Japanese Audiences Give Standing Ovations to Czech Artists at EXPO 2025. Over 20,000 Visitors Have Experienced the Czech Pavilion’s Cultural Program

“We devoted an enormous amount of effort to preparing the cultural program last year and this year. It is the largest showcase of Czech culture abroad this year, and also the most extensive presentation of Czech culture at any world expo that Czechia has ever delivered. On the Yumeshima Island exhibition grounds, we are the only country offering such a rich live cultural program on a weekly basis,” explains Přemysl Pela, Program Director of Czechia’s participation at EXPO 2025.

The cultural program at the Czech Pavilion at EXPO 2025 takes place in the multifunctional Daisue Hall. Smaller performances can also be enjoyed in the rooftop CTP Lounge, or—weather permitting—on the pavilion’s rooftop or in the open space in front of the pavilion. Each cultural performance lasts on average between 20 and 40 minutes—long enough to captivate the audience, but short enough to suit the nature of a World EXPO.

“The cultural program usually runs from Friday to Sunday, but many of our business partners also organize accompanying cultural events during the weekdays. Just last week, for example, the brilliant violinist Daniel Matejča performed with pianist Daniel Boura at a nanotechnology conference hosted by our Official Partner, Elmarco,” says Ondřej Soška, Commissioner General of Czechia’s participation at EXPO 2025. He adds: “Daisue Hall, where most of the cultural performances take place, has a seating capacity of 150. However, some shows attract long queues, and the venue is literally bursting at the seams. The performance by ballet masters from the National Theatre Brno, accompanied by live music from soloists of the Brno Philharmonic in early June 2025, was incredibly emotional and absolutely breathtaking. The audience gave a standing ovation.”

Over the course of the 26-week World EXPO, more than 250 artists will gradually take the stage in over 30 musical, theatrical, and multi-genre projects.Among the successful acts featured at the EXPO are well-established names from Czechia’s music scene—artists who, for Japanese audiences, have become almost synonymous with Czechia itself. These are primarily from the world of classical music, such as the Czech Philharmonic, Chamber Soloists of Czech Radio, and the Chamber Orchestra of the Pilsen Philharmonic. However, they are presented in a contemporary light—enhanced by innovative, cross-genre collaborations with other artistic ensembles.

So far, the Czech Pavilion has hosted performances by Ivo Kahánek, Duo Jamník, Maki Namekawa & Dennis Russell Davies, young talents Nora Lubaddová and Matěj Asahina Kotal, 42+ People, Anna Vaverková, National Theatre Brno, Brno Philharmonic, and Jan Smigmator & band. As part of the accompanying program organized by CzechTourism and other partners, there have also been performances by students of the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies with Václav Havel’s play Audience, and by the Riva festival choir and string ensemble.

The ballet company of the National Theatre Brno (NdB) premiered its new project NdB 3 at EXPO 2025 in Osaka—a platform for exceptional performers in the mature stages of their dance careers. A total of seven dancers debuted two original choreographies: On the Overgrown Path by NdB Ballet’s Artistic Director, and Capriccio by Japanese choreographer Megumi Nakamura. The choreographies blend compositions by Leoš Janáček, performed live by the Brno Philharmonic, which also featured Czech piano virtuoso Ivo Kahánek.

“The enthusiastic reception of our new dance project showed that it has strong communicative and international potential. The fact that we immediately began discussions with international partners about future tours based on our EXPO performance proves just how significant EXPO is as a powerful tool of cultural diplomacy,” says Martin Glaser, Director of the National Theatre Brno.

"The fusion of dance and the music of Leoš Janáček—performed by ballet masters from the National Theatre Brno and accompanied live by soloists from the Brno Philharmonic—completely captivated the Czech Pavilion, offering Japanese and international visitors a deeply emotional artistic experience.
Packed performances and enthusiastic audience reactions only confirm that live Czech culture is one of the most sought-after attractions at this year’s EXPO," says Přemysl Pela, Program Director of Czechia’s participation at EXPO 2025.

This is echoed by Ivo Kahánek, who performed the opening concert at the Czech Pavilion on April 13, 2025, followed by additional performances over the weekend. “The hall, which seats 180, was flooded with around 300 people. It was standing room only, and the audience responded with absolute frenzy. Japanese listeners truly understand classical music—and they love Czech classical music. It was an unforgettable experience for me,” says the renowned pianist and virtuoso Ivo Kahánek.

