August 26, 2018
Slovenian elementary and high school students resume their educations after the summer break on the first of September each year, or the next available weekday. This year that’s Monday September 3rd, and so expect to see the streets fill up with kids anxious to make the most of their last days of freedom in the next seven days, along with families stocking up on stationary and textbooks.
To help you make the most of the city at this time of year, full of excitement and anxieties, what follows is a guide to some of the things going on around town, with more hidden away on the Internet, promoted on posters at strategic locations, or just happening, unannounced, awaiting your spotaneous action.
Ljubjana by Wheelchair's Facebook page
One app that visitors with reduced mobility will find useful, as well as free, is the city-sponsored Ljubljana by Wheelchair, which you can read about and download here.
Something special this week is the short series of movies to be shown outside, in Kongresni trg / Congress Square at 21:00, as organized by Kinodvor, all with free admission. Monday there’s the classic Slovene film Na svoji zemlji. Tuesday there’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, in a new 4K digital restoration – which could make a magical night under the stars, weather permitting. Wednesday there’s Bergman’s Summer with Monika. Thrill to the exploitation cinema style trailer made for the original US release in 1953, shown below. The series then ends on Thursday, with D. A. Pennebaker “really groovy” documentary from the 60s, Monterey Pop, which also has great trailer.
The Ljubljana Festival is entering its last full week, and the season comes to a climax with several big shows this week, including two performances of Rigoletto and the traditional Križanke show by Vlado Kreslin & Guests, with all the details here and also below, with videos.
The Mladi levi Festival (Young Lions Festival) also continues until September 1, presenting dramatic and dance performances at various venues around town. The PDF programme is here, while there’s a shorter online version here. Theatre also comes to Metelkova this week, as part of the Sindikat odklonskih entitet/Syndicate of Outlandish Entities, and shown in the related section below.
Some of the other events on around town are presented below. As ever, clicking on the venue name will get you more details with regard to the time, price and location, as well as other events on this week, and if you want to get a Ljubljana Tourist Card, which gives you travel on the city buses and entry to a lot of attractions, then you can read more about that here, and if you want to use the bike share system, as useful for visitors as it is for residents, then you can learn more by clicking this.
And if there's something you want to promote in a future edition of What's on... please get in touch with me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
CINEMA
You can read about all the cinemas in town here, while a selection of what’s playing this week is below, and note that kid’s movies tend to be shown in dubbed versions, so do check before driving out to a multiplex and dropping off the young ones. (And if you like watching trailers with Slovene subtitles, then catch up on some from earlier this year here and here).
Kinodvor – The arts cinema not far from the train station may showing movies outside in Kongresni trg this week, as noted in the introduction, but that doesn’t main venue is closed. Among other features its playing indoors you can see , two music documentaries Whitney, Grace Jones, along with Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, and Mary Shelly. The full Kinobalon programme of children’s films can be found here.
Kinoteka – The revival house at one end of Miklošičeva is occupied with the events in Kongresni trg this week.
Kolosej – The multiplex out at BTC City Mall is playing all the big movies, which this week include – deep breath – Mission Impossible: Fallout, Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again, Sicario 2, Skyscraper, Ant Man & Wasp, Adrift, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, both dubbed and subtitled versions of Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation, The Meg and last’s week’s new release, The Spy Who Dumped Me. Starting this Wednesday is The Equalizer 2.
Komuna – This basement movie theatre behind Nama Department store is playing Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again and a dubbed version of Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation. On Tuesday (only, it seems) they have a subtitled version of Tout en haut du monde, and on Thursday they start playing Whitney.
CLUBS
A study conducted earlier this year found that Ljubljana is the 28th most affordable city in the world to get drunk and high in, as reported here. However, note that all the usual drugs remain illegal in Slovenia. We've also heard increasing reports - albeit anecdotal - of women's drinks being spiked in the city, so take care.
Božidar – Tuesday the 27th Božidar & Journey of Sound are hosting the: Dimensions Festival Pre-party. A free event featuring DJs Thang, Lebawski, Just Nathan, Mona Lee, Felix Claus, and Dimitri Deman. Thursday night there’s Lost Beats with DJs Dado, Sushi, and Zhe. Friday night there’s a set from Christian Kroupa / Alleged Witches.
