The latest culture tips for around Slovakia and beyond.
FORMA Biennale Presenting Inclusive Design in Bratislava
The 9th FORMA Biannual of Contemporary Slovak Design opened on Wednesday, September 17, at Gallery Umelka, the gallery of the Slovak Union of Visual Arts in Bratislava. Running until October 12, the exhibition features works by 13 artists and designers across a wide range of genres, including jewellery, glass, textiles, ceramics, graphic design, and interior design. For the first time, the event highlights inclusive design and is specifically tailored for visually impaired visitors.
Popular Slovak Traditional Dance School Touring New York, Linden, and Chicago
The Michal Noga Band will showcase authentic Slovak traditional music while accompanying Lucia Nogova and Alfred Lincke in their Slovak traditional dance classes during a joint tour across several US cities. The tour kicks off on Friday, September 19, with a mini dance school for kids in Astoria, New York, followed by the main event later that evening at New York City’s oldest beer garden. On Saturday, there will be another kids’ dance class in the afternoon, followed by a large Slovak traditional dance lesson for adults in Linden, New Jersey. The tour continues on Sunday, September 21, in Brunswick, New Jersey, moving to Chicago for events on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, September 25-27.
Slovak Short Films Debut at San Sebastian
A Slovak co-produced film and a Slovak documentary will represent the country at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, held from September 19 to 27 in Spain. Ungrateful Beings, a dramedy co-produced by six countries including Slovakia, features Ivan Ostrochovsky as a co-producer, who has collaborated with director Olmo Omerzu on four previous films. In the Nest competition section, which focuses on student films, the short documentary How to Listen to Fountains by director Eva Sajanová will have its world premiere on Wednesday, September 24. This experimental film was produced by the Faculty of Film and Television at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava.
International Bagpipe Festival in Orava
September 19 – 21, the international bagpipe festival Gajdovačka will be held in the northern Slovak region of Orava. The event brings together music from all over Europe—featuring concerts, competitions, and talks about this traditional instrument, which is a big part of Slovak folk music and beyond. The festival kicks off with Folk&Bass Orchestra, a band that mixes folk instruments with electronic gear, Drum & Bass, nu-jazz, and pop. On Friday in Oravská Polhora, they’ll team up with Ženy z Muzičky and world-famous Slovak bagpiper Juraj Dufek to serve up real folklore with a modern twist. The festival will also feature more bands, folk performances, an international bagpipe competition, talks, and plenty of other activities on the side.
Authentic Hot Jazz and Swing in Slovak Radio
On Saturday, September 20th, The Golden Age Festival returns for its 10th anniversary, bringing the vibrant sounds of 1920s to 1950s hot jazz and swing to life. Two top orchestras, accompanied by dancers, will perform the iconic styles of the Jazz Golden Age—ragtime, Dixieland, swing, and boogie-woogie—in the Slovak Radio big concert studio in Bratislava. Experience these timeless genres through authentic performances by world-renowned ensembles, culminating in an exciting improvised jam session featuring all the artists. The highlight of the evening is the acclaimed Berlin-based Andrej Hermlin and His Swing Dance Orchestra, one of the most sought-after bands worldwide.
As part of the festival, musicologist Agata Schindler will give a lecture about the life of swing legend and hit-maker Karol Elbert. On Sunday, September 21st, she’ll be at a bookstore in Bratislava for a signing of her book, Maličká slzička, named after one of Elbert’s biggest hits.
Award-winning Slovak song writer in Prague
Zabiť Františka, the winner of the public Radio Head Award for folk music, is performing in Prague on September 24. Veronika Kickova, a jury member for the award, said you’ll experience poetry, minimalism, music, and lyrics that’ll literally nail you to your seat.
LIKE in Košice Likes Literature
The LIKE Literature Festival will take place from September 25 to 27 in the eastern Slovak city of Košice. Among its discussions, the event will feature a debate on the first-ever Slovak translation of Beowulf, the oldest surviving epic poem in English, with translator Marián Andričík and other speakers. As part of the program, attendees will also have the opportunity to take a tour of Košice’s panel housing estates. While the primary focus is on literature, the event will also host discussions with both fiction and non-fiction authors, as well as award-winning poets. Slovak writers will be joined by colleagues from Czechia, Hungary, and Poland.
