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Organised by Slovenian national champions HDD Olimpija of Ljubjana, Ice Fest 2014 will feature four to five official matches over a three week span at the Republic Square.

Olimpija are scheduled to open the festival on Sunday, 14 December, with an EBEL league match against Fehervar of Hungary. Two days later they will face Klagenfurt at the outdoor venue that is better known for hosting formal state ceremonies and the occasional protest.

A national league match between bitter rivals Olimpija and Jesenice is scheduled for 18 December, before the team returns for another home match in the EBEL league against Salzburg in early January.

As part of the event, an outdoor ice rink and stands with capacity for up to 4,500 spectators, including 1,100 seats, will be put in place, the commercial partner in the project, event organisation company Lucky Luka, has said.

Ticket prices will range from EUR 16 per match up to EUR 55 for all three December matches.

When not being used to host ice hockey matches, the outdoor rink will be available for the public to use for skating as part of an increasingly colourful offering of events for the holiday season around the Slovenian capital.