Christmas 2026 · Ljubljana
Christmas concerts and church music in Ljubljana, 2026
Ljubljana’s Christmas is heard as much as seen: Bach in the Philharmonic’s hall on Congress Square, soprano and organ under the frescoes of St Nicholas Cathedral, children’s choirs in the Town Hall and a concert in the street on Christmas Eve. Here is what we could confirm on the organisers’ own pages on 12 November 2026.
Updated October 2026
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio at the Slovenian Philharmonic
The finest Christmas concert of the season is in the Marjan Kozina Hall of the Slovenian Philharmonic on Congress Square. On Friday 18 December 2026 at 7.30pm, the British conductor Stephen Layton leads the Philharmonic’s choir and orchestra in parts I, II, IV and VI of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.
The soloists are the soprano Mojca Bitenc Križaj, the mezzo-soprano Barbara Kozelj, the tenor Martin Logar and the baritone Domen Križaj. The evening lasts about two and a half hours, with an interval.
Tickets cost €34, €28 or €12, with reduced prices of €28, €22 or €10 for visitors under 25 and over 65 and for pensioners.
Our advice: this is part of a subscription series, so seats are limited; book as soon as you know your dates.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Tournasol7 · CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsSlovenian Philharmonic: Christmas Concert
St Nicholas Cathedral: Thursday concerts and the cathedral choir
Ljubljana’s Baroque cathedral, dedicated to St Nicholas, holds a short concert every Thursday at 5pm: the soprano Petra Vrh Vrezec with the organist Gregor Klančič, for about 30 to 40 minutes. Through Advent and Christmas they fall on 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 December. Tickets are sold only at the cathedral’s own ticket desk.
The cathedral choir of St Nicholas has sung here without a break since 1826. Led by Gregor Klančič since 2013, it sings at the 9am Mass on Sundays and at the great feasts, with some 40 Latin and Slovenian settings of the Mass in its repertoire.
Our advice: the 2026 Christmas Mass times, Midnight Mass included, had not yet been published when we checked; look for them on the cathedral’s own site in December. Tourist visits are paused during services, and can change around special events.
Ljubljana Tourism: Thursday concerts in the cathedral St Nicholas Cathedral: the cathedral choir St Nicholas Cathedral: opening hours
Christmas Eve on Mestni trg
On Thursday 24 December 2026, Ljubljana gathers in front of the Town Hall for its Christmas concert, from 5pm to 6pm. This year the singer Eva Černe Avbelj performs with Leon Firšt on keyboards, Matic Plemenitaš on guitar, Jaka Krušič on bass and Gregor Horvat on drums. Entry is free.
Our advice: arrive a little early for a place near the Robba Fountain. The same evening, at 5pm, the Thursday concert plays in the cathedral, a short walk away, so choose one or the other.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. · CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia CommonsLjubljana Tourism: Christmas concert
Young musicians in Križanke and choirs in the Town Hall
Every evening from 23 November to 17 December 2026, the Ljubljana Festival’s Christmas Concerts give the Knights’ Hall of Križanke to pupils of Slovenia’s music schools, in instrumental and vocal programmes, mostly at 6pm or 5pm. Entry is free.
From 14 to 16 December, primary school choirs sing in the Town Hall on Mestni trg from 5pm to 7pm. And up at the castle, the nativity scene in the chapel is open daily from 9am to 6pm from 27 November to 2 February 2027.
Our advice: the Križanke concerts make an easy hour before dinner in the old town; the last, on 17 December, is given by the vocal school of Glasbena Matica Ljubljana.
Ljubljana Tourism: Festival Ljubljana Christmas Concerts Ljubljana Tourism: primary school choirs Ljubljana Tourism: nativity scene at the castle Christmas in Ljubljana
Questions and answers
What time is Midnight Mass at Ljubljana Cathedral in 2026?
St Nicholas Cathedral had not yet published its 2026 Christmas Mass times on 12 November. Check the cathedral’s own site, stolnica.si, in December.
Where can I hear Christmas music in Ljubljana in 2026?
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio at the Slovenian Philharmonic on 18 December at 7.30pm, the Thursday 5pm concerts in St Nicholas Cathedral, the Christmas Eve concert on Mestni trg at 5pm and the young musicians’ concerts in Križanke until 17 December.
Is the Christmas Eve concert in Ljubljana free?
Yes. The Christmas concert on Mestni trg, in front of the Town Hall, runs from 5pm to 6pm on 24 December 2026 and entry is free.
Dates and times from each venue’s or organiser’s own page (filharmonija.si, stolnica.si and visitljubljana.com for the city’s Festive December, the Ljubljana Festival and the cathedral concerts), checked 12 November 2026. Check before you go.