Foreigners: Top 10 events in Bratislava

Tips for the top 10 events in the capital between December 14 and December 23, plus regular services in different languages, training, temporary exhibitions and highlights of the year.

Illustrative Stock PhotoIllustrative Stock Photo (Source: AP/TASR)

These tips are prepared in cooperation with Eventland. Download ​the​ app and see what's going on around you wherever you are (Android, iOS).

Top 10
EVENT: Christmas Street Food; Starts: Dec 14-16
MARKET: SAShE Christmas market; Starts: Dec 15, 9:00
CONCERT: Piotr Rubik; Starts: Dec 15, 19:00
RUN: Cake Half-marathon; Starts: Dec 16, 9:00
MARKET: Good market; Starts: Dec 16, 10:00
EVENT: Christmas gifts; Starts: Dec 16, 12:00
CONCERT: Hilaris Chamber Orchestra Christmas concert; Starts: Dec 16, 18:00
MARKET: Fresh Market; Starts: Dec 17-22
PARTY: Christmas party 2018, Starts: Dec 17, 19:00
MARKET: Grand bazaar - Christmas edition; Starts: Dec 22, 9:00

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Religious Services for non-Slovak speakers

Galleries in Bratislava: Temporary exhibitions

Training in English

Highlights of the year (selection of events for which it's advisable to obtain tickets early)

Top 10

Christmas Street Food

Tyršovo nábrežie, Petržalka, Friday - Sunday, December 14-16

The Christmas Street Food is a gastronomic event with a cultural program. In addition to excellent street food, you can also enjoy a Christmas flea market at the same place. We recommend you come hungry. Admission is free.

SAShE Christmas market

Stará tržnica, Námestie SNP, Bratislava-Old Town, Saturday, December 15, 9:00

SAShE Christmas market will take place on December 15 at the Old Market. Visitors will be able to find anything that they might need pre-Christmas. On the lower floor, you can buy vegetables, smoked meat, cabbage, bread and cakes. Upstairs there will be 50 SAShE brands where you will be able to buy handcrafts, cosmetics, jewelry, handbags, clothing, and accessories for loved ones. Admission is free. More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1220894358076336/.

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Piotr Rubik

EXPO-Aréna, Incheba Expo Bratislava, Viedenská cesta 3409, Petržalka, Saturday, December 15, 19:00

Do not miss a unique musical encounter with Piotr Rubik. "My History" is a concert of his greatest hits like Straznik raju, Most dwojga serc, Sweat Sie nie konczy, Niech mow, Psalm dla ciebie, Psalm kochania, Milosc to slowa dwa and many others. Admission: €19-€36.

Cake Half-marathon

Železná studnička, Nové Mesto, Sunday, December 16, 9:00

Traditional December Fun - Taste all kinds of homemade Christmas pastries in the sixth year of the Cake Half-marathon. Anyone can come - women, men, children, dogs. Invite your friends! What to bring? Cakes are compulsory and Christmas costumes are welcomed too. More info: www.facebook.com.

Good market

Námestie SNP, Bratislava, Sunday, December 16, 10:00

This will be a challenge! Are we going to fill one of the biggest squares in Bratislava with stands, program and entertainment? Buy original Christmas presents in the magic atmosphere of the Old Market and the entire SNP Square at the Good Market on the last Sunday before Christmas. Admission is free. More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/328066934656513/.

Christmas gifts

Nová Cvernovka, Račianska, Bratislava, Sunday, December 16, 12:00

Come see a Christmas distribution of presents in the form of a festival full of vegan food, clothing, presentations about veganism, activism, vegan fashion, sport and art. Enjoy evening concerts, screening of the movie Bold Native along with the launch of two books - an illustrated book for kids Vtedy Svet by Michaela and Lukáš Vincourovi and a Czech translation of How to Create a Vegan World by Tobias Leenaert. Are you stressed out because of Christmas? Struggling with buying presents? Come and surround yourselves with an atmosphere full of selflessness and compassion. Let's celebrate Christmas with love and compassion towards all living beings! Admission is free.

Hilaris Chamber Orchestra Christmas concert

Mirror Hall, Primaciálny palác, Primaciálne square, Old Town-Bratislava, Sunday, December 16, 18:00

After a successful sold-out concert of Tribute to Vivaldi, Hilaris Chamber Orchestra presents another attractive project. At the concert led by Alan Vizvary, the founder and leader of the Hilaris Chamber Orchestra, there will be beautiful and exciting works by prominent music composers such as J. S. Bach, A. Vivaldi, A. Corelli and W. A. Mozart. As a Christmas concert, traditional Slovak and foreign Christmas carols are also included in the program. Admission: €15-€17. More info: www.ticketportal.sk.

