Czech Festival Brings a Taste of Prague to Sakai
Try Czech beer, Moravian wine, traditional food and honey cake while discovering music, puppetry, crafts and more at Sakai’s three-day annual Czech Festival.
You don’t need to know much about Czechia to find your way into this festival. A freshly poured Czech beer might do it. Or traditional food, a slice of honey cake, live music or a table covered in colorful Czech beads. For three days, Czech Festival in Kansai turns central Sakai into an open-air introduction to the food, drink and culture of a country with a surprisingly strong connection to the city.
The eighth edition runs October 23–25, 2026 at Mina Sakai, directly in front of Sakai City Hall. Friday begins as an evening festival from 16:00–21:00, followed by full days Saturday from 11:00–20:00 and Sunday from 11:00–19:00. Admission is free, so visitors can wander between the food and drink stalls, shopping booths and cultural programs without buying an event ticket.
Food and drink make an easy starting point. The 2026 festival brings Pilsner Urquell, poured by a Tapster associated with Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, alongside Czech SIBEERIA beer and Moravian wine. Czech cuisine comes from vendors including government-certified Czech restaurant Mura Ichiban, while medovník, the layered Czech honey cake served at the Czech Pavilion during Expo 2025, offers another reason to arrive hungry.
There is plenty beyond the table. Czech-related music and traditional puppetry share the program with workshops and presentations about Czech culture and travel, while stalls offer crafts, accessories, organic cosmetics and the country’s distinctive glass beads.
So why Sakai? The festival has been held here since 2019, and the relationship extends well beyond one weekend each autumn. Sakai is home to the Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic and has developed continuing cultural ties with the country. The city is also home to the Sakai Alphonse Mucha Museum, whose collection of hundreds of works by the celebrated Czech artist gives visitors another Czech connection to explore before or after the festival. The museum has its own OSAKA SCENE guide here: Sakai Alphonse Mucha Museum.
Czech Festival doesn’t require any prior connection to Czechia. Come for a beer or something unfamiliar to eat, stay for a live performance, and browse the stalls along the way. Eight editions in, Sakai has turned an international exchange into something much more inviting: a three-day excuse to discover another culture one taste, sound and surprise at a time.
Czech Beer & Wine – Try Pilsner Urquell, Czech craft beer and Moravian wine.
A Taste of Czechia – Discover traditional Czech dishes and medovník honey cake.
Music & Puppetry – Catch live Czech music, traditional puppetry and cultural performances.
Czech Finds – Browse glass beads, crafts, accessories, cosmetics and other Czech goods.
Three Days in Sakai – Drop in for free and explore food, performances, shopping and culture at your own pace.
Photos: Czech Festival in Kansai Website
WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING IN OSAKA?
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Maps
Contact
Opening Hours
THE SCENE: FAQ’s
ACCESS
Mina Sakai — Sakai Civic Exchange Plaza
Address
3-1 Minamikawaramachi, Sakai-ku, Sakai, Osaka
Trains
Nankai Koya Line → Sakai-Higashi Station
Use the West Exit. Mina Sakai is approximately 200 meters from the station, directly in front of Sakai City Hall.
Subways
Metro Midosuji Line → Namba ↔ Nankai Koya Line → Sakai-Higashi Station
Transfer at Namba to the Nankai Koya Line. Sakai-Higashi is approximately 12 minutes from Nankai Namba.
◷ FROM CENTRAL OSAKA
From Namba — about 20 minutes
Take the Nankai Koya Line from Nankai Namba directly to Sakai-Higashi, then walk approximately 3–5 minutes to Mina Sakai.
From Osaka-Umeda — about 35–40 minutes
Take the Metro Midosuji Line from Umeda to Namba ↔ transfer to the Nankai Koya Line for Sakai-Higashi, then walk approximately 3–5 minutes.
SCHEDULE
Friday, October 23
16:00–21:00
Saturday, October 24
11:00–20:00
Opening ceremony from 11:00
Sunday, October 25
11:00–19:00
Food, drinks, shopping booths and cultural programming run throughout the three-day festival. Czech music, traditional puppetry, and presentations about Czech culture and tourism are confirmed for the stage program.
TICKETS
Admission: Free
No general admission ticket or advance reservation is required. Visitors can enter the festival freely and purchase food, drinks, crafts and other items directly from individual vendors.
THE EXPERIENCE
Czech Festival in Kansai is designed as an introduction to Czech culture rather than an event requiring any prior knowledge of the country.
- Try Czech food, Pilsner Urquell and other Czech beer, Moravian wine and sweets including medovník honey cake.
- Catch Czech music, traditional puppetry and other cultural programming.
- Browse Czech glass beads, crafts, accessories, cosmetics and imported goods.
- Learn more about Czech culture and travel through stage presentations and participating organizations.
- Combine the festival with a visit to the nearby Sakai Alphonse Mucha Museum for another connection between Sakai and the Czech Republic.
Come for a meal or drink and the festival easily becomes an afternoon of browsing, performances and cultural discovery.
INFO & TIPS
Come Hungry
Food and drink are a major part of the experience. Confirmed offerings include Czech cuisine, beer and wine, along with medovník—the layered honey cake previously sold at the Czech Pavilion during Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.
Saturday Opening Ceremony
The official opening ceremony begins at 11:00 on October 24.
Free Admission
There is no entrance charge, making it easy to drop in for food or a performance without committing to a full day.
Mucha Nearby
The Sakai Alphonse Mucha Museum provides a natural companion visit. We can link Sakai Alphonse Mucha Museumhere internally to our /scene/sakai-alphonse-mucha-museum/ page rather than sending readers away from OSAKA SCENE.
Check the Stage Schedule
Individual 2026 stage times and detailed exhibitor information are still being updated. Sakai City directs visitors to the organizer’s Facebook for the latest program.
Organizer / Contact
Kansai Sakai–Czech International Association
Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic in Sakai
Telephone: 072-263-8558
Official Event Information:
https://www.city.sakai.lg.jp/shisei/kokusai/event/Czech_Festival.html
