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Summer Festivals & Music Events In Slovenia 2021

In the past three decades, the list of festivals and concerts announced for summer has never been this long.

Classical music


In the coastal city of Piran, you can attend the 43rd edition of Piran Music Evenings (1 July-8 August). Near the spectacular Lake Bled, the 26th edition of Bled Festival will take place between 1 and 18 July. Between 18 July and 13 September, the 33rd Imago Slovenia International Festival offers more than forty concerts by Slovenian and foreign musicians from fifteen countries. The summer events under the umbrella of Imago Slovenia will not only take place in Ljubljana, but also in other parts of Slovenia and abroad. The 69th Ljubljana Festival, one of the most important festivals in the Slovenian capital, is taking place between 1 July and 8 September. The Public Fund for Cultural Activities is organising the festival Europa Cantat 2021 (16-25 July). The 39th Radovljica Festival, which includes ten concerts of old music, will take place between 6 and 22 August. Between 7 and 23 August, the festival Seviqc Brežice will visit various Slovenian venues. At the end of summer, you can attend one of the concerts by internationally renowned artists and promising young talents at Maribor Festival.


Jazz and World Music 


Between 2 and 10 July, the 37th edition of Druga Godba offers a fusion of ethno and modern musics from all around the world. With the concert series Glasbarium, the Slovenian musician and composer Vasko Atanasovski continues with the tradition of Melem concerts, which he has been producing in Ljubljana and Maribor since 2016. The 13th International Music Festival Arsana will take place in the medieval city of Ptuj (17-29 July). From 28 to 31 July, the 62nd Jazz Festival Ljubljana will be held at Cankarjev Dom. Between 23 July and 1 August, the festival Dobimo se pred Škucem is happening in the old town centre of the Slovenian capital; the purpose of the festival is to diversify summer events in the old town district with quality cultural and artistic events. As part of Imago Slovenia, the event series Jazz Stage is taking place on Stari trg. The festival Jazz Cerkno is happening between 15 and 19 July. Between 27 July and 8 August, the 29th edition of Okarina Festival Bled will be held near one of the most pretty Alpine lakes. In the vicinity of Snežnik Castle, various musical groups from the spheres of folk fusion, jazz, electronica and experimental music will perform at Floating Castle Festival (22-25 July). The festival of big bands MareziJazz will take place between 7 and 8 August. From 16 to 28 August, the festival Kreativna Jazz Klinika is happening in Velenje. In Novo Mesto, the third week in August is reserved for Jazzinty Festival.


Popular music


This year’s edition of the festival Urbano Dejanje is taking place on Tobačna Street in Ljubljana. The yearly independent club tour Club Marathon, produced by Radio Študent, will visit the Slovenian venues in July and August. As part of their 10th anniversary, the venue Trainstation SubArt is organising various concerts in Kranj. Between 8 and 18 July, Mladifest is taking place in Sežana. The 56th edition of the festival Pivo in cvetje will be held in Laško with a programme focused on acoustic performances by Slovenian musicians (9-10 July). On Saturday, 10 July, Slovenian musicians will compete for the annual Melodije morja in sonca prize in Portorož. The urban concert experience known as Restart Tour will take place in the form of a tour of several Slovenian cities with performances by some of the most famous Slovenian musical names. Between 16 and 17 July, Metal Fest: Festivalska transverzala Pomurje–Posočje is happening in Gornja Radgona. In Škofja Loka, Kranj and Cerkno, the “In Memoriam prof. Peter Hafner” Festival is taking place between 24 July and 1 August. In August, trNOVfest will be held in the court of the Centre of Slavic Cultures France Prešeren in Ljubljana. Near the gorgeous Kolpa River, Castle Kolpa Music Festival is taking place between 5 and 8 August. In a pine forest near the town of Pivka, Trnje Fest will be held between 13 and 14 August. The festival Letni oder Ruše is returning under the mighty spruces of Ruše (13-22 August). The 24th youth festival Kunigunda is being held in Velenje (20-28 August). From 18 to 28 August, Slovenian songwriters will perform for the “zlata kanta” award at KantFest. The festival of urban culture FUKSI is taking place in Litostroj (Ljubljana) between 20 and 21 August. The last weekend in August is traditionally reserved for the international festival Nights In Old Ljubljana Town


Tolmin (Soča Valley)


At the confluence of Soča and Tolminka River in Tolmin, the most picturesque Alpine beach in Europe, Sajeta Festival is taking place between 6 and 11 July. At Tolmin Movie Theatre, the charity festival Gora Rocka will be held on July 10. Even though the two major festivals in Tolmin, MetalDays (29 July-1 August) and PunkRockHoliday (12-15 August) have been officially postponed, their alternative and scaled-down versions will happen nevertheless. Between 5 and 8 August, Overjam International Reggae Festival will occupy the same location. And finally, the 2nd edition of the electronic dance music festival Butik will take place between 19 and 22 August. 


Music events


Many other music events will also take place on squares, in front of cultural centres, on bar terraces and elsewhere… in Ljubljana (Tivoli, Kino Šiška, Prulček, Gala hala, Pritličje, Cankarjev dom, Celica, Center slovanskih kultur France Prešeren etc.), Nova Gorica (ObGlasbo), Tolmin, Kranj (Grad Khislstein), Novo mesto, Portorož, Gornja Radgona, Koper, Velenje, Celje, Postojna, Slovenske Konjice, Žirovnica, Idrija, Izola, Krško, Kočevje, Slovenj Gradec, Vrhnika, Brežice, Most na Soči, Murska Sobota, Cerknica, Šmartno pri Litiji, Begunje, Vipavski Križ, Vransko, Breginj, Ankaran and other Slovenian towns. 


As some organizers have not yet published their program, we invite you to follow our calendar where you can get all the information about music events in Slovenia.


by Dušan Mijanović