In late summer, diverse, vibrant festivals of dance, theatre and film come together to captivate open, curious spectators. Moving sequences for moving audiences.

FEKK – Short Film Festival
18 – 23 AUG @ Ljubljana
FEKK, now in its 11th edition, is presenting a diverse programme of top short films from Slovenia, the Balkans, and the broader international scene. The festival focuses on auteur and experimental approaches and highlights fresh voices in contemporary film production. In addition to competitive and curated programmes, FEKK will offer a rich side programme: talks, exhibitions, workshops, and plenty of networking opportunities for filmmakers.

MLADI LEVI – Performing Arts Festival
23 – 30 AUG @ Ljubljana
This August, Ljubljana will again be the stage for the Mladi Levi festival, which for the 28th year in a row—organized by Bunker—presents a selection of fresh and innovative theatre, dance, and hybrid performances from Slovenia and abroad. The festival is known for its relaxed yet engaged atmosphere and a strong festival community that connects audiences and artists.

This year’s edition highlights both emerging and established international artists in contemporary performing arts. The programme also includes participatory events, the popular “talks under the chestnut tree,” workshops, and social gatherings, shaping the festival as a space for art, dialogue, and community.

FRONTA – Contemporary Dance Festival
27 – 30 AUG @ Murska Sobota
Organized by Zavod Flota, Murska Sobota will host the 20th jubilee edition of the international contemporary dance festival Front@. For two decades, it has connected the local environment with contemporary dance creativity from across the world. The festival presents top-tier international productions across various venues—from theatres and parks to castles and public streets. Alongside performances, there will be artist talks, workshops, and other accompanying events that spark reflection on contemporary dance and strengthen its dialogue with the public.

PLATFORM of Contemporary Dance
31 AUG – 6 SEP @ Maribor
Organized by Zavod MOJA KREACIJA, the 19th edition of the Platform of Contemporary Dance will take place in Maribor, showcasing current Slovenian and international contemporary dance production. The festival presents a curated programme of author-driven performances, participatory events, an open stage, workshops, and public discussion. The Platform remains an important venue for presenting new works, encouraging professional reflection, and fostering networks—aimed at deepening dialogue between dance artists and audiences while increasing the visibility of contemporary dance both locally and beyond.

4UKREP – Festival of Dance Perspectives
3 – 7 SEP @ Ljubljana
4UKREP is a biennial contemporary dance festival organized by Plesni Teater Ljubljana (PTL). Since 2008, it has actively contributed to Ljubljana’s cultural landscape, opening up space for fresh choreographic approaches, experimental formats, and the development of new dance aesthetics. It focuses on supporting promising authors and emerging productions and encourages collaboration and critical reflection on contemporary dance. This year’s edition, titled 4UKREP, will feature works by younger local artists and international guests who open up relevant questions and invite dialogue with audiences.

Na knap. Festival of Short Dance Form
4 – 6 SEP @ Ljubljana
Na knap. Festival of Short Dance Forms brings together contemporary dance in various media—especially stage performance, film, and virtual reality. Movement—and its dialectical relationship to stillness—is foundational to dance, but also to film and virtual reality as forms and experiences. Choreography or direction guides the body on stage, in film, and in VR; yet in film and VR, choreography/direction also guides the gaze—and in VR, through immersion in digital technology, (self-)choreography or (self-)direction moves both the body and the gaze of the viewer, now performer. The body, the gaze, and the viewer are all dance objects that move between one another, just as the media themselves transition from one to the next—if we step beyond the institutional threshold. This festival is committed to dance as a form but also expands dance as an institution. Dance emerges in public contexts and spaces, whether as exhibition, intervention, discourse, education, or community. Welcome to the expanded field of contemporary dance.

Explore the festivals following the link.

A connection of six festivals into a shared initiative is both a response to common challenges and a gesture towards greater visibility and mutual support. This joint campaign opens up the space for crafting an alternative cultural events map—one that reaches beyond the capital city and invites a summer festival “tour” across Slovenia. Already this year, the first forms of programme collaboration are taking shape—such as the Korean collective Company Siga appearing in multiple programmes, and a crossover between 4UKREP and Na knap festivals with the premiere of Tkivo (by Anamaria Bagarić, Tajda Podobnik)—marking an important step toward sustainable international collaboration. These collaborations—between festivals that are already genre hybrids of film, dance, and theatre—make it possible to jointly invite artists from afar and raise the profile of non-institutional cultural production. With its boldness and diversity, this production enriches the mainstream cultural streams of the summer season.