Gala Hala – Dub Lab is on Monday, and this week the music comes from Dj Danjahras (Dubsystem Sound). There’s then a night of dance and beat music, at a free event on Wednesday with DJs Čunfa and Shao – Beat this: sredino đuskanje // Letni vrt. Friday night is the turn of hip hop, rap and dance, with RAPETEK #140 and DJs Borka and K’Pow
Klub Cirkus – The more commercial end of clubland is back with a spirit of hedonism, the season kicking off on Friday with the New Age Gang playing tracks to make you dance – old and new, alternative and mainstream. Saturday there’s El Fuego - Premiera!, offering Latino flavoured pop, r&b, dance, reggaeton, house, tropical, and island beats.
Klub K4 – Friday night the klub 4 kool kids has DJs Lavka, Kosta, and Nitz playing house. The next night there’s DJs Zergon and Dipsas playing techno, house, and electronica.
EXHIBITIONS
Please note that most public galleries and museums are closed on Mondays, although not the National Museum.
Ljubljana Castle has an exhibition on the history of dragons that runs until November 11, and there's plenty more to see and do when up there, including some nice walks in nature. Note that the bathroom is in the basement and rather difficult to find.
Plečnik's desk. Photo: JL Flanner
Plečnik’s House is worth a visit if you want to learn more about the architect who gave Ljubljana much of its character. Read about our guided tour here.
Jakopič Gallery– Fans of Magnum and photography in general will wish to check out the Marc Riboud show here, as detailed in an earlier story, and on until October.
Marc Riboud Beijing, 1965. Da Sha La street in old Bejing, as seen through an antique dealer’s window. Private citizens come here to sell family jewels or other objects. The prices are fixed by the government. ©Marc Riboud – all rights reserved.
Cankerjev dom – Running until the end of February 2019 is an exhibition titled Ivan Cankar and Europe: Between Shakespeare and Kafka. This is “An examination of Cankar’s art through an analysis of influences and interpretations, and juxtaposition with contemporary European writers. The visually elaborate architectural and graphic layout, supported by audio-visual media, installation art and diverse visual highlights, offers a vivid account of Cankar’s excellence, his comprehensively exquisite aesthetic and artistic vision.”
City Art Gallery – Last Chance On until the first week of September is a show called Prrrrrr, featuring the work of seven female artists from Slovenia. More on that here.
Simona Semenič, Nada Žgank - Zapis celote, triptih fotografij, 67 x 100 cm, giclée print, 2009. On display at the City Art Gallery
City Museum – The Museum in French Revolution Square has an exhibition on the writer Ivan Cankar that’s on until the end of February 2019, with pictures, books and manuscripts, all presented in Slovene and English. It also has a very interesting permanent exhibition on the history of Ljubljana, from prehistoric times to the present day, with many artefacts, models and so on that bring the story alive.You can read about my recent visit here.
The Faces of Ljubljana in the City Museum. Photo: JL Flanner
Galerija Kresija – There’s a fun show at this gallery between the Triple Bridge and Robba Fountain, showing Tina Kolenik wearing watermelons on her head. This runs until September 14, and is being promoted with the following image.
International Centre of Graphic Arts – Among other shows, on Thursday there’s a new one here that runs until September 8, Trude Johansen & Maruša Meglič, who took part in the first residency exchange between Norway and Slovenia.
MAO – The Museum of Architecture and Design is showcasing Slovenian designers in a show called Made in Slovenia, lasting until the end of 2018: “The selling exhibition aims to present good practices of Slovenian designers and companies in the creative sector.” The same venue has an exhibition based on Slovenia’s Pavilion at the 16th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, called “Living with Water”, and on until November 25.
Something by Drago Tršar
Moderna galerija – The main branch of this gallery, to be found near the entrance to Tivoli Park, has a good collection of modern art, as well a nice café in the basement, and, until September 30th, a retrospective on the monumental sculptures of Drago Tršar, which you’ll recognise from around town (see more here). For even more contemporary work you can take a trip to the Metelkova branch, where there’s currently a show on the relationship between humans and animals.
Photo: JL Flanner
Museum of Contemporary History – The museum in Tivoli Park has two new shows. One is called Museum's (R)evolution 1948-2018, marking the place's 70th anniversary with an exhibition tracing its evolution through artefacts, photographs and personal stories and running until January 6 2019 (details here). There's also In Search of Freedom: 1968-2018, looking at the 1968 student protests.
