MENT music festival kicks off in Ljubljana
Ljubljana, 8 June - The 8th iteration of the MENT music festival is opening on Wednesday, bringing 80 artists from 25 countries to the capital Ljubljana. Taking place until 10 June at 15 venues, the festival is joining forces this year with Austria's Elevate and Slovenia's Druga Godba festivals.
Ljubljana, Kino Šiška.
Plakat za festival Ment.
Foto: Božidar Kolar/STA
The highlight of the opening night will be a concert by the American singer-songwriter and producer Yves Tumor. Thursday and Friday will see performances by the Ukrainian hip hop icon Alyona Alyon, UK singer-songwriter Martha Skye Murphy, French avant-pop artist Oklou, and Austrian keyboard player Dorian Concept.
The 2022 line-up ranges from hip-hop and pop to exploratory folk and post-jazz artists and representatives of various electronic music genres. Some of the locals artists participating are Sahareya, PTČ, Kokosy, Zevin, Gašper Letonja, and Ana Kravanja and Samo Kutin.
In collaboration with the Druga Godba festival, an evening concert at the Channel Zero club at the Metelkova culture centre will feature four artists, including Japanese psychedelic rock trio KUUNATIC, while three stages at the K4 club and Zorica bar will see a plethora of performances by various Slovenian, Austrian, Serbian and Belgian musicians in cooperation with the Elevate festival.
Together with the Tresk Festival, MENT is also hosting an international record label fair.
The programme will also feature an international conference on the lessons of the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequences of lockdown on the music industry, featuring the long-time director of Druga Godba Bogdan Benigar and the founders of the Elevate festival Roland Oreški and Bernhard Steirer.
"Slovenia has been lagging behind when it comes to the music festival scene for a long time, but things have changed in the last two years, mainly because Spotify has entered the market and made music much more accessible. This is reflected in the young generation's skills in using new digital tools", the festival's PR manager Jaša Bužinel told the STA.
"Streaming platforms entering the Slovenian music market have had a very positive effect on the visibility of local musicians, especially among the young generation," he added.