Arena Market: Slovenia

The most iconic feature of Slovenian arenas is the forest-green grandstands found in Ljubljana’s largest venues. Stožice Sports Park Arena (14,500) and Tivoli Hall (6,800), the two major arenas in the Central European country, both boast the trademark green seats, symbolic of the City Municipality of Ljubljana-run venues.

The two venues are located roughly 4km away from each other. Across both, sports are a massive part of programming: Stožice is home to basketball and handball and the two-hall Tivoli is the base for ice hockey.

Stožice Sports Park Arena is set to host Sting, Rod Stewart, and Serbian songstress Aleksandra Prijović this year, along with Lord of the Dance. Tivoli Hall is used for more cultural events, such as the International Cat Exhibition and 25 Years of Shaolin Kung Fu.

The capital is also a host of various summer festivals, including the nearly three-month Ljubljana Festival.

In the northeastern city of Velenje, Slovenia’s largest festival, MetalDays, announced earlier this year that it would not host its 2024 edition, after flooding severely impacted the 2023 event.

Centrally located, Slovenia is an easy stopover for tours passing through neighbouring Slovakia, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, and Austria.