40th International Druga Godba Festival at Cankarjev dom

Druga Godba is one of Slovenia’s premier music events, with a profile among musicians, fans and promoters that stretches right across the globe. For five years in a row it was named one of the 25 best festivals in the world by the esteemed British magazine Songlines, and received a Župančič Award from the City of Ljubljana in 2006. Every year since 1985, it has set about connecting Slovenia with local musical genres and styles, some of which have subsequently gone global. It is the only music event in Slovenia that features artists from at least four continents every year. For many people, the festival has been the site of their first encounter with the musical and cultural traditions of other nations, showing them how these traditions are embedded into contemporary musical trends, are based on originality, immediacy, openness and knowledge, and go (far) beyond the genre definitions established in the last century.

Druga Godba is a festival of careful listening in hushed concert halls, and wild and magical moments on the dancefloor, punctuated by encounters and spontaneous gatherings with like-minded spirits old and new. It is a festival of major international stars and those who aim to become so. This year, fittingly in time for its big birthday, the BBC will be reporting from Ljubljana, and creating several broadcasts on the festival and the Slovenian music scene generally. Make sure you stay tuned for that.

As befits a jubilee, we have put together a rich, diverse and select programme. For the first time in ten years, the festival’s opening night will be in the glorious setting of Križanke. Our musicians will come from 13 countries and appear on ten stages at five concert venues around Ljubljana. For four days in May, the capital will breathe in rhythm with the world – and, for that short time at least, make it a little better.

Visit www.drugagodba.si for more info on programme and tickets.