We’re lent-ing on!

The 23^rd edition of Lent Festival is coming to town and turning the city into a paradise of various cultural events, offering the visitors countless possibility to hang out, have fun, and be creative.

Despite numerous challenges and obstacles which Maribor and its residents had to face, we believe that our city deserves culture, and the throb of big European cities, even though only for a few days. This is why we prepared a quality and diverse program for our residents and visitors, supported by two decades of experience, effort, and devotion.

Lent Festival is one of the most distinguished events in Maribor and Slovenia. It is a story of self-made success and quality, although it is nowadays taken for granted by many people. This is why we are staying true to our roots and the idea, that defined the birth of the biggest festival in Slovenia – to offer the visitors topmost, but affordable cultural events. This has been the main idea initiating the changes and solutions we had to make this year in order to adapt to the new circumstances. 

Back to the roots

This year’s festival is experiencing some changes due to financial reasons, and is bringing some novelties in order to adjust to tough times, and the wishes of our visitors. Despite a substantially lower financial aid from the Municipality of Maribor and budget cuts from the Ministry of culture, the festival will be taking place for 16 days, bringing loads of good music, artistic performances of different genres, and varied happenings for visitors of all ages and tastes.

Since hard times require hard decisions, we were forced to make the hardest one – to give up the symbol of the Lent Festival, the floating stage on the Drava river. The decision to cancel this venue was not easy, but we are taking it as a creative challenge and will be putting up a new venue at the same spot, but with a different program concept.

After two decades there will be no big grandstands ending by the Water tower, but on the platform next to the tower, there will be a bigger and renewed Jurček stage with performances of national and foreign musicians waiting for the visitors. And with this we are returning to the very roots of the story about Lent Festival, to the time when it’s spirit and mission were formed. The decision was not easy, but we could keep the diversity and quality of the program.

Although we are saying goodbye to a legendary venue, we are keeping the tradition of its excellent program. Lent Festival will be bringing many internationally known artists to the city under Pohorje, which you will be able to experience on the Minoriti stage, where some of the peaks of this year’s happenings will be taking place.

Step by step

With the days passing, the events will multiply, spread to other venues and peak during the second weekend, when the promenade on Lent will come to life with the food stalls, and also the Jurček, Večer, and Mladina stage, SladoLent, Judgement tower, Vetrinjski mansion, Music artist salon (Union hall) and the city centre with Living courtyards and street theatre will find their spot in the limelight. For two days, due to financial reasons, there will also be a stage on the Leon Štukelj square.

Uniting the city

Connecting artistic and organizational potential of our city is the fundament of a long-term successful cultural, touristic, and, last but not least, economic development, and this is why the Lent Festival will continue to nourish this kind of collaboration.

This year we are introducing a new venue called Music artist salon in the premises of the former Casino Maribor. With the program of Living courtyards organized by the society Hiša! and in collaboration with local cultural organisation, residents, and craftsman we are reviving the sleepy Koroška street, we are acollaborating with the community centre Tkalka, the »after-parties« at the  Minoriti stage are co-organized by the associations Vinilija and Gramofonoteka, some other parts of the program are still in development.

Without NGOs Art Camp wouldn’t be the same, since there are around 100 of them taking part in this year’s program. Like other years, we are offering the opportunity to become a part of the accompanying program of the festival with quality cultural events taking part in the city during the festival.

The latest news and program novelties of this year’s Lent Festival will be gradually published in the next few days and weeks,  so follow us here, on our official website, and social media (Facebook / Instagram).

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