Brno Expat Fair 2026: The centre came alive with Brno's international community

On Saturday, 16 May 2026, the Living in Brno Expat Fair returned to the city centre — the meeting point and festival for international Brno. Over 1,500 expats and their friends came to Tržnice, representing 90 nationalities.

The fair spread through the Tržnice Brno, into the Old Town Hall, and out onto Zelný trh itself. For one day, one of Brno’s most familiar squares filled with different languages, food from around the world, families, students, professionals, volunteers, long-term residents, newcomers, and people who had simply come to see what life in Brno can offer.

Thank you for making it such a great day.

 See more:

• list of the 93 exhibitors, here >>
• names of speakers/performers, here >>
• pictures by Mike Shriver >>, by Shane Cotee >>
• follow our Instagram, here >>

90 nationalities, one city

90 nationalities met inside Tržnice. Most frequent visitors were (after Czechs) Indians, followed by Slovaks, Italians, Brits, Turks, South Africans, Americans and Ukrainians. There’s no way of knowing how many people enjoyed the food festival outside, but once the drizzle stopped, the square and courtyard filled up with tens of different languages. English, not Czech, was the first language of the centre that day.

Czech visitors were an important part of the day, too. The fair has never been only about internationals speaking to internationals. It works best when people who are new to Brno, people who have lived here for years, Czech partners, families, employers, schools, public institutions, volunteers and neighbours meet in the same space.

That is when “expat support” stops being a separate bubble and becomes part of the city.

A visible international Brno

The 2026 edition showed something important: Brno’s international community is not only growing in numbers. It is becoming more visible, more connected, and more embedded in the city around it.

It includes people who arrived last month and people who have been here for a decade. People who came for work and people who came for love. Students, entrepreneurs, parents, volunteers, artists, researchers, teachers, engineers, partners, children, and friends.

A word of thanks

A big thank you goes to all who made this day possible:

200+ people from exhibitors’ teams.
40+ speakers/workshop leaders/stage performers.
40+ (amazing, never-tiring, day-saving) volunteers.
The VUT (Brno University of Technology) who trusted us with their brand-new visitors’ centre in Tržnice.
The City Hall, for seeing the value in a day like this, and giving it financial & political support.
The 4 expat fair ladies who dedicated much of their spring to coordinating all this.
The rest of the Brno Expat Centre’s team and family who took off their high heels and pulled up their sleeves when work needed to get done.

Thank you. We’re looking forward to next year! 17 April 2027.

What’s next:

• Share your feedback – help us shape the next edition >>
• Is there an exhibitor that should have been a part of the fair but wasn’t? Tell them to book a stand next year! Share this link with them >>
• Save the date of next year’s Brno Expat Fair: 17 April 2027