Looking for events in Maribor? Lent Festival, Old Vine Festival, and the Golden Fox are only some of the festivals and events you shouldn't miss.
Maribor has something to offer all year round, from winter sports and the Festive December to open-air events in summer. You can, of course, explore the medieval centre, visit museum and gallery exhibitions, and treat your taste buds with delicious local cuisine any time of year. However, if you’re looking for something to spice up your visit, we’ve gathered the best events for you to visit.
1. Lent Festival—the biggest multi-genre festival in this part of Europe
No list of Maribor’s festivals could ever be complete without Lent Festival. Named after the Lent district on the river Drava, this festival takes advantage of the long days and warm summer nights and brings the riverbank to life in the last weeks of June. The story of Lent Festival began in 1989 with the organisation of the first Folkart folklore festival. Although the festival has changed and expanded since then, it remains the only internationally recognised folklore festival in Slovenia.
Lent district lent its name to the most famous festival in Maribor—Lent Festival. Photo: Arhiv Narodni dom. Source: www.slovenia.info.
Nowadays, Lent Festival has something for everyone: this multi-genre festival combines various types of music, folklore and dance, theatre, sports, and street food, and ends with a bang—fireworks traditionally light up the sky just before midnight of the very last festival day. If you enjoy open-air events and long summer evenings, Lent is the right choice for you.
More about Lent Festival here.
2. The Old Vine Festival—a must for every wine lover
It should hardly come as a surprise that the oldest vine in the world has both its own festival and Howeverits own museum. Over 450 years old, the Old Vine is recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest vine in the world that still produces wine. This žametovka vine bears about 35 to 55 kg of grapes per year. The wine that is made out of them is used purely for gifts and ceremonial purposes—a bottle was given to Queen Elisabeth II. The harvest of the Old Vine is the central event of the Old Vine Festival, which takes place in September. The harvest is accompanied by wine tastings, a presentation of Slovenian winemakers and Maribor rafters, and culinary evenings organised by the Old Vine House. If you are a die-hard wine lover, this is the right festival for you.
Another event associated with the Old Vine is the pruning of the vine in March. The scions are donated to cities all over the world as a symbol of friendship and cooperation. At the end of 2018, 163 scions could be found in 24 different countries on four different continents.
The Old Vine has both its own festival and it own museum.
More about the Old Vine Festival here.
3. Maribor Theatre Festival—Maribor’s most dramatic festival
Maribor Theatre Festival, with the quite unpronounceable Slovenian name Borštnikovo srečanje, is a festival dedicated to theatre performances. The festival takes place every year in the second half of October. If you’re a fan of drama, join us and watch the best Slovenian productions take the stage in hopes of winning one—or more—of the various prizes awarded at the end of the festival. If you can’t understand a word of Slovenian and still want to enjoy the festival, keep a lookout for the international part of the program: Maribor Theatre Festival regularly hosts international performances, guest producers and performers, and symposia.
More about the Maribor Theatre Festival here.
4. Opera Night in the City Park—opera under the stars
Do you prefer opera to drama? Join us for a night of classical music in a very untypical setting—the promenade of the City Park. Although this is a fairly new event, it has grown hugely popular among the locals and they already regard it as traditional. The concert is organised every year at the end of May and marks the end of the theatre season. It’s also a part of the Ezl Ek Festival, named after the most famous corner in the whole town, which has served as a gathering point for the town’s youth for decades.
Maribor's City Park transforms into a stage under the stars.
More about the Opera Night here.
5. The Golden Fox—watch the best skiers in the world
If music is not your cup of tea, don’t worry. Maribor also hosts a number of sports events every year. The most famous is, without a doubt, the Golden Fox, a skiing competition for women. The races in slalom and giant slalom take place on the Pohorje hill at the edge of Maribor. The competition, which is a part of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, is typically organised in the second half of January and lasts for two days. The best skier of both races earns the title Golden Fox.
Aside from the Golden Fox, Maribor organises various cycling, hiking, and other sports events and hosts a number of international competitions that vary from year to year.
Pohorje hots the Golden Fox race every year. Photo: Nina Kurnik. Source: www.slovenia.info.
More about the Golden Fox here.
6. Summer Puppet Pier
Travelling with children? Every August, the Puppet Theatre Maribor organises the international Summer Puppet Pier festival. The repertoire includes the best Slovenian and foreign puppet shows for children. They also organise performances, workshops, and exhibitions geared towards adults, so both you and your children can have a good time.
More about the Summer Puppet Pier here.
7. Festival Maribor—another treat for music-lovers
Festival Maribor is dedicated to chamber and orchestra music. In its 50 plus years of existence, this festival has seen some changes. Its predecessor was the Baroque Music Festival, later renamed into Musical September. The programme of the festival also expanded through the years. Nowadays, Festival Maribor represents one of the most important classical music festivals in Slovenia, and gives both Slovenian and foreign musicians a chance to shine.
Festival Maribor welcomes all fans of classical music. Photo: Dejan Bulut. Source: www.slovenia.info.
More about Festival Maribor here.
If you’re visiting Maribor outside of the dates of these festivals, you’re not out of options either. A number of concerts, exhibitions, theatre performances, outdoor activities, smaller festivals, and one-time events are available all year round, so you’re bound to find something that will strike your fancy.
Do you agree with our top picks? Which events in Maribor do you want to visit?