The festive season is officially on in Slovenia after the country's largest two cities have switched on their Christmas lights and decorations, with other towns to follow suit in the coming days.

The capital Ljubljana turned on its signature universe-themed decorations as the night fell on 29 November.

Sparkling with 50 kilometres of lights and 850 light sculptures, this year's festive illumination celebrates the joy of life and universe, coined in the theme Joyverse of Life.

The lights switch-on event attracted several thousand people to Prešeren Square where a 21-metre tall spruce three from Gorenjska has been put and illuminated with eight kilometres of lights.

Huge Chinese lanterns made by primary school children are hanging from trees in Zvezda Park and life-size nativity scenes are on display on the riverside and at Ljubljana castle, one made of straw and the other of wood.

Running until after the New Year's, the festive season in Ljubljana includes stalls selling gifts, mulled wine and other delicacies, and a variety of events such as St Nicholas's and Father Frost's parades, live concerts and street theatre shows.

These will be held at five venues, each catering to different musical tastes, from pop folk music in the square next to the central market to Christmas favourites in front of the City Hall and major musical acts in Congress Square.

The festive season will culminate with the outdoor New Year's Eve party with live music at four venues, and a large fireworks display at the stroke of midnight.

Maribor switched to festive mood a day before Ljubljana, turning on 40 kilometres of lights. The theme of the decorations, Magical Threads, symbolises the bonds between people.

This year Christmas lights were expanded to illuminate the newly renovated riverside borough of Lent. The square in front of the City Hall again features a large Ferris wheel and a merry-go-round.

The festive season in Maribor will feature more than 200 events culminating with the New Year's Eve party in the Leon Štukelj Square. Maribor renounced fireworks several years ago

During the upcoming weekend, festive lights will also be switched on in Celje, the European City of Christmas 2025, Nova Gorica, the European Capital of Culture 2025, in the lakeside resort of Bled, and coastal towns of Portorož and Piran.

Both Portorož and Koper, which will turn its Christmas decorations on 6 December, will have large ice skating rinks like several other towns. Rewind - Vasco Rossi Tribute Band will open the concert season at Taverna Koper, a 17th century salt warehouse.

Slovenia's oldest town, Ptuj will open its fairy-tale winter on 2 December, and Kranj, the regional capital of northwest Slovenia, will join the festive mood on 3 December to coincide with what would be the 224th birthday of its proudest resident, poet France Prešeren.