ar from the familiar stars, in a quiet corner of the universe where darkness never reaches, lies the planet Nytheria — a world born from high-vibrating souls. The Nytheriels, its inhabitants, are embodied beings of light. They know no possessiveness, envy, or negativity—only the unity of the heart. At the planet’s center lies the Core, where the Light Heart of Nytheria radiates pure love that sustains the entire world.

But what happens when Nytheria is attacked by the Vulkrans—creatures born from eternal rage?

Dan ARIS 2026 (ARIS Day 2026) will bring together the Slovenian research and innovation community to explore the key challenges and opportunities shaping the future of science and innovation in the age of artificial intelligence.

The event is organised by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS), the national funding agency responsible for supporting scientific research and innovation in Slovenia. Through public funding, evaluations, analyses and other professional activities, ARIS fosters the development of knowledge, scientific excellence and innovation.

The programme will focus on the development of Slovenia’s research and innovation system, with particular emphasis on the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence. A special highlight of the event will be the Excellence in Science 2026 Awards, recognising outstanding scientific achievements, alongside presentations of selected research accomplishments.

Dan ARIS 2026 is part of Science Month 2026, organised by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation.

Brass Band

Godba Slovenskih železnic is a brass band based in Zidani Most, Slovenia, with a proud tradition spanning more than 125 years. Throughout its history, the orchestra has preserved its unique cultural identity while maintaining the highest standards of musical performance in Slovenia. Over the decades, it has grown far beyond its local roots, establishing itself as a cultural ambassador of Slovenia's railway community and a distinguished representative of Slovenian culture and musical excellence both at home and abroad.

Last year, the orchestra achieved outstanding success at the prestigious Flicorno d'Oro, one of Europe's most respected and demanding wind band competitions. Competing in the top division, the ensemble was awarded First Prize, was named the Overall Winner of the competition, and brought home the coveted Trofeo Flicorno d'Oro 2026.

Despite numerous achievements at the highest national and international levels, the musicians remain dedicated to their core mission: making music and preserving a rich tradition. Since 1902, they have proudly promoted the heritage of their hometown and the richness of Slovenian cultural life to audiences in Slovenia and around the world.

Conductor

Rok Pelc is a music educator, professional musician, and arranger with extensive experience across a wide range of musical fields. He became conductor of  The Slovenian Railways Wind Orchestra in 2024, laying the foundations for the orchestra's continued artistic development.

His first steps in orchestral music were taken within the very ensemble he now leads. A member of the orchestra since 1999, he combines deep personal commitment with professional expertise. As conductor, he embodies creativity, dedication, and collaboration, inspiring the ensemble through his musical vision and leadership.

Special Guest

Gregor Ravnik is one of Slovenia's most prominent young tenors and pop artists. Renowned for his exceptional voice and charismatic stage presence, he successfully bridges the worlds of classical and contemporary music. His artistic journey is founded on an outstanding musical education, refined vocal technique, and an authentic interpretative style that resonates with audiences of all generations.

After studying classical voice at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, he developed a distinctive artistic identity that established him among the leading names on the Slovenian music scene. Victories at the Slovenska Popevka and Melodies of the Sea and Sun festivals affirmed his artistic excellence, while his albums Med nama (Between Us) and Verjamem (I Believe) explore themes of sincerity, life, and emotion through contemporary sound and timeless melodies.

A significant milestone in his career was his solo concert in a sold-out Gallus Hall at Cankarjev dom, where he captivated audiences with a performance that combined elegance, exceptional musicianship, and a genuine connection with the public. Alongside his musical career, he is also well known as a presenter of the television programme Good Morning on RTV Slovenia.

Whether performing with a symphony orchestra, a band, or in a more intimate concert setting, Gregor Ravnik remains true to his artistic mission: creating music that transcends genres, brings people together, and leaves a lasting impression long after the final note has faded. Source: www.gregorravnik.com

Approx. duration: 120 minutes (without intermission)

Snatam Kaur is a world-renowned, Grammy-nominated devotional singer, teacher, and author who has spent more than 25 years sharing sacred chants and mantras with audiences around the world. Her Living Light 2027 tour is an invitation to reconnect with the light within us, even through life’s most challenging seasons. Through music, mantra, and reflection, the concert explores themes of trust, resilience, compassion, vulnerability, and hope.

