Prague's Lennon Wall celebrates 45 years with new portraits and call for world unity

The iconic Lennon Wall in Prague came alive Friday afternoon as artists unveiled three historical portraits of music star John Lennon, launching a global initiative to inspire “walls of freedom and energy” around the world. Several notable figures attended the event, including Government Commissioner for Human Rights Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková and director of the Václav Havel Library Tomáš Sedláček.

Czech artist and curator Pavel Šťastný led the symbolic event on Velkopřevorské Square, where portraits of Lennon from 1980, 2020, and 2022 were animated directly on the famous graffiti-covered wall. The event marked the 45th anniversary of the wall’s creation, commemorating both Lennon’s legacy and the Czech people’s ongoing commitment to freedom and artistic expression.

Speaking to Expats.cz on Lennon’s influence today, Šimáčková Laurenčíková pointed out that “in today’s world, human beings need to stay together and be resilient—and stronger.” She also added: “What is happening everywhere in the world, with all the current wars, is connected to us. Lennon’s message of unity and togetherness is very much relevant today.”

“The wall is a kind of public diary of the collective spirit,” said Sedláček, director of the Václav Havel Library. “It’s a place where people from all over the world leave their dreams, doubts, and challenges.”

Speaking to Expats.cz, Sedláček said: “Lennon’s era was a time of dreamers—today we have seen it materialize. However, his values are constantly in danger today. Countries worldwide are losing their freedom: Russia is becoming deeply undemocratic, Ukraine is losing its freedom, and the open-border policy of the EU—the borderless world that Lennon dreamed and sang about—is under threat. This should make us concerned today."

“The Lennon Wall is more than just a place—it is a living symbol of European values,” said Minister for European Affairs Martin Dvořák earlier, who took patronage of the project. “At a time when freedom is once again being questioned, a reminder of courage, creativity and human solidarity is more important than ever,” he added.

The project, developed in cooperation with the Václav Havel Library, reflects a decades-long tradition. The wall became a spontaneous tribute to John Lennon after his assassination on Dec. 8, 1980. That same day, a makeshift memorial appeared in Prague’s Kampa, sparking what would become a 45-year story of resistance, art, and peace.

Friday’s event builds on the 2022 “Freedom and Energy Wall” project, part of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU. At the time, artists from all 27 EU countries, Ukraine, and Norway contributed to a collaborative mural. That artwork was preserved through detailed photography and reproduced as a 35-by-5-meter inflatable replica, which has since toured Paris and Strasbourg.

Šťastný invited global participation: “Create with us other Lennon Walls in your countries and cities—walls of freedom and energy for future generations.” 

He told Expats.cz that “similar John Lennon-style walls are actually going to appear in places, involving different artists, like France and Denmark, to spread the message of unity and hope.”