Villa. This architectural jewel of the city continues to offer a wide range of activities, from traditional guided tours to special events. In recent months, the City of Ostrava has invested more than CZK 10 million in equipping the villa with new furnishings and additional interior features.

Updated 27.04.2026 11:27 Ostrava City Hospital officially opened its new multidisciplinary robotic operating room equipped with the da Vinci surgical system on April 22. The hospital and the city invested a total of CZK 123.5 million into the technology and construction modifications.Robotic surgery will enable gentler and more precise procedures and is expected to help more than 350 patients annually.

Updated 21.04.2026 10:45 Ostrava will take part in the global City Nature Challenge for the third time, a project focused on observing biodiversity in urban environments. From Friday, April 24 to Monday, April 27, 2026, residents can photograph nature across the city and upload their observations to the iNaturalist app, which helps identify plants, animals, insects, and fungi.

The city of Ostrava is launching a brand-new award, Entrepreneurial Discovery of the Year. The award is intended for small business owners and craftspeople from Ostrava. Its goal is to highlight entrepreneurs who courageously develop their ideas, bring fresh approaches to traditional industries, and contribute to the growth of the city’s business environment.

Updated 09.04.2026 10:26 The Golden Spike Ostrava, one of the prestigious meetings of the World Athletics Continental Tour GOLD, is set to reach top speed this year. The phenomenal Noah Lyles, currently dominating the world of sprinting, will arrive in Ostrava where he will test his speed on a unique 150-metre track.

The Colours of Ostrava festival is significantly expanding its programme beyond the main music stages. Three theatre stages will present a wide range of performances – from stand-up comedy and curated shows to outstanding large-scale productions in the main hall. A brand-new addition this year is the music-focused Steel Stage, complementing the two largest stages, Česká spořitelna Stage and T-Mobile Stage.

Updated 27.03.2026 07:54 On Friday, March 20, 2026, the second annual Ball of the Statutory City of Ostrava took place. The entire evening was filled with a pleasant atmosphere, enhanced by performances from regional musicians and artists. Visitors experienced an unforgettable night full of dancing, entertainment, and friendly encounters, while also contributing to a good cause.

Updated 23.03.2026 10:55 The international project MECOG-CE has successfully completed its activities after three years. Its main objective was to strengthen metropolitan cooperation and governance in Central Europe. During the project, 17 key outputs were produced, 32 articles were published, and an online community of more than 300 experts was established.

Updated 16.03.2026 08:20 Thirty years ago, Ostrava and Katowice signed an agreement on partnership cooperation, renewing a relationship that originally dates back to 1970. This anniversary inspired the photo exhibition “Katowice Today”, which can be viewed daily in the foyer of Ostrava’s New City Hall until the end of March. The general public is warmly invited.

Air quality across the regional capital continues to be at an excellent level. This is confirmed by data from five local monitoring stations, which are continuously observed and evaluated by the Ostrava Health Institute. Throughout 2025, pollutant concentration levels for all monitored parameters remained low.

Updated 04.03.2026 10:07 Representatives of seven European cities and metropolitan areas gathered in Ostrava on 25–26 February 2026 for the official launch of the international project We Create Space, co-funded by the European Programme URBACT. The project aims to transfer and adapt Ostrava’s successful municipal grant programme supporting community-led public space revitalisation to other European cities.