CIOFF^®

International CIOFF Folklore Festival Folkart Maribor

INTERNATIONAL CIOFF® FOLKLORE FESTIVAL
FOLKART
MARIBOR, SLOVENIA

World tradition holiday in Maribor – Folkart is Maribor's window to the world
Once the colourful skirts start spinning under the stage lights and the smiling faces of dancers from all around the world light up, we know: it’s time for – Folkart!

Maribor's international CIOFF® folklore festival Folkart has been a venue for displaying the traditional art of the world for almost four decades in a row. Over the years, this festival gained the status of one of the most prominent and the most recognizable European and world folklore festivals.
It is by far the largest festival of its kind in Slovenia and also the only one officially recognized by the international non-governmental association CIOFF® (Conseil International des Organizations de Festivals de Folklore et d'Arts Traditionnels), a partner of UNESCO.
Folkart is a diverse palette of countless colours of the world folk tradition. Because of it, the city of Maribor becomes a world in miniature at the beginning of summer, the big gatherings of folklore groups from all over the world.
Yet another great story began precisely with Folkart; it is the predecessor of one of Europe's largest open-air multicultural festivals, the International Festival Lent Maribor.

The first in the world at all – Folkart under the honorary patronage of UNESCO
In 2013, Folkart experienced a special honour as the first folklore festival in the world awarded with an exceptional recognition, the honorary patronage of UNESCO in the light of the 10th anniversary of the Convention on Intangible World Cultural Heritage. Since 2019, Folkart has been under the honorary patronage of the Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO.
Folkart is highly awarded festival as well. On its 30th anniversary in 2018, Folkart received the City Seal of the City of Maribor. In 2013, Folkart producer Alenka Klemencic received a high international award for the creation of the Folkart program, the Silver Badge of the world organization CIOFF®.

Cultures from all over the world on the Folkart stage
For 36 years in a row, Folkart has been hosting the best and most famous folklore groups from all around the world, which have given visitors an insight into their rich and colourful history. In almost four decades, the esteemed folklore groups came from most continents and countries of the world –Mexico, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Panama, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Columbia, Brazil and other South American countries; from countries not far from the Mongolian borderline such as an amazing Buryatia and Republic of Tuva. Also, less known Kalmykia and Kabardino-Balkaria. We have already hosted twice one of the oldest cultures in the history of mankind, stunning China. Among those to us near, all the countries of the former common homeland Yugoslavia and the whole of Europe have participated. Folkart also hosted the beautiful African pearls of Burundi, Kenya and Benin, and some to mention from Asia these are India, Indonesia, Singapore and the exotic Philippines. Folklore groups from far-flung corners of the world brought real value to Folkart in Maribor and the rest of Slovenia; their cultural heritage, love for their roots and the proud attitude of ambassadors of traditional culture, to mention only a few – most amazing and extraordinary Maori from New Zealand and the pearls of Polynesia, such as the Rapa-Nui, Cook Islands, Fiji and the Guam; groups from Japan, the USA and Hawaii performed in Maribor, as well as the vast expanses of Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Ossetia and Kazakhstan.
All these countries from all corners of the world make International CIOFF® folklore festival Folkart as a mosaic of noble fragments of the world's intangible cultural heritage, with the precious mission of preserving the identity of the nations of the world.
It is a firework of colours, differences and, above all, a strong acknowledge of the only acceptable value – differences are the united language of the world.

Organized by the Cultural Centre Narodni dom Maribor and with the help of members of the Maribor’s folklore academic students’ Student from Maribor, Folkart is a true messenger of friendship and ties between the nations of the world.

Alenka Klemencic
Executive Producer of festival Folkart
Maribor, Slovenia

Organizer:
Cultural Centre NARODNI DOM MARIBOR
Kneza Koclja Street No. 9, MARIBOR
Director:
Mr. Vladimir Rukavina
Executive Producer:
Ms. Alenka Klemencic

Website: www.festival-lent.si

Dates	24.06 - 28.06.2025 Next dates:  30.06 - 04.07.2026  / 29.06 - 03.07.2027

Place	Slovenia Maribor Kneza Koclja 9 2000 Maribor  (See in )

Contact	Contact +386-2-229 4067  +386-2-229 4055  +386-41-337-055

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