Tickets will be available at the venue an hour before the start event.

38TH INTERNATIONAL CIOFF® FOLKLORE FESTIVAL
30. 6.–4. 7. 2026

The International CIOFF Folklore Festival FOLKART in Maribor, a member of the global non-governmental organization CIOFF from the very beginning, is the largest folklore festival in Slovenia. It is one of the best and most prominent in Europe and in the folklore world. The first festival of its kind in the world to be honored with the patronage of UNESCO.

FOLKART, OUR WINDOW TO THE WORLD

For the past 37 years, Maribor Folkart has brought the world's most prominent folklore groups to our city and Slovenia, inspiring us every year, transporting us to many different continents with their stories, and taking us far beyond our usual horizons.  So far this year, we have learned about the culture and traditions of 83 different countries around the world.  The world's outstanding intangible cultural heritage tells us about people from near and far continents, about their way of life, work, behavior, beliefs, and commitment to values ​​that are of key importance to all generations. Culture is a value, it is belonging and respect; and above all, it is the basic foundation of the existence of every nation in the world. That's exactly why Folkart is our WINDOW TO THE WORLD – it is a true celebration of the world's intangible cultural heritage, life and hope. And let's really hope that it will continue to be so in the future.

This year, messengers of culture and tradition will come to Maribor from all over the world for the 38th time in a row.  We will have the opportunity to experience the culture of four countries that have never performed at Folkart before. The 38th Folkart will feature groups from Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, and the Caribbean (North America). With their unique stories, they will cover our city in colorful colors and moments of joy. From the south of Africa, from Botswana, the capital city of Gaborone, comes a group that lives for singing, dancing and rhythms. "We want to show the world everything from the deep rhythms of Tsutsube in the Kalahari to the wild stomping of Paties in the south. This is our celebration of life. With heart, with joy." Iz Bolivia, a picturesque continental country in South America with the highest administrative capital in the world, La Paz, a group of professionals will bring us a piece of their unique culture, a rich mix of influences from Andean natives and Spanish colonialists. Poljska, a coastal country in Central Europe bordering the Baltic Sea, is sending us one of the best groups in the country; students from Krakow will attract us with their youthful energy and complete dedication to the rich traditions of their country. Again from the other side of the world, from a tropical island Puerto Rico In the Eastern Caribbean, a group of enthusiasts comes, salsa in their blood; they are focused on their culture, dance and music. They are passionate people, full of life. Northern Macedonia, the land of sunshine and smiling people, also called the pearl of the Balkans, is sending us a rejuvenated group of good acquaintances who will warm our hearts once again and show us that Macedonian culture is one of the richest, deeply rooted cultures in the heritage of its country. From the heart of Asia, from To Uzbekistan, surrounded by the most important rivers of Central Asia, the Amu Darya (Oxus – the Mother of All Rivers) and the Syr Darya (Jaxartes), professionals, the state ensemble from Tashkent, come to us. From there, where thousands of years of Islamic tradition, mystical beauty and the exceptional hospitality of the people intertwine. This colorful collection of world culture will be rounded off, of course, by none other than our Kudovac people, exceptional locals, members of the Academic Folklore Group Študent, who will proudly represent Slovenia.

From June 30th to July 4th, Maribor will once again be full of dance, music and songs, colorful national costumes, happy faces, optimism and a playful atmosphere. Which is more than important in these crazy times.

During the festival, we will meet folklorists in the city center, on Lent, and also in the City Park. At the opening and closing of the 38th Folkart, they will perform on the Main Stage of the Lent Festival on Leon Štukelj Square. 

UZBEKISTAN

Dance and song ensemble "BUKHORCHA", Bukhara

A thousand-year-old Islamic tradition, mystical beauty. The extraordinary hospitality of the people. The once mighty Aral Sea. A landscape from the legends of the Silk Road, full of stories of merchants, poets and conquerors. Mosques, minarets and turquoise tones of the dazzling mosaics of the Asian Orient. Registan Square in Samarkand.

Uzbekistan is a landlocked country in the heart of Asia, bordering Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. It is surrounded by the most important rivers of Central Asia, the Amu Darya (Oxus – Mother of All Rivers) and the Syr Darya (Jaxartes). Deserts cover vast areas of the country. A living testament to human greed is the once mighty Aral Sea, the fourth largest in the world by surface area, which has been shrunk to a mere tenth of its former size through reckless draining. Uzbekistan is known as the pearl of the Silk Road with its endless sand dunes, extraordinary architecture and rich history. The majority of the population is made up of Uzbeks, known as descendants of nomadic Turkic tribes. They are calm, kind-hearted and extremely hospitable. Most live in the far eastern half of the country, especially in the fertile Fergana Valley, the “green soul” of Uzbekistan, which is considered the cultural center of Central Asia. From Bukhara, one of the oldest cities in Uzbekistan, founded in the 1st millennium BC, comes to us Bukhorcha State Song and Dance Ensemble. Their mission is to study traditional art. In addition to Bukhara, the ensemble's repertoire also includes dance patterns representing Khorezm, Fergana and the Muslim Orient. Intricate dance movements form a unified composition of ancient Bukhara folk art. All performances are accompanied by musicians on traditional instruments such as doira, tanbur, naj, gidzhyak, saz and Kashgar rubab. Uzbekistan will also be welcomed at Folkart for the first time.