Swing singer Jan Smigmator shares a similar experience, praising the Czech Pavilion’s perfect acoustics and expressing hope that the venue might be relocated to Czechia after the exposition. “I’m absolutely thrilled by the Japanese audience. They’re incredibly emotional and respond to even the slightest nuance. They cry, laugh, and clap along to the rhythm. After every concert, I sign autographs for a line of fans stretching nearly a hundred meters—people waiting for a signature or a photo. You can see how much they enjoy every song and every moment. If musicians had audiences like this all over the world, we’d be living in absolute paradise.”

Even the visitors themselves don’t hide their enthusiasm. Guests at the Czech National Pavilion consistently praise the cultural program in superlatives and often reward the performers with standing ovations.
Here are three reviews from Japanese visitors:

“The Friday, Saturday, and Sunday concerts are absolutely fantastic, so I now visit the Czech Pavilion regularly on weekends. Every week I get to hear music from different genres—from classical to contemporary—and each time it moves me deeply.” – Miyagami Yuki

“On Monday, May 5, there was a concert of Ryba’s Czech Christmas Mass at the Czech Pavilion—it was absolutely amazing! Czech concerts are so great, you almost want to keep them all to yourself.” – Pontapon

“We witnessed a breathtaking combination of ballet and classical music performed by the National Theatre Brno, right before our eyes.” – Mat Ic

National Day and Performances Beyond the Czech National Pavilion
The symbolic flagship of Czechia’s cultural program will be the National Day on July 24, 2025, featuring a joint performance by Cirk La Putyka and the Czech Philharmonic, the Children’s Choir of Czech Radio, and musician Aiko. Czech National Day coincides with the 165th birthday of Alfons Mucha, whose work enjoys great popularity in Japan—even the Imperial Family admires it and maintains a friendly relationship with the Mucha family to this day. This is one of the reasons why Mucha plays such a significant role in Czechia’s presentation at the EXPO. The National Day will take place in the National Day Hall, which has a capacity of approximately 500 seats. Both morning and afternoon performances are planned.

Thanks to the success of Czechia’s cultural program and the availability of shared spaces provided by the Japanese organizers, the National Day Hall has also been secured for an August concert by the Chamber Soloists of Czech Radio and a September concert by the Pilsen Philharmonic. In the largest venue on the EXPO grounds, the Shining Hat Hall (with a capacity of up to 1,900), Alfa Theatre from Pilsen will present its production ČÁSLAVSKÁ TOKYO 1964. As part of the pop-up stages throughout the EXPO site, Karolína Neuvirthová will perform in July. She is the voice behind the first-ever official song created for Czechia’s participation at EXPO 2025: René and Karol Are Going to EXPO.

About the Cultural Program Selection
The Office of the Commissioner General, in cooperation with the cultural institute Czech Centres, launched the very first open call for selecting the cultural program for a World EXPO, with the aim of choosing the best that the Czech cultural scene has to offer. Until now, commissioners had typically opted for direct selection. The cultural open call was launched in July 2024 and ran for approximately two months. In the autumn, a professional jury selected the finalists from a record 186 applications, with whom the final form of the cultural program was then negotiated. In addition to the artistic quality of the projects, the jury also placed strong emphasis on Czech-Japanese cultural and artistic connections. For Czech artists, this represents an exceptional opportunity to present themselves on the global stage.

The cultural program complements the business dimension of Czechia’s participation at EXPO 2025 in Osaka. Given the architecture of the Czech Pavilion—which includes a multifunctional auditorium named Daisue Hall—and its attractive and accessible location, the selection focused primarily on projects designed for indoor presentation. The theme of Czechia’s participation is: Talent and Creativity for Life.

About the Czech National Pavilion at EXPO 2025
Czechia will be participating in a World EXPO as an independent country for the sixth time. Since September 2022, the role of Commissioner General has been held by Ondřej Soška. The pavilion’s design – a glass spiral – was selected through an open architectural competition, which was won in March 2023 by Apropos Architects. The main structure is made of modern CLT wooden panels, while the façade features artistic glass, drawing on a centuries-old Czech tradition. The national pavilion provides a dignified setting for Czechia’s presence at EXPO 2025, which will take place from April to October 2025 on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay. Inside, the pavilion features a permanent exhibition, the multifunctional Daisue Hall auditorium, business meeting facilities, a restaurant, the CTP Lounge, and a seaside relaxation zone open to visitors in front of the building. Cultural performances take place almost every weekend from Friday to Sunday. The pavilion was officially approved for use in early April 2025 and stands as the largest wooden structure of its kind in Japan without a metal supporting frame. It officially opened to the public on April 13, 2025.