67th Ljubljana Festival Presenting the World's Leading Artists

This summer, there will be more than 80 events organized within the framework of the 67th Ljubljana Festival. At the center of a program marked by quality and genre diversity will be a spectacular opening from the Aida Opera, which will take place at Congress Square.

But the program that follows will be just as breath-taking. We will get a chance to dance with flamenco star Marío Pagés, the Italian group Aterballetto, and famous Bolshoi Theatre champion Svetlana Zahkarova. We will also get to hear live performances from the Munich Radio Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Chorus, Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2, and Arias sung by Tomas Hampson and Elena Mosuc.

Also performing will be legendary bass players and Grammy Award winners Marcus Miller and Stanley Slarke. Ljubljana will also host two scenic and content-rich Russian performances, namely the musicals Onegin's Demon and The Master and Margareta, and an Italian rendition of Verdi's Traviata by Teatro Regio from Torino.

The festival will conclude with the farewell tour by one of the greatest modern-age maestros, Zubin Mehto, who will direct the Israeli Philharmonic. Finishing the festival is another music legend, Charles Dutioit.
Read more about the program of the 67th Ljubljana Festival at www.ljubljanafestival.si. 

Unique Cultural Overview-Summer on the Ljubljana Castle

In addition to the Ljubljana Festival, the Castle, which boasts the most beautiful view of the Slovenian capital, is putting together a diverse cultural and art program. Beneath the star-studded sky, the Castle Courtyard will host traditional events, such as Film under the Stars, the Panč stand-up comedy festival, and Comedy under the Stars.

This summer, the Palatium and Estates Hall are home to a retrospective exhibition titled The Parallel Worlds of Alan Hranitelj. His extraordinary oeuvre produced both locally and abroad brings together the worlds of opera, theatre, and film.

The main thematic exhibition this year is called Mighty Guardians of the Past. The exhibition, which portrays Slovenia as a land of castles, will be on display in the Kazemate. And for those who still believe in the power of fairy tales, the Pentagonal Tower is hosting an exhibition by Jelka Reichman entitled Twelve Elephants.

Both local and foreign visitors to the Ljubljana Castle are welcome to spend the hot summer weekends at the Castle study, a nice and quiet space safely guarded by the castle walls and moat. There, you are free to enjoy the relaxing summer vibes in the company of books. And while exploring the Castle Hill, make sure to visit the Castle Arboretum and see the photo exhibition by Matjaž Krivic entitled Lithium: The Driving Force of the 21st Century

More info at www.ljubljanskigrad.si

Open-air Cinema at Congress Square, 26th-29th August 2019 at 21:00

The annual open-air cinema at Congress Square is a free event that screens world-famous cinema masterpieces, attracting more and more local and foreign visitors each year. With it, the Kinodvor City Cinema has come on par with comparable projects that attract tourists in Locarno, Vienna, Paris, London and Bologna for the sixth consecutive year.

On the first night, we will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the classic Ninotchka (1939), a lively mix of political satire and romantic comedy directed by Ernst Lubitsch, the master of laid-back sophistication and traditional Hollywood film.

As a prelude to the retrospective of director Jean Renoir, which will take place this autumn at the Slovenian Cinematheque (Kinoteka), the second night will see the screening of Elena and Men (Eléna et les Hommes, 1956). The head-spinning and colourful romantic comedy portrays the Fin-de-Siècle Paris, where the beautiful Ingrid Bergman finds herself spiralling into adventures of love and political intrigue.
The third night will celebrate the 60th anniversary of Some Like It Hot (1959), a hilarious and spicy masterpiece by Billy Wilder with genius performances by Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and the charming Marilyn Monroe.

The event will conclude with a screening of the satirical classic and once highly controversial religious and political farce The Life of Brian (1979). Celebrating the 40th anniversary of its premiere, the film stars members of legendary British comedy group Monty Python. They recap the life story of young Jude Brian Cohen, who was born on the same day as Jesus Christ in a manger just next to his. The film ironically ends with the famous song "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life."

Films are screened in their original language with Slovene subtitles. Films that are not in English will be accompanied by both Slovene and English subtitles.