The Marseilles-based troupe Ilotopie will perform Aqua Forte specially adapted for Maribor on Saturday evening.

"We want to offer people a fairytale experience which they will remember for the rest of their lives, and suitably celebrate our 25th anniversary," the festival's head Vladimir Rukavina has said.

According to Rukavina, the spectacle will put in focus the importance of the Drava for the people of Maribor and for Lent Festival.

Ilotopie performs water shows, telling everyday stories without words but with lighting, sound, music and pyrotechnics. Everyday people are transformed into mythic creatures who walk, and drive bicycles and cars on water.

In nine festival days, Lent will offer dozens of events in the old part of Maribor, which has given the festival its name.

The music highlights this year include Irish artist Bob Geldof, The Real McKenzies from Canada, and Pharaoh Sanders Quartet from the US.

Regional performers, such as S.A.R.S. from Serbia, Zabranjeno Pušenje from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Psihomodo Pop from Croatia, will also be heavily represented.

There will be plenty of other events as well, such as the staging of the Jesus Christ Superstar musical by the Brno City Theatre and the Faun-Carmen-Bolero ballet triptych by the SNG Maribor theatre.

Families and children will find their spot in the City Park, while fans of stand-up comedy and street theatre will also be taken care of.

In addition, an exhibition in Maribor's Minorite Monastery, which has been a venue for the festival for years, opened on Wednesday to showcase the history of Lent. Photos by several photographers are on display, as well as posters, articles, promo materials and a documentary on the festival by Nina Cijan.