Bled Summer returns with 82 days of lakeside events

From 24 June to 13 September, Bled will once again come alive with the rhythm of summer. Bled Summer 2026 will bring 82 days of summer events to the Lakeside Promenade, the Rowing Grandstands in Velika Zaka and other venues, with music evenings, cinema under the stars, folklore, DJ rhythms, Slovenian music and one of Bled’s most recognisable summer evenings, Lights on the Lake.

Bled Summer has helped shape the Bled’s summer identity for many years. The programme offers visitors and locals the chance to spend their evenings by the lake, with music, good company and a relaxed summer atmosphere. It has been designed for different generations and tastes, from quieter concert evenings at sunset to livelier Friday nights with DJ sets, Slovenian music on Saturdays and folk music and dance on Sundays.

The first summer evenings by the lake

The music programme at Bled Summer will begin on Thursday, 25 June, with Thursday Scene on the Lakeside Promenade, featuring Martin Gomboc. Friday evening will be dedicated to the SCENA DJ programme, while Saturday will bring a Slovenian Evening with Ansambel Traverza.

This will open the summer rhythm that will accompany Bled until September. On selected Wednesdays, 15 July, 22 July, 29 July and 5 August, Picnic Cinema will take place at the Rowing Grandstands in Velika Zaka. Thursdays will be dedicated to music evenings on the Lakeside Promenade, Fridays to DJ rhythms, Saturdays to Slovenian folk pop music and Sundays to local folk groups.

© Petra Pekovec

A programme for different tastes and generations

This year’s Bled Summer brings 42 performances and events. The Lakeside Promenade will host musicians, DJs, ensembles, brass bands and folk music and groups. The programme brings together contemporary music, local tradition and relaxed social evenings by the lake.

Thursday Scene will be dedicated to concert evenings at sunset. Performers will include Martin Gomboc, Duo Tubca, Kuunika, 2Brothers & The Others, Harpier, ZHA, Artistik, Ma Tic, Sofa Inn, PULSE and The Saraphines. Friday evenings will bring DJ sets by SCENA, Luminus, Hase Base, Marksen b2b Kozlevchar, DJ Franko and Chesho.

Saturday evenings will have a distinctly Slovenian character. The promenade will welcome Ansambel Traverza, Ansambel Nemec, Quasi Brass Band, Ansambel Maxi and Godba Gorje. Sundays, between 19 July and 30 August, will be dedicated to folklore, with performances including KUD Rudija Jedretiča Ribno and KUD Bled, Folk group Bled.

 BLED SUMMER PROGRAMME

Lights on the Lake will illuminate a July evening

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

The tradition dates back to 1972, when the father of today’s master candle maker Andrej Vidic, who was 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. Over the decades, that simple idea has grown into an event that draws locals and visitors from near and far every year.

The lights, which are handmade and placed across the lake on the evening of the event, create a special illuminated image of Bled. The music programme will be rounded off by FridayZ, DJ Maj and saxophonist Jani Šepetavec.

© Nik Bertoncelj  

A stage for new musical voices

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

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

The programme was selected by an expert committee bringing together experience in music, production, major events, gastronomy, the local environment and the media. The selection was made by Primož Goričnik, Kabir Naidoo, Martin Gluščič, Eva Fermišek and Maruša Kobal Novak.

Events with less waste

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

With these measures, Bled Summer aims to reduce the amount of waste generated by its events and offer visitors a more orderly and responsible summer experience by the lake.

© Boris Pretnar

Arrive by public transport or Bled Bus

Visitors are encouraged to come to Bled Summer events by public transport, bus or train. Parking is recommended at the Central Car Park below Bled Castle or at other designated car parks in Bled.

PUBLIC CAR PARKS OVERVIEW

During the summer, transport is also available with the Bled Bus, which stops at the main bus station and at main points around the lake. The Radovljica Bus also connects Radovljica with Bled and back, with stops in Lesce, Camping Šobec and River Camp Bled.

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You are warmly invited to Bled Summer 2026, to evenings by the lake, music, good company and the summer atmosphere of Bled.