June 03, 2018
There’s more and more going on as we head towards the height of the tourist season, with much of what’s on offer being street performers plying their trade around town, making a stop here on their tours of European cities. There’s lots to enjoy in this regard, just be sure to follow the basic rule and put a little cash in the hat if you paused a while and took some pleasure from whatever you saw or heard.
The big event this week is also taking place outside, and that’s the start of the annual June in Ljubljana Festival on Friday, June 8, kicking off with a free performance of Swan Lake in Kongresi trg / Congress Square at 21:00. The concerts and shows are all free and in the same square, and a PDF of the full programme can be found here.
Some of the other events on around town are presented below. As ever, clicking on the venue name will get you more details with regard to the time, price and location, as well as other events on this week, and if you want to get a Ljubljana Tourist Card, which gives you travel on the city buses and entry to a lot of attractions, then you can read more about that here, and if you want to use the bike share system, as useful for visitors as it is for residents, then you can learn more by clicking this.
CINEMA
You can read about all the cinemas in town here, while a selection of what’s playing this week is below, and note that kid’s movies tend to be shown in dubbed versions, so do check before driving out to a multiplex and dropping off the young ones. (And if you like watching trailers with Slovene subtitles, then catch up on some from earlier this year here.)
Kinodvor – The arts cinema not far from the train station, but still rather tucked away, especially with the current street repairs, is showing, among other features, the comedy The Death of Stalin, the Spanish Una mujer fantástica, which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, You Were Never Really Here, the documentary Democracy and Bikini Moon.
Kinoteka – The revival house is showing various classics, including a short season of movies shot by Roger Deakins, such as the Coen Brothers movies, with Barton Fink, Fargo, The Man Who Wasn’t There, and No Country For Old Men.
Kolosej – The multiplex out at BTC City Mall is playing all the big movies, which this week include Avengers: Infinity War, Deadpool 2, I Feel Pretty, Overboard, A Quiet Place, Blockers, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Una mujer fantástica, and Book Club, with the big new movie being Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, starting on Wednesday.
Komuna – The cinema in a basement behind Nama department store is showing Solo: A Star Wars Story, Book Club and Una mujer fantástica.
CLUBS
Channel Zero – Monday night is Dub Lab night, which this week is an event called Dubbing with Warrego Valles (b2b dj set). Saturday night sees part of the Dimensions Festival, the main event of which will be held in Croatia, August 29 to September 2 (see here). Here in Ljubljana you’ll be able to enjoy an electronic line-up of Alleged Witches, Tritch, Roli and Marta. Sets from the Alleged Witches and Tritch are presented below, with second of these providing the soundtrack as I try and type this faster.
Klub Cirkus – The more commercial end of clubland has Bolnca ft Matroda on Friday with promotional material featuring sexy nurses and a music policy of big room anthems, EDM, future house, trap, and dance, while on Saturday you can step back in time and enjoy the regular night of TUTTI Frutti: 90s & 00s Hits.
Klub K4 – The legendary K4 offers Two Years of Just Us w/ Slow Life on Friday, an all-nighter of house, techno, breakbeat and electro, as played by, among others Laurine, Cecilio, and DJ Tree. Saturday then sees another all-nighter for party people who just won’t quit under the name Just a Dance, featuring Elovetric, Von Meister, DEN7EL, and 5237 playing sets of Italo, disco, synthwave, and retro electro. Sets from players on both nights are presented below for you to enjoy while you choose your outfit and pregame with whatever does the business.
EXHIBITIONS
Please note that public galleries and museums are closed on Mondays.
Svetlobna gverila (Lighting Guerrilla) can be found lighting up and prettifying various locations downtown when the sun finally goes down, with key areas being around Križanke, Sosteka in Novi trg and Palača Cukrarna. Details here, and the whole thing lasts until June 16.
Galerija Vžigalica – The light show continues in this gallery space, which has some really nice stuff to enjoy, and is more or less opposite Križanke, in the beautiful French Revolution Square (about which, more here).
Svetlobna gverila in Novi trg. Photo: Paloma Lavor
The Balassi Institute (The Cultural Centre of the Embassy of Hungary) – This is at Barvarska steza 8, Ljubljana, not far from Dragon Bridge, and hosts various events. This Saturday, 10:00–13:00, there’s animation and drawing workshops for children.
Jakopič Gallery – Fans of Magnum and photography in general will wish to check out the Marc Riboud show here, as detailed in an earlier story.
Marc Riboud. Huangshan, 1985. On the right, the pine named Flower-Formed-on-the-tip-of-a-Dream-Paintbrush. On the left, the Sublime Peak. ©Marc Riboud – all rights reserved.
Cankerjev dom – On until June 24 is a show with photographs of Ljubljana by Igor Andjelić, telling “a story about the artist’s embeddedness in Ljubljana’s urban existence, his intense engagement in the city’s artistic circles and street life.”
International Centre of Graphic Arts – Running until July 29 is David Lynch: Fire on Stage, presenting seventy lithographs from the director who’s made a fine career in movies on and on TV, with classics such as Eraserhead, Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks, but who started off as a painter and never left that world behind.
City Museum – In addition to the large permanent exhibition on the history of Ljubljana, the museum is offering guided tours of its collection every Sunday, 16:30, until the end of August, with the price included in the regular entrance fee. Details here.
