While an estimated 10,000 visitors already gathered in Ptuj on the opening day, organisers expect a total of 150,000 to attend the more than 100 events to be held in the coming days and featuring 15,000 participants from 15 countries.

The festival will culminate on Sunday, 10 February, when around 4,000 traditional carnival figures from Slovenia, Croatia, Belgium, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Germany are expected on the streets of Ptuj.

This year's carnival hopes to highlight the mystical connections between carnival traditions and changes in seasons and focus on the transfer of heritage onto young generations.

The artistic side of the carnival will be explored by the traditional fine arts event known as Ex tempore Karneval, while scholarly aspects will be the subject of a symposium scheduled for 5 February.