Following By Thy Grace: 25 Years of Mantra, which celebrated a quarter century of her work with mantra, Living Light turns toward the wisdom that grows through a lifetime of dedicated practice. The programme reflects on how music and mantra can help us find beauty within imperfection, strength within vulnerability, and a sense of connection during times of uncertainty and change.

More than a concert, the evening unfolds as a shared journey through reflection, joy, gratitude, and celebration. Snatam will be joined by her longtime collaborators Ram Dass (piano, clarinet, vocals), Bruno Justi (guitar, flutes, vocals), and Sukhmani (percussion, vocals). Together, they create a warm and intimate atmosphere in which sacred song, meditation, and collective chanting invite audiences to reconnect with themselves, with one another, and with the enduring light within.

The award-winning production by Belgrade’s Bitef teatar, Lepa Brena Project, explores the phenomenon of Lepa Brena’s popularity, the break-up of former Yugoslavia and the fate of its citizens. All of this is told through the figure of a woman who was, and remains, a symbol of Yugoslavia. Five incarnations of Lepa Brena come together in a single story and message.

One of the roles is performed by Jasna Đuričić, the acclaimed actress who won the European Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in Quo Vadis, Aida?

With more than 150 performances across Europe since its premiere, the production continues to fill theatres and has firmly established itself as one of the most successful regional theatre productions of recent years.

About the Production

The creators stress that the production is not conceived solely as a biography: through the figure of Lepa Brena, it explores the complexities and contradictions of the past four decades in the region – its social and political transformations, disappointments and hopes, pain and pride, and, ultimately, all of us.

The production is based on monologues written by playwrights Olga Dimitrijević, Slobodan Obradović, Maja Pelević, Tanja Šljivar and Vedrana Klepica. The many faces of Lepa Brena are brilliantly portrayed by actors Jasna Đuričić, Jelena Ilić, Anđela Jovanović, Jovana Belović and Vlada Aleksić.

The central characters explore different facets of Brena – as an entrepreneur, a Yugoslav woman, a sexual being, a builder of socialist society and a singer.

Brena the Entrepreneur reveals the woman behind the entertainment icon, who must also confront personal tragedy. Brena the Yugoslav Woman confronts us with the merciless horrors of war, while Brena the Sexual Being follows a cross-dressing performer who, inspired by the singer’s persona, finds the courage to live their truth. Brena the Builder of Socialist Society reflects on socialism from a contemporary perspective, while Brena the Singer reminds us that music still has the power to bring people together despite ever-deepening divisions.

FROM THE REVIEWS
»A smart production: first-rate political theatre, a bittersweet Balkan cabaret, and an authentic success story of the Balkans’ biggest pop icon, with all the thorns along the way.«

JUTARNJI LIST
"Sensationally talented performers!”

GLORIA HRVATSKA
“If the purpose of theatre is catharsis, then this production achieves exactly that, allowing us to look our memories in the eye and see how naïve it was to believe in the idea of shared dreams.”

Ajeet is a world-renowned artist who draws inspiration from traditional folk music, mystical traditions, and meditative soundscapes. Audiences often experience a sense of moving and breathing together with the music, travelling through meditative spaces and inner realms, before gradually rising into dance and rhythm. Experiences with Ajeet and her band are multi-layered, moving through a rich spectrum of colors and emotions, much like a dream or a ritual.

Many people experience her music as healing, rejuvenating, and deeply connecting – and this is at the heart of what she seeks to create. Her music heals and brings people together, creating a collective, interwoven experience that invites us to journey deeply within ourselves.

Joining Ajeet on stage are the charismatic Raffa Martinez, born in Spain, who captivates audiences with his outstanding percussion performance, and the exceptional cellist Shannon Lee Hayden from the United States.

Ajeet has collaborated with many renowned musicians and recently recorded her first song with Deva Premal. Snatam Kaur, Sam Garrett, Trevor Hall, Peia, Nessi Gomes, and Rising Appalachia are among the best-known artists with whom she has collaborated in her musical work.

Ajeet’s music has reached No. 1 on the iTunes World Chart and the Top 10 of Billboard’s New Age Chart, and continues to touch the hearts of listeners and connect communities around the world. Ajeet has around half a million monthly listeners on Spotify, while her song “Akaal” has been streamed more than 33 million times.

