Aussies and Kiwis in Prague unite for a Down Under celebration this weekend

Hailing from the land down under myself, living abroad means sometimes missing those distinctly Australian moments: the smell of a barbecue on a scorching January afternoon, the sound of Triple J's Hottest 100 counting down over the radio.

This Saturday, the Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Association (CANZA) is giving expats in Prague a taste of home with their first official event of 2026.

The celebration bridges Australia Day (Jan. 26) and New Zealand's Waitangi Day (Feb. 6), landing perfectly in between at The Down Under on Jan. 31. It's a partnership that makes sense—after all, Aussies and Kiwis have been affectionately ribbing each other for generations while sharing remarkably similar cultural DNA.

When CANZA first formed in 2005, the community in Prague was small and close-knit, says group member Claire Dognini.

“The group was made up largely of young people thrilled by the experience of living abroad. Over two decades, members settled down, started families, and inevitably moved on, as others arrived,” she recalls.

Looking toward the next 20 years, she says the focus has shifted to welcoming newcomers with fresh energy and ideas. With new volunteers on board, the community plans to expand its calendar beyond staples like Australia Day, Waitangi Day, and Anzac Day.

The group also prioritizes giving back to the community. "Last year, we raised CZK 167,000 CZK for a charity that helps young people who've spent all their lives in children's homes into adulthood, once they turn 18," says Dognini. This weekend's event will have a charity raffle in the hopes of upping that number.

While Prague's Australian population is modest—approximately 550-600 residents according to data from the Czech Statistical Office and Ministry of the Interior—the community punches well above its weight. These numbers represent roughly 60 percent of all Australians in the Czech Republic.

Beyond CANZA's community-building efforts, the Aussie & Kiwi Film Fest brings cinema from down under to Prague screens, while Vinohrady's newest espresso bar, Wattle Cafe, has quickly become a favorite morning stop since opening last year—serving banana bread, savory toasties, vegemite toast, and fairy bread.

The ties between Czechia and Australia run surprisingly deep. Most famously, Prague football club Bohemians 1905 adopted the kangaroo as their mascot following a landmark 1927 tour of Australia.

The team brought back two live kangaroos as gifts, which were donated to Prague Zoo, and the green marsupial has graced their jerseys ever since. Today, one of those original kangaroos remains stuffed and on display at the club's museum at Ďolíček stadium.

More recently, these bonds were tested and strengthened during the devastating 2019-2020 Australian bushfires. Prague Zoo launched a fundraising campaign that ultimately raised an extraordinary 22.8 million crowns for fire-afflicted Australian wildlife.

CANZA itself organized fundraising events, while businesses like Lelí's Cupcakes sold koala-shaped treats to support wildlife rescue organizations.

In late 2024, Czech President Petr Pavel became the first Czech head of state to visit Australia in nearly 30 years, meeting with the 35,000-strong Czech expat community there and even sampling kangaroo goulash at the Czechoslovak Country Club in Adelaide.

The Trans-Tasman relationship has always been special. We compete fiercely on the rugby pitch and cricket field, but when you meet an Australian or New Zealander abroad we understand each other in ways that don't require explanation.

"For a lot of our community, it is vital to celebrate our national days as being so far away that you miss family and friends,” says Dognini. “At the same time, we have created our new family in the country we live and love, and by celebrating it together here we can create new memories and not feel so homesick,” she adds.

The evening kicks off at 6 p.m. with drinks and mingling, including a welcome shot (100 CZK entry, free for CANZA members). Live music sets, a 45-minute stand-up comedy set by trilingual DJ Laura Lopez, and a DJ set by Ella_CR, a vocalists from Grenada.

You don’t have to be Aussie or Kiwi to attend. "At the heart of Canza and anyone with an affinity to our culture is welcome. We do so by organizing social events, partnering with other organizations such as the Aussie & Kiwi Film Festival and support artists with a Down Under background,” says Prague-based Dognini, herself a Brit married to an Aussie for 20 years.