The latest culture tips for around Slovakia.
Circus without borders: Caravana brings wordless wonder to the streets
On June 28th, the international street music and physical theatre performance Circus Caravana will be presented in Zvolen. A wordless, visually rich collaboration between ensembles from the V4 countries—Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia—it tells the story of a Ukrainian circus troupe searching for a new place to live and perform.
This musical-visual-physical performance offers a socially inclusive experience, aiming to foster understanding between the residents of the V4 and Ukrainian refugees. The artists seek to inspire greater empathy for those displaced by war. Following its stop in Zvolen, Circus Caravana will travel to Banská Bystrica on Sunday, 29th June.
The project unites Slovakia’s Divadlo nepravidelného divadla (Irregular Theatre) with Poland’s Teatr KTO, Czech cabaret group KRVIK TOTR, and the Hungarian contemporary circus company Firebirds.
French reveries in a Bratislava garden
Beginning June 29th, the summer edition of the Domus & Hortus Artis chamber music festival returns to the garden of the late composer Alexander Albrecht’s home in Bratislava. The festival will open with a performance by Slovak ensemble Musica Aeterna and continue with eight concerts through September 21st.
The 2025 edition will explore chamber music across various historical periods, with a unifying focus on French musical influence—its sonority and reflection in other cultures, including Slovak traditions.
This thematic direction honors the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel’s birth in 2025. Alongside Claude Debussy, Ravel profoundly shaped the development of European music at the turn of the 20th century.
Aimed at Bratislava residents and visitors who appreciate more intellectually stimulating programming, the festival will present nearly 100 works performed by over 60 musicians from Slovakia, Czechia, Ukraine, Poland, Greece, Switzerland, Italy, Sweden, and Denmark.
MAČ 2025 spotlights writers without a homeland
The Mesiac autorského čítania (Author’s Reading Month), known as MAČ, opens Tuesday, July 1st in Brno and Ostrava, Czechia, and will also be held in Ľviv, Ukraine as well as in the Slovak cities of Bratislava, Trenčín, and Prešov.
This year, alongside prominent Slovak writers and poets such as Irena Brežná, Mila Haugová, and Lukáš Cabala, the festival will spotlight authors from Angola, Haiti, Palestine, Kurdistan, China, Burma, Iran, Bangladesh, and other countries. These writers, now in European exile for political reasons, will read from their work in English.
Unlike previous editions that focused on literature from a single country, the 2025 festival presents a powerful new theme: 31 authors who lost their homes but continue to write despite feeling like foreigners in exile. Public readings will take place through August 3rd.
Folk meets jazz in Ornaments by SĽUK and friends
On July 1st, Ornaments, a visually captivating music project by Slovakia’s national folk ensemble SĽUK, will premiere at their venue in Rusovce.
This unique performance showcases the ensemble’s music division in a standalone program, created in collaboration with the renowned ethno-jazz Pacora Trio and the exceptional multi-instrumentalist Marek Pastírik. The project is both a celebration of traditional music and a search for new artistic directions through contemporary interpretation.
70 years of tradition: Východná festival unites generations
The longest-running festival of traditional Slovak culture, Východná, opens Thursday, July 3rd. Through Sunday, July 6, it will be marking the 70th anniversary of its first official edition. This year’s program will feature over 1,500 performers—dancers, singers, musicians, craftspeople, and traditional dance instructors. Children’s programs are included as well.
Východná is more than a festival—it’s a celebration of community, culture, and shared heritage. For over seven decades, it has brought together generations and nations, reminding us that while we may be different, together we form a meaningful whole.
Nitra honors Cyril and Methodius with culture, craft, & creativity
From July 4th to 6th, Nitra will host Nitra, milá Nitra, a festival marking the important holiday dedicated to the patron saints of Europe, Cyril and Methodius.
The program includes the national Cyril and Methodius pilgrimage, the historical festival Pribinova Nitrava, and the international festival of traditional culture Akademická Nitra. Visitors can also walk the symbolic Cyril and Methodius route or explore the archeopark on Martin’s Hill.
Juliana Janíková from the Nitra Mayor’s Office highlights several events that are also accessible to English-speaking audiences, beginning with the program at the Creativity Centre on Martin’s Hill on Thursday, July 4.
“Visitors can enjoy creative workshops, traditional crafts, and fun activities. You can also visit an outdoor archaeological museum showing life in old times. In the evening, a special art exhibition called Virája will open in Nitra synagogue. The artist, Robert Bartolen, will show beautiful flower designs inspired by old Slavic gods and traditions. The opening will be attended by H.E. Greek Ambassador. Later, the visitors can join a magical night tour of the exhibition.”
