Slovenia’s main cultural and congress centre, Cankarjev dom is annually visited by half a million art lovers, congress delegates and social event attendees. Between 1981 and 2018, Cankarjev dom attracted more than sixteen million visitors, it annually hosts around 18,000 different performers, including top-class artists who enjoy worldwide renown.
Cankarjev dom is convinced that cultural and artistic creativity, as well as scientific exploration, are essential prerequisites for achieving spiritual freedom, enriching people’s lives and fostering social development.
Our cultural and congress centre presents, produces, co-produces, organises and provides the venue for cultural and artistic events, congresses, conferences, corporate events and fairs, etc., state ceremonies, exhibitions and festivals. Primarily a cultural centre, CD annually dedicates more than two thirds of its programme to culture and the arts.
CD's programme is aimed at enhancing the quality of people's lives, building, developing, affirming and expressing the nation's cultural and broader identity, as well as fostering young people's appreciation of culture and the arts.
CD cooperates with similar cultural institutions at home and abroad in the implementation of contemporary cultural and artistic projects. In featuring world-renowned artists and scientists, as well as drawing international audiences and delegates, Cankarjev dom seeks to contribute to the openness of the capital city. We are confident that Ljubljana, by reason of its history, tourist appeal and cultural heritage, has the potential to become one of Europe’s most vibrant cultural and congress hubs.
We have been shaping Slovenia’s cultural landscape for over forty years.
The laying of Cankarjev dom’s foundation stone four decades ago, when an incredibly deep hole was dug in the heart of Ljubljana, was a cultural step of practically inconceivable proportions by today’s standards. According to Cankarjev dom’s first director, Miran Kert, investors were initially sceptical about the concept of such a cultural and congress centre, considering it hugely ambitious. They believed the centre was facing the daunting challenge of planning the programme for all the auditoriums and an even harder task of attracting audiences. Today, Cankarjev dom is bursting at the seams. It annually attracts more than half a million art lovers, congress delegates and social event attendees, and hosts around 18,000 different performers.
Cankarjev dom has left a strong mark on the past four decades. It has enriched the life of our community and the wider region. It was the setting for watershed historic moments that radically affected both social order and our way of life. Over the course of its history, Cankarjev dom has been providing its visitors with a wealth of insights into art, science, life and the world.
Cankarjev dom is determined to retain its position as a key player in Slovenia's arts scene. It aims to continue engaging the world’s finest artists and ensembles and actively participating in international performing arts co-productions. It aspires to remain the most suitable venue for celebrating momentous events in Slovenian history and for various state ceremonies.
CD’s programme includes classical and contemporary forms of art, placing focus on both established, renowned artists and new practices of up-and-coming artists. Its programme runs through the whole gamut of world cultures, while paying special attention to the national artistic output and putting in the global context.
Whilst lacking an in-house ensemble or a permanent collection, Cankarjev dom is closely linked to two leading Slovenian orchestras: the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra and the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra which perform the bulk of their programmes in Gallus Hall. On average, Cankarjev dom annually holds more than 1000 different types of public service events and 190 projects (with more than 800 events) organised within the framework of the commercial department.
Cankarjev dom is Slovenia’s main congress centre whose credentials include the highest number of international congresses and a mobile group of professional congress organizers at various conference venues around Slovenia. Within the framework of its activities, CD enables many market stakeholders to organise their events and projects at the highest level of implementation in the inspiring setting of Ravnikar’s architecture.
Our mission is to address the key issues of individuals and (global) society based on insights gained in the past and visions for the future.
Our values are art and science as the cornerstones of social development, a society promoting equality of opportunity, sustainable development, innovation, advancement, excellence, professionalism and efficiency, responsibility and connectivity.
Jure Novak, Director General
COUNCIL: Boštjan Tadel (Chairman), Zdenka Badovinac (Deputy Chair), Tej Gonza, Samo Klemenčič, Iztok Kocen, Tjaša Pureber
EXPERT COUNCIL: Aleš Drenik (Chairman), izr. prof. Simon Dvoršak (Deputy Chair), prof. mag. Žiga Kariž, prof. dr. Milček Komelj, Mateja Peric, Darko Rozinec, prof. Miran Zupanič
Founder and main co-funder of Cankarjev dom’s Arts and Culture programme
