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Events & Festivals

Throughout the year, Slovakia offers various kinds of festivals, events, fairs or markets. In this article, you will find the most famous and biggest annually organized cultural and traditional happenings.

 

THEATRE FESTIVALS

 

THE SUMMER SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

 

Every summer, already for more than 20 years, Bratislava holds  The Summer Shakespeare festival ("Letné Shapespearovské slávnosti"). From July to August during weekends, Bratislava castle sees the best Slovak actors perform Shakespeares plays under the night sky. 

 

DIVADELNÁ NITRA THEATRE FESTIVAL

During autumn, the town of Nitra is a place where theatre companies aim to present a high quality European theatre – non-traditional, searching and inspirational - at Divadelná Nitra theatre festival. The festival has been one of the most important cultural events in Slovakia since 1992. Every year it brings to Nitra contemporary performance art from different European countries, as well as various discussions, lectures, concerts, workshops and a programme for children.

 

EUROKONTEXT THEATRE FESTIVAL

The International Theatre Festival of the Slovak National Theatre Eurokontext.sk has the ambition to become one of the largest and most important international theatre festivals not only in Slovakia. The festival is represented by the oldest professional theatre in Slovakia - the Slovak National Theatre and has the character of a biennial: the festival alternates between drama and music-drama and dance theatre.

ZVOLEN CASTLE SUMMER THEATRE FESTIVAL

Zvolen Castle Summer Theatre Festival is the oldest open-air theatre festival in Slovakia. It is held annually in June.

 

KREMNICKÉ GAGY FESTIVAL OF HUMOUR AND SATIRE

Kremnické gagy is a unique festival in Slovakia, the only festival of humour and satire in the Central Europe. It has been held since 1981 at the end of summer in Kremnica town. The theatres with comedian titles, cabarets, satirical productions, grotesques but also the new circus and street theatres, particularly from Slovakia and Czech republic, perform at the festival.

 

For more theatre festivals visit Slovak Cultural Profile website.

 

MUSIC FESTIVALS

 

POHODA 

Pohoda is the biggest and most famous Slovak music and arts festival with an international acclaim, where alternative, indie, electronica, world music & punk meet classical; alongside literature, dance, visual art, film and theatre.

It is held in summer, usually during the second week of July, during 3-4 days in Trenčín town, with world-famous performers, as well as exceptional Slovak authors. The festival programme is enriched by various accompanying events: theatre performances, discussion and literary evenings, dance performances, workshops, as well as programmes of non-profit organizations.

TOPFEST

 

At the end of June, the rock festival Topfest opens the summer music festival season in Piešťany town. During the years, Topfest has hosted such stars as Status Quo, Guns N ‘Roses and Iron Maiden. Famous Czech and Slovak rock bands and singers also perform there.

GRAPE FESTIVAL

Grape is a Slovak music festival focused on contemporary popular and independent Slovak and world music, held annually since 2010 during August at the Piešt'any airport.

The first edition was originally to be held in Pezinok (hence the name Grape, as Pezinok is a wine-growing region), but after the move to the Piešt'any airport, it has remained at this location. Grape has gradually grown from an originally small event to one of the largest music festivals in Slovakia, with its efforts to present lesser-known artists from home and abroad to Slovak audiences gaining positive feedback; the festival was ranked among the 10 best small festivals in Europe by the Europe Festival Awards in both 2012 and 2014.

UPRISING

Uprising Festival became inseparable part of summer for Slovakia and neighbouring countries. Since its founding in 2008, Uprising grew into the biggest reggae festival in a region, one of Top 40 European festivals and his international fanbase is steadily growing every year.

Despite of being called reggae festival, Uprising is far from being monothematic. During two days, number of genres ranging from reggae, dancehall, ska, latino or hiphop to dub, dubstep, ragga-jungle & dnb is presented on four main stages and number of smaller ones.

ROCK POD KAMEŇOM (ROCK UNDER THE ROCK)

Rock pod Kameňom is a summer music festival held in Snina in the recreational area of Sninské rybníky, usually in the second week of August over the weekend. The first edition took place in 2003.

Slovak and foreign, amateur and professional rock bands perform at the festival every year. In recent years, Sabaton, Within Temptation, Arch Enemy, Arkona, Helloween, Soulfly, Gamma Ray, Alestorm, Lordi, Primal Fear, U.D.O., U.D.O., The Sweet, Gotthard, Tarja Turunen, Guano Apes, Edguy, Sonata Arctica, Die Happy, Eluveitie, Korpiklaani, Pretty Maids, Kabát, Desmod, IMT Smile, Tublatanka, Gladiátor, No Name, and others have performed here.

