Graška Gora marks 50 years of Slovenia's premier folk‑music festival

The Graška Gora cultural society is hosting the 50th edition of its international folk‑music festival on 14 August 2026 at the sports field in Graška Gora, near Velenje, Slovenia. The celebration features veteran ensembles such as the Alpine Quintet, Veseli svatje, and the Pihalni orkester Slovenj Gradec, as well as renowned harmonica virtuosos Denis Novato and Robert Goter. The evening will be hosted by Tjaša Hrobat and recorded by RTV Slovenija’s regional centre in Maribor for two special TV programmes slated for the end of the summer season.

A comprehensive monograph documenting half a century of the festival’s history is being prepared by writer and ethnologist Ivan Sivec and will be published shortly after the event. Festival director Drago Plazl highlighted the festival’s growth from a modest local gathering to a key cultural showcase in the broader European folk‑music scene.