Running time: 60 minutes

So explained Matej Kejžar in an interview following his receipt of the prestigious Croatian Theatre Award (Nagrada hrvatskog glumišta) for the performance House Bolero.

In the same breath, Kejžar also addressed generational hierarchies. With House Bolero, we enter a transgenerational artistic experiment centred on the question: how do we learn from Dance? The performance brings together dancers aged between 21 and 69.
“I was interested in how to create a dance piece together with performers who have been dancing for twenty years longer than I have – pure respect! – while also working with younger dancers, whose enthusiasm and curiosity feel incredibly vital,” Kejžar continues: “That’s how we developed the distinctive language of Bolero.”

The project evolved through group discussions and individual conversations. In House Bolero, conversation – one of the fundamental building blocks of civilisation – intertwines with the instability of dance and the body’s passion for movement. Through this process, the dancers develop nuanced forms of physical presence, giving rise to ever new questions and suggesting an open, constantly shifting understanding of dance: a force that resists every attempt at normalisation, both in society and in art.

The project features dancers from the Slovenian National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana. It was created at the initiative of the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Brussels, with the support of the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad. The project emerged through a broad, creative, and “borderless” collaboration between artists, institutions, and the wider community.
 

Running time: 80 minutes

Mv.1: Disrupt order. We reject the traditional relationship between Dance and Choreography. Questions arise: If Choreography is everything and everywhere, under what conditions does it become absent? How will we handle this change?

Mv.2: Bubbling. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, beauty and sexuality, was born from the foam created when Cronus castrated his father and threw the severed genitals into the sea. Jean Luc Nancy says that Aphrodite represents the “swelling of the waves, movement upon movement, the incessant backwash, the lapping…” The creation of Aphrodite evokes images of irregular rhythmic patterns.

Dance: movement over movement, shifting weight from one side to the other, foaming. We detect patterns. More questions arise. How will we travel from one pattern to another? Will the cut between one and the other always mean the end of repetition, an end of reproduction? Aphrodite says: “As I was born in both female and male gender, neither gender is independent and unique.” This is a story about oscillations between certainty and indeterminacy.

Running time: 116 minutes

When Matej Kejžar first heard Promises by Floating Points, he was moved beyond words. It became his go-to album. A “favourite album” forms the choreographic frame of Movements 9, where dance resonates between proto-knowing, rhythm, musical force, listening and hearing, narration and abstraction. At the same time, the notion of a “favourite album” can be understood in an analogous sense as that of a “favourite choreographer”: it frames stylistic and choreographic desire, and points to the relationship between the authority of choreography and a form of naivety that Kejžar identifies as a key condition for genuine openness and surrender to surrounding impulses. Nine pieces, nine movements. Kejžar follows the music, and the music, in turn, persistently follows him.

Anna Bariyani, Sabrina Figueroa, Alberto Arroyo, Tavo Vazquez, Dario Santamaria Romeo

With a global fanbase and millions of streams, Curawaka is one of the most captivating acts in the rising world of conscious and cross-cultural music. Blending powerful vocals, traditional instruments, and deep ceremonial rhythms, their sound bridges ancient indigenous traditions with contemporary world music — creating a truly unique and unforgettable experience. 

Formed by artists from Norway, Mexico, and Argentina, Curawaka brings a rich cultural tapestry to the stage. Led by vocalist and songwriter Anna Bariyani, Curawaka’s breakthrough album Call of the Wild introduced fan-favorite anthems like Noku Mana, Te Nande, and He Yama Yo, earning the group international acclaim across conscious social movements as well as global music stages. Their long-awaited follow-up album, Dreamtime(2023), expands their sonic palette with lush arrangements and collaborations from across the globe — solidifying their place as pioneers in the genre. 

Their newest release Olokun(2025) continues their signature fusion of spiritual depth and musical mastery, calling upon sacred feminine forces of the sea to bring healing and balance to the world. Whether you’re a seasoned fan or hearing them for the first time, 

Curawaka’s live show is a transcendent, high-vibe journey that uplifts and inspires — uniting hearts across cultures, languages, and borders.
 

A workshop will also take place the day after the concert. For more information and registration, visit Guardians Events.