National Gallery – The country’s main gallery has “the best” of what’s on offer from the Middle Ages to non-contemporary modern visual arts, and is in a great location for exploring other areas, just by Tivoli Park and opposite the main branch of the Moderna galerija. Running until February 10 2019 is a show called Ivana Kobilca (1861-1926): But Of Course, Painting Is Something Beautiful!, featuring works like the one below. You can read about our visit to the room containing scared art from the Middle Ages here, and see a picture from our trip after the two girls.
JL Flanner
National Museum of Slovenia – There’s plenty to see in the permanent collection here, from Roman times, Egypt and more, with the big draw this season being the exhibition of over 140 items of gold from Ming Dyntasy China, as reported here, and with an example below.
Photo: Wang Wei Chang
Meanwhile, at the museum's Metelkova branch, located between one branch of the Moderna galerija and the Ethnographic Museum is the International Ceramic Triennial UNICUM 2018, which runs until September 30. It's being promoted with the following image. This branch also has some rooms on Church art, funiture and weapons, with the latter including more guns than you'll see anywhere else in town, and quite a thrill if coming from a nation where such objects are not household objects.
Slovene Ethnographic Museum – The museum currently has a temporary show on Bees and Beekeeping, as well two permanent exhibitions. One of these is called Between Nature and Culture, and has a great collection of objects from Slovenia and around the world, well worth the trip up to the third floor to see it (as recounted here). This place is located near the newer branch of the Moderna galerija and Metelkova.
Photo: JL Flanner
Union Experience – The Ljubljana-based brewer has a museum showing the history of the company, with the ticket also including access to part of the factory and a few samples of the product. You can read about our visit here.
It's not a formal museum, but if you're interested in "Yugo-stalgia" then you'll enjoy a trip to Verba, a small, privately run space that's crammed with objects and pop culture items from the era, and is conveniently located at the start of one of the short walks to the castle. It's also a great place to take pictures, if you leave a donation, and you can read more about it here.
Verba. Photo: JL Flanner
Alternative Ljubljana isn't a museum or gallery, as such, but instead turns the city streets into a museum and gallery. Learn more about their tours of street art, history and LGBT Ljubljana here.
FAMILIES & KIDS
You can find our Top 12 list of things to do with kids in Ljubljana here. If want to read more about the philosophy behind the wonderful House of Experiments look here, while our trip to the Museum of Illusions is documented here, and there’s always riverside walks, ice cream and pizza.
Museum of Illusions. Photo: JL Flanner
LGBTQI+
If you want to learn more about Ljubljana Pride, then take a look at our interview with its president here. If you're looking for more general links on "gay Slovenia", including a history of the scene and various projects, then you can find that here.
Klub Gromka – Sunday, 15:00-18:00 is Ray Filar - This Genderfuck Drag Workshop. Details here.
Klub Monokel – No events are being promoted this week, but that’s no reason not to head to this lesbian bar in Metelkova on Friday and see what’s happening, or to visit it's neighbour, below.
Klub Tiffany – A big week at the Klub, with David Hoyle's workshop Živeti v tukaj in ZDAJ!/Living in the NOW! from 15:00 on Wednesday. Laster that day, 20:00, there's Cabaret Tiffany.gay bar, which is followed (at 23:00) by a part with dance music called Seks, ljubezen in avantgarda/Sex, Love and Avant-Garde. Thursday has just one event, at 21:00 a Talk Session with Jayne Compton, with some focus on Switchflicker.
Pritličje – This is the closest Ljubljana comes to a "gay bar" so it's a good thing this cafe / bar / events space is such a good one, and open from morning to night. You can read more about it here.
Photo: JL Flanner
LIVE MUSIC
Božidar – Rok Zalokar Trio are playing a free live show here Wednesday evening, from 21:00–01:00, with the event starting at 19:00.
Cankerjev dom – Tuesday, August 28, 20:00, you can see and hear the Brazilian composer, pianist and guitarist Egberto Gismonti, as joined by one of Italy’s finest chamber orchestras, I Solisti Aquilani, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary. Gismonti will be playing his work works, which “masterfully interweave elements of Brazilian folk music and the classical tradition”. On Thursday, at the same time and place, you can enjoy La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra with the pianist Jan Lisiecki, playing Beethoven and Dvořák.