MAO – The Museum of Architecture and Design is showcasing Slovenian designers in a show called Made in Slovenia, lasting until the end of 2018: “The selling exhibition aims to present good practices of Slovenian designers and companies in the creative sector.” The same venue has an exhibition based on Slovenia’s Pavilion at the 16th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, called “Living with Water”, and on until November 25.
Moderna galerija – The main branch of this gallery, to be found near the entrance to Tivoli Park, has a good collection of modern art, as well a nice café in the basement. For even more contemporary work you can take a trip to the Metelkova branch, which until June 24 has a retrospective on the work of Milenko Matanovič, as noted here.
Museum of Contemporary History – Renovation work means that the permanent Exhibition “Slovenians in the 20th Century” will temporarily lack the period from 1945-1990, but there are still interesting things to see about the recent past in this museum, set in Tivoli Park.
Mestna Galerija – A show called Tomislav Gotovac: Don't Ask Where We're Going is on until June 10.
National Gallery – The country’s main gallery has “the best” of what’s on offer in non-contemporary of modern visual arts, and is in a great location for exploring other areas, just by Tivoli Park and opposite the main branch of the Moderna galerija.
National Museum of Slovenia – There’s a lull in the temporary shows, but still plenty to see in the permanent collection, from Roman times, Egypt and more.
Slovene Ethnographic Museum – There’s a number of permanent exhibitions here, and it’s conveniently located near the newer branch of the Moderna galerija and Metelkova.
FAMILIES & KIDS
You can find our Top 10 list of things to do with kids in Ljubljana here.
LGBTQI+
If you want to learn more about Ljubljana Pride, then take a look at our interview with its president here, while the group’s events page, often updated after this guide is compiled, is here.
Klub Monokel – Nothing seems to be planned at this predominantly lesbian club this week, but there’s still fun to be had here.
Klub Tiffany – On Tuesday, from 16:00, there’s a workshop to make stencils for the upcoming Pride Festival, while Thursday, from 19:00, is the regular card and board games evening.
LIVE MUSIC
As part of the June festival - see the intro - Saturday night will see a show in Congress Square (Kongresni trg), featuring, among other acts, Koala Voice and Klemen Klemen.
Arena Stožice – German rock legends Scorpions are playing this venue on Friday, June 8.
Klub Gromka – It’s a busy week at this Metelkova club. Tuesday night you have a chance to enjoy the sounds of Vodka Juniors, with a live show that’s being promoted with a playlist of fast, aggressive, guitar-based music. And if you want something a little less mainstream, then Thursday, June 7, then has a live show with the name YC-CY & USIL (hardcore, noise, experimental, progressive, regressive). Friday keeps things experimental with an album release show from Nevemnevem, and Saturday is another album release show, this one from Mist, a Slovenian band who play within the evergreen genre of doom metal, shown in the fourth video below.
Kino Šiška – Has a show from Wolf Parade on Tuesday.
OPERA, THEATRE, DANCE
There’s a free performance of Swan Lake in Kongresi trg / Congress Square at 21:00 as part of the June Festival.
Gledališče IGLU - IGLU Theatre – Saturday night this group is usually putting on an English improv show somewhere in town, but it’s generally promoted after this is written, so check the Facebook before putting on your shoes.
Pocket Teater Studio – Wednesday night is already sold out, with a performance by Carlos Pascual (a man who seems to be succeeding in the mission outlined here). Tickets are still available for Friday’s evening of flamenco, beatbox & jazz, but it’s a small venue, so, as the promotion says; “The seats are limited, therefore it is obligatory to make a reservation: with the message in FB inbox, or phone numbers 040 414 939 and 070 325 522. The price of ticket is 20€, 15€ for the students, and includes a glass of wine and tapas.”
SNG Opera and Ballet – Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro will be on stage Tuesday and Wednesday, while it’s the turn of Verdi’s Macbeth Friday and Saturday. The overture from the former is below.
Slovensko mladinsko gledališče – Wednesday to Saturday there’s Predstava za turiste / A Show for Tourists, promoted with the following text: “Her dance is like candy. It’s like when you go to your grandma’s and she has candy. And you take the candy and it’s sweet. And you don’t want to talk about it. You don’t want to know the ingredients of the candy or if it’s cancerous. She says: “I have candy, would you like some?” And you say “Yes!” And you eat it. And it’s sweet. Your whole body shakes from the sugar. You’re living a tiny dream. A tiny piece of gorgeousness in real time. And that is your fullest experience. A dance and theatre project based on a personal story in the context of great political and systemic changes. Based on an original choreography by Maria Stokłosa.”
MISC.
The historian Patrick Boucheron will be taking part in a discussion called What History Can Do at Cankerjev dom, starting at 20:00 Tuesday. Details here.
Every Friday through the warmer months there’s the Open Kitchen in Ljubljana Market, where you can try food and drink from some the biggest names in town, and you can read more about it here.
Breg Embankment, just opposite the Old Town and by the river, has a small flea market open every Sunday morning. Learn more about it here.
If you’re in town and want to go jogging or walking in nature, why not take another look at the Castle, with a brief guide to the trails here. If you want something bigger, head to Tivoli Park.
TRIPS
Most of Slovenia is only a few hours from Ljubljana, and you can easily visit Lake Bled, Lipica Stud Farm, Postojna Cave, Predjama Castle, the coast and other locations.
LOOKING AHEAD
Kino Šiška – Peaches is playing town June 15, as part of the Pride Festival.