ATMOSFÉRA FESTIVAL

In Hontianske Nemce village (close to Banská Štiavnica- town) a small alternative festival Atmosféra is organized every year. Atmosféra aspires to bring good culture to Central Slovakia. It takes place in a meadow surrounded by vineyards and beautiful cottages a few kilometres from the village. In addition to a attractive music programme, there is always a full accompanying programme of discussions, workshops, film screenings, readings, lots of activities for children, a handmade market and food.

 

Find more about summer music festivals, smaller events, jazz days and other.

 

TRADITIONAL FOLK EVENTS AND CELEBRATIONS

 

THE FOLKLORE FESTIVAL VÝCHODNÁ

The Folklore Festival Východná is the oldest and the largest national festival with international participation. It is held annually on the first weekend in July in the amphitheatre of Východná.

The festival has been held since 1953 and has quickly become a prestigious showcase of traditional folk culture and its folklorist manifestations. Every year, hundreds of performers are presented in dozens of artistic original programmes, including winners of national competitive shows of folklore groups, ensembles, children's ensembles, folk music, singing groups, solo musicians and dancers.

FOLKLÓRNA BYSTRICA - BANSKÁ BYSTRICA FOLK CELEBRATIONS

Folklórna Bystrica is a festival of folk music and dance. Every year, always during the third weekend of August, it showcases the beauty of traditional folk culture, to which the organizers try to sensitively include performers with a different, modern perspective. It is held in Amphitheatre in Banská Bystrica.

EĽRO - EUROPEAN FOLK CRAFTS FESTIVAL

Festival of European Folk Crafts has been held in Kežmarok town since 1991. For three days during the second week of July, Kežmarok is transformed into a craft market. The event is preceded by a historical procession through the town and the opening ceremony is performed by the market burgomaster and the townspeople as in the old days.

Today, the crafts festival is already a popular international cultural and social event. More than 180 craftsmen and folk artists from Slovakia and abroad demonstrate up to fifty types of crafts in front of the visitors' eyes.

 

All regions, villages and towns in Slovakia have their own smaller or larger traditional folk events. Find more large annual festivals on Slovak Cultural Profile website or ask locals/ search on municipal websites.

 

CINEMATIC FESTIVALS

 

ART FILM FEST KOŠICE

Art Film Fest provides a large-scale setting for presenting the latest works of world cinema, as well as noteworthy titles from film history and a selection of quality films curated from the Slovak cinematic tradition. The festival’s centrepieces are its two competition sections – for feature films and short films, respectively. Winners of each are determined by international juries, who grant the Blue Angel Award for best film, director, actress and actor.

BRATISLAVA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

During the 18 years of its existence, Bratislava International Film Festival it has earned a prominent place among domestic film festivals and other cinema events and developed a stable base of festival-goers. Every year it provides a platform for inspiring meetings of cinema laymen, aficionados and professionals from Slovakia as well as abroad. Its principal ambitions include cultivating the domestic film audience and adding an international context to Slovakia’s film culture.

CINEMATIK PIEŠŤANY - INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Cinematik is an ​international film festival that takes place in Piešťany, Slovakia, and it’s one of the largest film events in this country. The festival was founded in 2006, and after its fast growth, over 16,000 visits were recorded during the festival’s 4th volume. Over 70 feature films and many short films with an emphasis on European and Slovak cinematography are screened every September.

EKOTOPFILM / ENVIROTOPFILM

Ekotopfilm is the oldest environmental movie festival in the world. It was founded
in 1973 and created a unique nationwide platform dedicated to the topic of sustainable development. Since 1973, Ekotopfilm has formed more than 5,000 partnerships in 58 countries around the world, including working with the UN, UNESCO, UNEP, IAAE. Over 80,000 people visit Ecotopfilm in 50 cities during the year.

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF MOUNTAIN FILMS IN POPRAD

The International Festival of Mountain Films is a film festival that has been held since 1993 in Poprad, the region below the Tatra Mountains. The programme focuses on films about mountaineering, caving, river rafting, life in the mountains, ski mountaineering and other adrenaline sports.


Other cinematic festivals are listed and described on Slovak Cutural Profile website.