This year’s theme, Celestial Shelters, serves as a metaphor for a “temporary entry into music”, which can radically transform our perception of time, space and ourselves. As we enter these celestial shelters, music becomes more than a means of escapism or a sensory refuge from reality; it becomes a tool for engaging with reality on a deeper level.

SONICA 2026 presents five events exploring a variety of sonic and aesthetic territories. The festival’s main concert evening will taake place at Kino Šiška on Thursday, 12 November, featuring one of Europe’s most exciting emerging artists, Catalan visionary of contemporary electronic music Marina Herlop, who arrives in Ljubljana with her new album Dja Dja. A classically trained pianist, composer, producer and vocalist, Herlop works at the intersection of traditional, classical and electronic music. She will present her most daring work to date, conceived as a cohesive, interconnected whole inspired by the literary motif of the hero’s journey (monomyth).

The evening will also feature a performance by Slovenian electronic duo Litošt (Boštjan Simon of Etceteral and Vitja Balžalorsky of Laibach), who return to the stage after several years away to present their new album Xioxio. An immersive audiovisual experience will be provided by Canadian duo Estelle Schorpp & Charline Dally, with their AV performance dreamachine, inspired by journeys aboard Japan’s and Hong Kong’s high-speed trains.

SONICA returns to sacred spaces. On Friday, 6 November, two distinctive sound artists will perform at the monumental Trnovo Church. Japanese master of “air music” FUJI|||||||||||TA will present A School of Sardines in the Pipe. The performance will also feature his handmade organs, a key instrument in his artistic practice, which draws on the legacy of minimalism. Romanian sound artist Simina Oprescu will create a special sound installation as part of her project Auric Atmographies. Wrapped in a veil of mysticism, the project explores the phenomenon of “auric attention”, often experienced in sacred spaces, particularly in moments of deep remembrance when the body senses something the mind has not yet found the words to name.

The festival also brings back its club night at Channel Zero on Metelkova, featuring outstanding artists from three generations. Returning to Ljubljana is legendary DJ Vladimir Ivković, a long-standing resident of Düsseldorf’s Salon des Amateurs, head of the Offen Music label and one of the most influential selectors of his generation. A regular at leading festivals and clubs around the world, Ivković seems to carry a bottomless bag of records, continually drawing out unexpected gems. He has an unparalleled talent for making music that initially seems inaccessible irresistibly captivating.

The club night will also feature a live performance by Black Dot, a Slovenian-Croatian EBM/darkwave/techno duo that has made a name for itself internationally through releases on labels such as KRi, Mechatronica and Italo Moderni. Their productions have found their way into sets by heavyweight DJs including Helena Hauff and Dave Clarke. Warming up the dancefloor ahead of the headline guest will be Zvèn, a promising young DJ from Slovenia’s Primorska region and a member of the Cosmic Sex collective.

The residency-based original work commissioned by SONICA 2026, created by visual artist Matej Mihevc and drummer and composer Szymon Pimpon Gąsiorek, will premiere on Friday, 13 November, at the Museum of Transitory Arts – MoTA. Friday’s programme will also feature a performance by Ribeiroia, one of Slovenia’s most exciting emerging electronic music artists and an artist affiliated with the P-A-G-A-T label.

The festival programme opens today, Thursday, 5 November, with the opening of the SONICA 2026 exhibition at +MSUM | Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova. The exhibition features Perfect Blue — 53 Variations on Cyanometerer, a sound installation by French artist Eric Raynaud, created in collaboration with Slovenian artist Martin Bricelj Baraga.

SONICA 2026: Celestial Shelters
5–14 November 2026
Ljubljana, Slovenia
www.sonica.si

The festival is funded by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia and the City of Ljubljana.

Supported by: Transition to 8, MUTEK