Site-Specific Festival in the Heart of the Snežnik Forests
For the twelfth year in a row, Loška dolina hosts Slovenia’s largest site-specific festival – Floating Castle. Over four days and three nights, 250 concerts and performances will take place on 21 stages, as 220 groups from 35 countries present an exceptionally diverse and genre-defying program. Each stage is an autonomous, thematically curated program unit, accompanied by scenographic installations, projections, performative interventions, or spatial compositions.
Folk, pop, jazz, electronic, puppetry, circus, experimental music, parades, children’s corners, workshops, and markets will come to life on castle walls, among rocks, on the water, in the cellar, in the dormouse museum, on vintage vehicles, or in a natural amphitheater. Expect the unexpected.
Floating Castle is not a festival…
…it is a crossroads of artists from around the globe,
…it is a series of unrepeatable performances with surprise guests,
…it is a platform connecting global art with local tradition,
…it is a four-day, three-night multi-genre performance of which the audience becomes a part.
Site-specific
Scenographers, sculptors, performers, painters, and architects – together with volunteers – start designing the festival space even before the official start. They shape the performance spaces, open new paths, and build squares and stages. In parallel, the Etno Histeria World Orchestra creates a completely new, unique repertoire which they tour across Slovenia and nearby regions, culminating in a final concert at the festival.
Program
From morning until late at night, up to ten parallel concerts or performances take place each day. A significant part of the program also includes a diverse culinary offering and a marketplace featuring handmade goods.
A World Staged through the Lens of the Butalci
Each edition of the festival has a central theme, which informs the stage designs, spatial connections, light and sound installations, scenography, projections, and various festival corners. This year’s theme draws on the satirical tales of the Butalci, originating in Loška dolina. Visitors will experience the world through the eyes of an everyman traveler who, while exploring the festival, uncovers fragments of Fran Milčinski’s legend and reflections of real contemporary lives.
The theme subtly comments on modern society – incorporating elements of everyday life alongside stories of people suffering in Palestine. Guest artists will weave their own stories and those of their loved ones into the festival’s web, creating an intuitive journey through time and space, placed in dialogue with the legends of the Butalci.
Rooted in the Natural and Social Fabric
Floating Castle was born from the desire to revitalize Snežnik Castle and its surroundings. Every year, dozens of local volunteers actively participate. The thematic framework always originates from local narratives, with a focus on preserving natural and cultural heritage. At the same time, the themes often raise questions about stagnation in the local environment and broader social and ecological challenges.
Artists for Artists
The festival is coordinated by a group of artists who, throughout the year, build personal connections with creators worldwide during their tours. They also seek out other local and international projects that can enrich the festival’s diversity. Due to its non-profit and hands-on approach, as well as its deep focus on artistic exchange and experimentation, Floating Castle has become one of the largest regional artistic crossroads. The number of artist applications grows every year.
Organizational Platform
The project is supported by around 30 associations, institutions, and individuals, along with over 100 volunteers. A remarkable 95% of the festival’s revenue comes from ticket sales, and all profits are distributed among the artists through the festival currency called “kojn”. Upon entry, each visitor receives kojns with their ticket, which they then distribute among the artists after performances. After the festival, based on ticket sales, the value of the kojn is calculated and paid out to the creators.
The main organizers of the festival are the Society of Snežnik Castle Enthusiasts and the Floating Castle Cultural and Artistic Association, in collaboration with Teatro Matita Institute and the International Center for Puppetry Arts Koper.