Kino Šiška – Monday night you can see a live show from Ariel Pink, with support from Jorge Elbrecht.
Križanke – On Friday the 31st of September, 20:30, Plečnik’s Open Air Theatre once again fulfils its intended purpose as a permanent venue for the Ljubljana Festival, hosting the traditional end of season show by Vlado Kreslin & Guests (details here).
OPERA, THEATRE, DANCE
Open-air salsa will be happening on Thursday, from 20:00 until after midnight, outside the Plato café at Ajdovščina 1. This is every week until the end of September (details).
Cankerjev dom – On Monday and Wednesday, 28 and 29, 20:00, there will be performances of Verdi’s Rigoletto by The Teatro Carlo Felice of Genoa, with the baritone Leo Nucci.
Klub Gromka – Theatre continues in Metelkova on Thursday night with a performance of Lažna dojka/The Fake Bosom. Performed in Slovene, it comes with the following warning: “During your visit you may be exposed to scenes of disease and decay, therefore we discourage participation of persons with known hypersensitivity to queer phenomena, health care environment, bodily fluids and excretions, or individuals with heart failure.”
Gala Hala –Theatre comes to Metelkova this week, as part of the Sindikat odklonskih entitet/Syndicate of Outlandish Entities, which continues on and off until September 20th. On Tuesday night the legendary Andrej Rozman Roza and Co will be performing Zaničniško odmaševanje/The Zeroite Mass. As the Facebook page notes: “The Zeroite Mass is close to cabaret on the level of content, it offers music, singing and high spirited, socially engaged religious ceremony that celebrates the language. The ceremony is led by Kangaroo that also invites the audience to join in and chant Our Language and sing along. Besides Kangaroo, other performers are singers and musicians. The ceremony is composed of sermon, a sequence of short acts about the Zeroers religious community and songs in various genres, from Gospel to Rock’n’Roll.”
The same venue hosts the always wonderful alternative cabaret stylings of Image Snatchers on Thursday, 22:00, with music, dancing, jokes, acrobatics (often) and nudity. A great night out, followed by an afterparty at the same place.
Pocket Teater Studio – After a break for the summer what must be the smallest threatre in town is back with another season of flamenco, tapas and wine, with Noches de Tablao: Sufi Duende, Friday 20:30. This promises “a musical journey between flamenco and Sufi mystic music, using the rhythmic structures of flamenco styles, the enchantment of the Arabic oud and the depths of Sufi poetry.” Reservations are needed, and you can book a ticket for €20 (or €15 for students) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 070 325 522. And you can read about the man behind the theatre here.
MISC.
Every Friday through the warmer months there’s the Open Kitchen in Ljubljana Market, where you can try food and drink from some the biggest names in town, and you can read more about it here.
Breg Embankment, just opposite the Old Town and by the river, has a small flea market open every Sunday morning. Learn more about it here.
If you’re in town and want to go jogging or walking in nature, why not take another look at the Castle, with a brief guide to the trails here. If you want something bigger, head to Tivoli Park.
If you want to get wet and work on your tan then consider going to one of the outdoor pools in town, which you can read about here, and that will closing in a few weeks until next year.
Laguna, but there are also pools for swimming in town.
And if you're bored with the Old Town, why not take a walk, cycle or boat ride to nearby Špica and enjoy the riverside life. Learn more about that here.
visitljubjana.si
Flickr - Dave Rosenbaum CC by 2.0
Want to stretch and breath? Then check out our list of drop-in yoga classes for tourists, visitors and the uncommitted. If you're heading to the coast, check out our interview with a yoga teacher who offers breakfast sessions there, while if you're staying in town (or nearby) and want to try some "family yoga" then you can learn more about that here and maybe get your kids to calm down a moment or two.
TRIPS
Most of Slovenia is only a few hours from Ljubljana, and you can easily visit Lake Bled, Lipica Stud Farm, Postojna Cave, Predjama Castle, the coast and other locations. We recently highlighted the Girl in the Rock. Do you know what other sights are nearby, if planning a trip to the area?
Borut Kantuser CC-by-SA 3.0
FINALLY…
Keep your eyes open on your way around town and maybe you'll spot a K67 kiosk, in service or neglect. You can learn more about this Slovene design classic here.
