Maribor rockers, rappers and classics
Some Maribor bands conquered Yugoslavia – and even the world – during the rock revolution. Forty years of musical history that resonated throughout the Balkans was also shaped by the New Wave band Lačni Franz with the singer-songwriter Zoran Predin.
Today, rap anthems – including ones about Maribor – are crafted by Marko Kocjan Car, known as Emkej. He believes that love is the only thing that saves us, precisely because the fusion of love and anger carries the punch of the best songs. Maribor also takes pride in its world-class classical musicians, such as the cellist Luka Šulić and soprano Nika Gorič. The whole world is their stage, yet their hearts remain in their hometown.
The diversity of genres and audiences becomes most evident at the Lent Festival, the largest multicultural outdoor summer festival in this part of Europe. This year, it opened with a concert by Luka Šulić and the SNG Maribor Symphony Orchestra at the Leon Štukelj Square. Nika Gorič, who holds a doctorate from the Royal Academy of Music in London and was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Excellence, also performed as a soloist at Lent, with the Maribor Chamber Orchestra at Narodni dom.
“You may think you’re a star, but Maribor will always ground you.” As Emkej raps in the song “Kruzaj”, this city taught him humility, and how to feel at ease. “And maybe you’ll break free from the dark, and the sub-Pannonian weather will light up a spark. Good energy’s our folklore, that’s how we roll, warm greetings to all from this Maribor soul.”
Maribor’s must-sees for alt lovers
The Pekarna Cultural Center is a haven for the rebellious at heart. Once a military warehouse, it has become a hub for alternative culture and a space for young people to explore artistic and cultural development.
In the autumn, raise a glass to the world's oldest vine. Join the festive harvest in Lent, where fine wine, local cuisine and live music await by the Drava River at the Oldest Grapevine Festival. (25–28 September 2025)
Discover your favourite graffiti in the city, whether at the roundabout on Lackova Road or the Pekarna Cultural Center, in underpasses or on façades.
Trafika by the Main Bridge is a landmark of Maribor’s history, famously featured in a novel by Drago Jančar.
As the Maribor locals like to say: “Let’s go Lenting!” to the biggest outdoor summer festival in Slovenia and the largest multicultural festival in this part of Europe.
A popular excursion spot for Maribor residents, offering sweeping views of the city, the river and the green lungs stretching from the vineyards to the Pohorje forests.
A natural oasis just above the city. Discover Pohorje, where vast forests, the Šumik primeval forest, breathtaking waterfalls, picturesque peat bogs with lakes, and serenity await.
Discover Maribor with the locals on Rajzefiber walks, uncovering the city’s heart and soul – including the secret of what makes Maribor a true metropolis.