Bled Summer 2026 brings 82 days of lakeside events

From 24 June to 13 September, Bled will once again move to the rhythm of summer. Bled Summer 2026 will bring 82 days of events to the Lakeside Promenade and other venues, with 42 performances, summer evenings with live music, open air cinema, folklore, DJ sets and one of Bled’s most recognisable summer evenings, Lights on the Lake.

© Boris Pretnar

Summer by the lake

Bled Summer has helped shape the town’s summer atmosphere for many years. This year’s programme is designed for different generations and musical tastes, from relaxed evenings on the Lakeside Promenade to events that connect visitors with local tradition, music and the pleasure of gathering by the lake.

On Wednesdays, Picnic Cinema will take place at the Rowing Grandstands in Velika Zaka. Thursday evenings on the Lakeside Promenade will be accompanied by music at sunset. Fridays will bring DJ rhythms, Saturdays will be dedicated to Slovenian folk pop music, and Sundays will feature performances by local folklore groups.

© Nik Bertoncelj

Programme selected by an expert committee

The performers for Bled Summer 2026 were selected by a committee bringing together experience in music production, large stage events, event organisation, gastronomy, the local environment and the media.

This year, Tourism Bled published a public call for young, emerging and promising musicians for the first time, opening Bled Summer to new voices and giving them the opportunity to perform on one of the most beautiful stages in Slovenia.

A total of 91 musicians applied to the public call. Of these, 42 reached the second round, while 25 performers were selected for the Bled Summer programme.

To ensure a strong and well balanced selection, the Bled Summer 2026 committee included Primož Goričnik, Kabir Naidoo, Martin Gluščič, Eva Fermišek and Maruša Kobal Novak, whose experience in music, production, major events, media and gastronomy brought different perspectives to the festival programme.

Primož Goričnik is the creative director and one of the co creators of the DENEA agency. Since 2001, he has worked on the organisation of concerts, business events and other projects in Slovenia and abroad, combining creative concept development, production and a strong knowledge of the music scene. He also works on the development of visual and web solutions for events, as well as the representation of Slovenian and international music artists.

Kabir Naidoo has extensive experience with major Eurovision projects. He has worked with Italian Eurovision representatives including Måneskin, Il Volo, Mahmood, Marco Mengoni and Angelina Mango, among others, and served as Delegation Manager at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest in Turin. This year, at the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, he worked as Backstage Manager. He is also co organiser of the London Eurovision Party.

Martin Gluščič comes from a hospitality family with a long tradition and began his career as a child in the family restaurant. He later took over the management of the restaurant and further developed his experience through collaborations with some of Slovenia’s leading chefs. Alongside gastronomy, music is also part of his life, as he plays guitar in his free time.

Eva Fermišek began her musical journey by studying the oboe and performing with the Jesenice Wind Orchestra, where she also played percussion. She has performed as an oboist and taken part in concerts and marching performances. Later, she turned her creativity towards event organisation, where she combines musical knowledge with a feel for stage dynamics.

Maruša Kobal Novak began her musical path with piano, piccolo and solo singing, and has performed at festivals in Slovenia and abroad. For almost two decades, she helped shape the Slovenian music and television landscape through RTV Slovenija projects such as EMA and Slovenska popevka. Since 2016, she has worked as a public relations representative for the Slovenian Eurovision delegation. Today, she is part of the Tourism Bled team.

BLED SUMMER 2026 ROGRAMME 

© Nik Bertoncelj

Lights on the Lake, an evening that Bled knows by its glow

One of the highlights of Bled Summer will once again be Lights on the Lake, which will illuminate Lake Bled on 18 July. A total of 10,000 eggshell candles will be placed on the surface of the lake, creating one of the most recognisable images of summer in Bled.

The tradition dates back to 1972, when the father of today’s candle maker Andrej Vidic, then a maintenance worker at the Park Hotel Bled, used leftover candle wax and eggshells and floated them on the lake for the first time. What began almost by chance has, over the decades, become one of Bled’s best known summer evenings.

The lights are handmade candles made from eggshells filled with wax, with a wick and a match. On the festive evening, they are arranged across the lake’s surface, creating a glowing scene that draws locals and visitors from near and far every year.

The evening’s music programme will be rounded off by FridayZ, DJ Maj and saxophonist Jani Šepetavec, who will bring a contemporary summer rhythm to the Lakeside Promenade.

© Nik Bertoncelj

Events with a lighter environmental footprint

This year, the summer promenade will also introduce a greener event concept. Drinks will be served exclusively on tap, with the exception of water. Reusable cups and biodegradable packaging will be used, and biodegradable waste bins will be placed at the venue to encourage responsible waste management.

With these measures, Bled Summer aims to reduce the environmental impact of its events while offering visitors a pleasant, well-organised and responsible summer experience by the lake.

The full Bled Summer 2026 programme is available at bled.si.

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