3rd – 11th September 2026 | Ljubljana – Križevniška Street / Lendava
Main programme in Ljubljana: 3rd – 6th September 2026
Guest of Honour: Hungary
From 3rd – 11th September, the European Days of Jewish Culture return to Ljubljana and the Prekmurje region, this year under the common European theme LOVE. From 3rd – 6th September, Križevniška Street in Ljubljana will become the festival’s central venue and, for four days, an open space dedicated to Jewish culture, art, history, memory, faith and dialogue.
One of the most important events will take place on 4th September at 18:00, when the Jewish Cultural Center Ljubljana opens its new permanent exhibition, “We Have Nothing but a Name – Jewish Presence in the Territory of Slovenia from Antiquity to the Present Day.” The first comprehensive permanent exhibition dedicated to the history of Jews in the territory of present-day Slovenia will bring together almost two thousand years of Jewish history in one place – from Antiquity and medieval Jewish communities to the Holocaust, the post-war period and the rebirth of Jewish life in independent Slovenia. The opening will be followed by a Shabbat service and a concert by the Budapest-based klezmer group Hamsa.
This year’s programme, with Hungary as Guest of Honour, features theatre and puppet performances – The Jewish Dog, Herzl’s Fantasies and The Little Vampire Goes to School – as well as concerts, literature, film, exhibitions, public discussions, creative workshops, kosher street food with Lili Lantos & Sophya Huzbašić, guided tours and Jewish religious services.
On Saturday, 5th September, Križevniška Street will come alive with the European Days of Jewish Culture Street Festival, featuring an exhibition dedicated to István Sajó and a presentation of the legacy of Éva Fahidi, kosher cuisine, a concert by Hamsa, a programme dedicated to Nobel Prize laureate Imre Kertész, theatre, children’s workshops, and an IHRA discussion on Holocaust remembrance, education and the prevention of antisemitism. The evening will conclude with the literary and musical event Odes and Legends, followed by the evening Selichot prayer service.
The Ljubljana programme will conclude on Sunday with a screening of the Academy Award-winning film Son of Saul, followed by a conversation with its lead actor, Géza Röhrig.
At a time of wars, rising antisemitism, racism and increasingly profound divisions within our societies, this year’s theme, Love, is not an escape from reality but a call to responsibility. In Jewish tradition, love is not merely an emotion but an action – a willingness to see the other, to listen, and to remain in dialogue despite our differences.
Come to Križevniška. To meet, to listen, to learn, to remember and to celebrate. And above all – to remain human to one another.
Part of the European Days of Jewish Culture 2026 also takes place on 29th August in Domanjševci, as part of the Košček sreče Festival, and on 10th September in Lendava.
Programme - Ljubljana: 3rd – 6th September 2026
THURSDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER
20:00 | Mini teater
The Jewish Dog – theatre performance with English surtitles
FRIDAY, 4th SEPTEMBER
18:00 | Jewish Cultural Center Ljubljana
Opening of the permanent exhibition
“We Have Nothing but a Name – Jewish Presence in the Territory of Slovenia from Antiquity to the Present Day”
20:30 | Križevniška Street
Hamsa – Concert
SATURDAY, 5th SEPTEMBER
Križevniška Street / Mini teater / Jewish Cultural Center Ljubljana
10:00
Opening of the European Days of Jewish Culture Street Festival
10:00–14:00
Creative Workshops for Children
10:15–10:45
Opening of the István Sajó Exhibition and Presentation of the Legacy of Éva Fahidi
10:45–13:00
Kosher Street Food & Cooking Presentation
Lili Lantos & Sophya Huzbašić
11:00–11:30
Hamsa – Mini Concert
11:45–12:30
Imre Kertész – Kaddish for an Unborn Child
Literary event
12:00–12:40 | Mini teater
Herzl’s Fantasies– theatre performance
13:00–14:00
IHRA: Holocaust Remembrance, Education and Preventing Antisemitism Today
A discussion on the importance of teaching and learning about the Holocaust in light of the revised IHRA Recommendations, and on the role of education and awareness in preventing antisemitism in contemporary Slovenia.
19:30 | Mini teater
Odes and Legends
A unique literary and musical event and concert tribute to the victims of the Holocaust.
SUNDAY, 6th SEPTEMBER
11:00 | Mini teater
The Little Vampire Goes to School– puppet performance
12:00 | Jewish Cultural Center Ljubljana
Guided tour of the new permanent exhibition with Robert Waltl
17:30 | Jewish Cultural Center Ljubljana
Guided tour of the new permanent exhibition with Robert Waltl
19:00
Son of Saul– film screening with Slovenian subtitles
Followed by a conversation with actor Géza Röhrig.
European days of Jewish culture also in Prekmurje
Part of the European Days of Jewish Culture 2026 programme also takes place in Prekmurje, a region that was one of the most important centres of Jewish life in the territory of present-day Slovenia before the Holocaust.
On 29th August in Domanjševci, a special programme takes place as part of the Košček sreče Festival, organised by our long-standing partners in preserving the Jewish heritage of northeastern Slovenia, Katja Čibej Fras and Boris Čibej.
On 10th September, the European Days of Jewish Culture continue in Lendava with a theatre performance.
The project is supported by: the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, the City of Ljubljana, Ljubljana Tourism / Visit Ljubljana, the Embassies of the Federal Republic of Germany, the State of Israel and Hungary in Slovenia, the Liszt Institute – Hungarian Cultural Centre Ljubljana, AEPJ – European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage, the Council of Europe, Shared Neighbourhoods, MAZSIHISZ – Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities, the Déryné Program, the City of Debrecen, and other project partners.