On Friday Evening Maribor switched on its Christmas lights at the General Maister Square as the opening of the holiday season called Magic December.

The largest crowds of tourists visit Maribor in November, explains the head of Maribor’s Tourist Office Doris Urbančič-Windish for Radio Slovenia’s news programme, which is why the officials have decided to launch a diverse programme for tourists as well as locals as early as November. “The number of tourists increases every year,” emphasizes Urbančič-Windish.

Switching on the lights also marks the start of a diverse programme at the Leon Štukelj Square, which is the central location of this year’s outdoor fun and will host more than 80 music groups and bands in the next 33 days, having already begun with Vlado Kreslin and Mali bogovi this Friday and ending on New Year’s Eve, when Tanja Žagar and The Rockstors will entertain the crowds. Several other renowned musicians are also scheduled to perform during the festive month.

Fairy City lights up
On 22 December the popular Slovenian rock/pop band Tabu will take the stage, Siddharta will perform for Christmas, the Bosnian band Crvena jabuka two days later and Riblja Čorba from Serbia on 28 December. On Saint Nicholas’s Day an ice rink will open on the Freedom Square (Trg svobode). The National Hall (Narodni dom) and co-organisers have also prepared an activity-packed programme for families and children called the Fairy City and set up lightning installations in front of the Museum of National Liberation as well as at other locations around the city. Last but not least, there will also be a bustling Christmas fair.