What's on in Ljubljana
Festivals, concerts, markets and the holidays that close the shops — the whole year, in date order. Filter it down and plan a trip around the city's rhythm.
Every date ahead
30 events
July 20263
20MAROdprta kuhna (Open Kitchen) street food market (seasonal)
Ljubljana’s best ‘locals food’ ritual: a weekly open-air food market with stalls, bites, and a relaxed riverside vibe—perfect for a low-effort lunch plan.
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21JUNLjubljana Festival (Summer)
Ljubljana’s signature summer festival season with open-air and indoor performances—ideal for golden-hour evenings in the center.
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18JULNearby · Lake Bled, SILights on the Lake 2026 — Bled
Ten thousand handmade candles in eggshells are set afloat on Lake Bled during an evening of live music on the lakeside promenade.
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August 20262
15AUGNationwideAssumption of Mary (Slovenia)
The Feast of the Assumption (Marijino vnebovzetje) is a nationwide work-free public holiday in Slovenia on 15 August.
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20AUGNearby · Piran, SITartini Festival Piran 2026
An international summer classical and Baroque music festival dedicated to Piran-born violinist-composer Giuseppe Tartini, with concert evenings in the Venetian-Gothic squares and historic venues of the Adriatic coastal town.
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September 20263
Date TBCPivo & Burger Fest 2026 (autumn edition) — Ljubljana
The Open Kitchen team brings craft beer, burgers and other street food to Pogačarjev trg for a seasonal weekend festival.
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20SEPNearby · Lake Bohinj, SICows' Ball (Kravji Bal) 2026 — Lake Bohinj
A beloved Alpine harvest festival on the western shore of Lake Bohinj marking the cattle's return from the high mountain pastures. The 67th edition brings decorated herds, folk music, dancing and a market of Bohinj-made foods.
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26SEPNearby · Lake Bled, SIEurope Triathlon Junior Cup Bled 2026
Europe's junior triathletes race a super-sprint programme at Lake Bled, alongside races listed in the Slovenian federation calendar.
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October 20265
1OCTCity of Women Festival (Mesto žensk) 2026
One of Ljubljana’s most distinctive cultural weeks—cross-disciplinary programming with a strong point of view (performances, talks, film, and art).
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2OCTNearby · Trieste, ITBarcolana 58 Regatta 2026 — Trieste
The world's largest sailing regatta by number of boats packs the Gulf of Trieste with over 2,000 vessels on the second Sunday of October, surrounded by ten days of waterfront concerts, races and events in the Italian port city.
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2OCTEuropean Road Cycling Championships (Ljubljana 2026)
A rare chance to see elite road racing in the city—fast, tactical laps and a very different ‘view’ of Ljubljana’s streets.
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17OCTLjubljana Marathon 2026
A friendly, well-organized city marathon weekend with multiple distances—perfect if you want an October trip with a ‘main event’.
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31OCTNationwideReformation Day & Day of the Dead (Slovenia)
Two consecutive work-free holidays bookend the start of November: Reformation Day (31 October), honouring Protestant reformer Primož Trubar and the first Slovene books, and the Day of Remembrance for the Dead (1 November), when families visit candle-lit cemeteries.
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November 20268
11NOVLIFFe — Ljubljana International Film Festival (seasonal)
Slovenia’s biggest film festival—packed screenings, a city-center cinema mood, and a great reason to visit in cozy shoulder season.
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Date TBCLjubljana Wine Route: Martinovanje 2026
A one-day wine and food festival in Ljubljana's old town, with Slovenian producers and tastings along the city-centre streets.
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19NOVBIO 29 — Biennial of Design Ljubljana 2026 (Soft Fields)
BIO is Europe's oldest design biennial, founded in Ljubljana in 1963. The 29th edition, titled \"Soft Fields\" and curated by Martina Muzi, runs at the Museum of Architecture and Design (MAO) and explores how knowledge embedded in research and industrial environments can be opened and redistributed through design.
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19NOVSlovenian Wine Festival 2026 (Slovenski festival vin)
The Slovenian Wine Festival gathers the country's leading winemakers under one roof at Cankarjev dom for two days of tastings spanning all of Slovenia's wine regions, plus masterclasses and culinary pairings.
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23NOVSlovene Book Fair (Slovenski knjižni sejem)
A cozy late-autumn book fair with talks, browsing, and a strong local culture feel—great if you want an indoor plan that still feels very ‘Ljubljana’.
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27NOVLjubljana Christmas market + festive lights (seasonal)
A winter Old Town season with lights, market stalls, and cozy evenings—Ljubljana feels extra romantic when it’s cold and the riverfront is glowing.
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28NOVNearby · Zagreb, HRAdvent in Zagreb 2026
Zagreb's official Advent programme spreads seasonal music, food, decorations and family activities across the city.
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30NOVAnimateka International Animated Film Festival 2026
Animateka is Central and Eastern Europe's leading animation film festival, held each December in Ljubljana. The 23rd edition screens international and regional animated shorts and features at Kinodvor and the Slovenian Cinematheque, with workshops and an Eastern-European competition.
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December 20263
25DECNationwideChristmas & Independence and Unity Day (Slovenia)
Slovenia's festive cluster pairs Christmas Day (25 December) with Independence and Unity Day (26 December), which commemorates the 1990 plebiscite for independence. Both are work-free, giving a quiet two-day break amid Ljubljana's Christmas-market season.
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Date TBCNearby · Postojna Cave, SILiving Nativity in Postojna Cave 2026
One of Europe's most spectacular Christmas stagings: a 90-minute living nativity unfolds across the cathedral-like chambers of Postojna Cave, with over 100 performers retelling the Christmas story among the stalagmites by train and on foot.
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31DECNew Year’s Eve in Ljubljana (Silvestrovo)
A charming, walkable countdown with riverfront lights and a compact center—ideal if you want a festive night without big-city chaos.
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January 20271
February 20271
March 20271
April 20271
May 20272
1MAYNationwideLabour Day (Slovenia)
International Workers' Day is marked with two work-free days, 1 and 2 May, in Slovenia. The eve features traditional bonfires and the early-morning playing of brass bands (budnica) in towns including Ljubljana.
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16MAYNationwideWhit Sunday / Pentecost (Slovenia)
Whit Sunday (binkošti) is a work-free Christian holiday in Slovenia, falling 49 days after Easter. As it always lands on a Sunday the practical impact on visitors is limited, though church services and quieter shops are typical.
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