Ostrava – the steel heart of the republic that beats for sport and culture

Ostrava has experience with major events!

Among the most significant sporting events held in Ostrava are undoubtedly the Ice Hockey World Championships, specifically in the years 2004, 2015, and 2024 (Ostrava co-hosted the World Championship with Prague in all cases – editor’s note). All tournaments took place in what is now the Ostravar Arena, which will also host the Ball Hockey World Championship. Each time, Ostrava and Prague broke the previous attendance record! That is, of course, an excellent reference and a great promise for ball hockey: hockey attracts crowds in Ostrava, so why not ball hockey?

Since 1961, Ostrava sports fans have been able to attend the traditional Golden Spike meeting. It is undoubtedly the most prestigious athletics event in the Czech Republic, and since 2020 it has been part of the World Athletics Continental Tour – Gold. Thanks to the Golden Spike, Ostrava has welcomed stars such as sprinter Usain Bolt, Czech javelin thrower Jan Železný, and pole vault world record holder Armand Duplantis.

In addition to hockey and athletics, Ostrava has been home to many other sports. In 2001, the city hosted the European Volleyball Championship, and in 2005 the European Futsal Championship took place in eastern Czechia. The Ostravar Arena has also hosted the Women’s Floorball World Championship and the European Figure Skating Championships.

Ostrava? A city of culture!

The undisputed highlight of Ostrava’s cultural scene is the annual Colours of Ostrava festival. This multi-genre event attracts tens of thousands of fans of both Czech and international music every July. Among the biggest stars to have performed at the festival are Imagine Dragons, The Killers, and Twenty One Pilots.

Other events that draw large crowds every year include the electronic dance music festival Beats for Love, the traditional Ostrava Majáles, and the classical music festival Janáček’s May. Fans of drama can visit the Petr Bezruč Theatre, while lovers of opera and ballet will enjoy the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre. Also increasingly popular is the Mír Theatre, which focuses mainly on improvisation.

Ostrava is a city where sport, music, and culture meet in a unique industrial atmosphere. Come and discover a city that will experience the spirit of the Ball Hockey World Championship.