Current culture tips for around Slovakia.
Gelnica Illuminations
Starting Friday, September 5, one of Slovakia’s oldest towns will host a unique multi-genre festival. Gelnica Illuminations will bring together music, literature, visual and digital arts. The program, running through Saturday, September 6, includes live poetry readings, guided sound art installations, audiovisual performances, and concerts.
Grape harvest festivals in Modra, Rača, and Pezinok
From September 5–7, the town of Modra will celebrate its traditional grape harvest festival, known as vinobranie. This festive event, centered around wine tasting and production, will also feature arts and crafts workshops, concerts, folk performances, a straw maze, and even an exhibition of vintage tractors from a private local collection. Among the music headliners are MadeIIMate and Korben Dallas.
A week later, Rača, a borough of Bratislava, will host its own vinobranie starting on September 12, with a headline concert by London-based Slovak singer Jana Kirschner. Other highlights include a creative tinkering workshop for visitors.
Pezinok, another major wine hub near Bratislava, will hold its harvest celebration from September 19–21. Musical acts like Sima Magušinová, Peter Bič Project, and No Name will perform. Visitors can also enjoy an interactive children’s game, a demonstration of traditional quilting, and guided tours of the local Capuchin church and monastery.
Traditional Puppets in the Park - Rusovce
On Saturday, September 6, the Bábky v parku (Puppets in the Park) international festival will take place at the Rusovce Chateau, the home of the Slovak Traditional Folk Art Ensemble (SĽUK). The festival will showcase traditional puppet shows from Italy, Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, featuring classic characters such as Pulcinella, Dom Roberto, Kašpárek, and Gašparko—each with different names but the same essence: a clever, comically brutal trickster.
This is the only festival in Slovakia dedicated exclusively to traditional European puppet theater. It aligns with the goals of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) and commemorates the inclusion of puppetry in Slovakia and the Czech Republic on the UNESCO Representative List.
The festival will also include workshops on puppetry and traditional hairstyling.
Knights at Devín Castle
Also on Saturday, September 6, a full-day medieval event for families will take place at the iconic Devín Castle, located at the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers near Bratislava.
"Knights at Devín Castle" will bring history to life with medieval dances, period re-enactments from the early 16th century, and a knightly tournament inspired by the historical Peace of Zittau. Visitors can try their hand at archery, crossbow shooting, knife throwing, or ride a life-sized wooden horse.
Shalom Chaverim – Jewish Culture Festival
The Shalom Chaverim Festival of Jewish Culture begins on Tuesday, September 9, taking place in Bratislava, Modra, Rohožník, and Senec. The event celebrates Jewish heritage through music, arts, education, and cuisine. Its mission is to create a space for dialogue, mutual enrichment, and connection—where tradition meets the present, and all are welcome.
Cinematik Film Festival in Piešťany
The Cinematik International Film Festival in Piešťany marks its 20th edition this year. Running from September 10 to 15, it will screen over 70 feature films and numerous shorts—all with English subtitles.
Cinematik focuses on discovering emerging talents and spotlighting lesser-known but exceptional filmmakers, especially within European cinema, which is the heart of the main competition section. A jury of 15 film critics from 15 European countries will evaluate the best European features of the year.
Another major category is dedicated to Slovak documentary films. Cinematik also co-organizes “Dox In Vitro”, an international seminar dedicated to the development and co-production of documentaries in Europe.
The festival will open with the Slovak feature film “Father”, which premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