Christmas market at Fresh Market

Fresh Market, Rožňavská, Monday - Saturday, December 17-22

Enjoy Christmas markets at Fresh Market! You can also do your Christmas shopping at Fresh Market. There will be fish, trees, decorations, sauerkraut, honey and other materials for your Christmas table. And you can look forward to traditional snacks! Admission is free.

Christmas party 2018

Satori Stage, Mickiewiczova 9, Bratislava, Monday, December 17, 19:00

Christmas is almost here. And we can again say, "It was a great year!" That's why we want to conclude and celebrate this year with you. It will not be a silent or holy night! We look forward to seeing you at this party. Admission: €22.

Grand bazaar - Christmas edition

Stará tržnica, Námestie SNP, Bratislava-Staré Mesto, Saturday, December 22, 9:00-15:00

Last minute Christmas gifts? Not a problem!

We are preparing a special Christmas edition of Grand Bazaar on the Saturday before Christmas Eve. If you're looking for something original that you cannot find in stores, you're in the right place. Antiques, vintage and retro - all this is offered at the Old Market Hall along with a food market and children theaters. Admission is free.

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Training

TRAINING: Pilates in English; Starts: Every Monday evening, 20:30
TRAINING: Yoga in English on Thursdays; Starts: Every Thursday, 18:30
TRAINING: Yoga in English at Indian Embassy; Starts: Monday to Friday, 11:00, 16:00, 18:00
TRAINING: Pilates in English– The class is in English, suitable for men and women, beginners and advanced, Slovaks and foreigners. The venue is equipped with Pilates requisites, a shower and a kitchen. (you do not need to bring a mat). Andrea’s classes are a mix of Pilates exercises for a strong core and and flexible body, and also Yoga exercises for stretching the stiff muscles caused by a sedentary lifestyle. Her classes end with the all-important relaxation of Body and Mind. She also uses highly qualitative etheric oils (doTerra) during the class. Refreshments, tea, fruits are included in the price. Starts: Every Monday evening, 20:30; Open Mind centrum, Mickiewiczova 2. Admission: €8 (one-time charge). More info: www.internationals.sk.
TRAINING: Yoga in English on Thursdays - You need to make reservation via yoga@internationals.sk. This is a beginners & intermediate class and you do not need any pre-knowledge. We will practice Dynamic Flow yoga. Take a look on one of our sessions: https://www.facebook.com/InternationalsBratislava/videos/1604953649521444/ Tea, water, fruit, showers are available to use for free. In this classes we are going to perform exercises that will make us stronger, more flexible, obtain balance and have fun while doing it. Starts: Thursday 18:30; Open Mind Centrum, Mickiewiczova 2. Admission: €8 (one-time charge) or €59 for a 10 session ticket you can use within 12 weeks. More info: www.internationals.sk.
TRAINING: Yoga in English at Indian Embassy - The Embassy of India in Bratislava is happy to announce the commencement of Yoga classes. The classes will be conducted by Ms. Jaiwanti, Yoga Teacher. The classes will cover Asanas, Pranayama, Meditation and Relaxation techniques. People interested in joining the Yoga Classes are requested to fill in the attached Registration Form. The Registration Form may then be sent to email: eindia.iccr@mail.telekom.sk. For any clarification/further information, you may contact Ms. Jaiwanti at Tel: +421-2-5296 2916/7/8 or email: eindia.iccr@mail.telekom.sk. Admission is free. Starts: Monday to Friday, 11:00, 16:00, 18:00, Dunajska 4, Bratislava. More info: www.indianembassy.sk

Temporary exhibitions

SLOVAK NATIONAL GALLERY
The eights; Open: Tue – Wed 10:00 – 18:00, Thur 12:00 – 20:00, Fri – Sun 10:00 – 18:00 until Dec 31, 2018
Useful Photography. Photography in Contemporary Slovak Art; Open: Tue – Wed 10:00 – 18:00, Thur 12:00 – 20:00, Fri – Sun 10:00 – 18:00 until Feb 17, 2019
DANUBIANA
Adam Szentpétery: Geo Codes; Open: Tue – Sun 10:00 – 18:00 until January 13
Milan Lukáč: Paintings and Sculptures; Open: Tue – Sun 10:00 – 18:00 until January 13
Peter Roller: Messages; Open: Tue – Sun 10:00 – 18:00 until January 13
Karol Kállay: Unforgettables; Open: Tue – Sun 10:00 – 18:00 until January 13
KROKUS GALLERY
Erik Šille: Black Melon; Open: Wed-Sat 14:00 – 18:00 until December 21

TEMPORARY EXHIBITION IN SLOVAK NATIONAL GALLERY:
The eights - The exhibition project The Eights is unconventionally conceived for the atrium as a series of small exhibitions for the anniversaries of the eights: February 1948, August 1968 and October 1918. The basis of the exhibition is a long, 3-meter high wall - "gallery noticeboard" - on which the visual collages will be rotated according to the anniversaries. The results will be a draft or materialised Pinterest board, a reminder of socialist "noticeboard culture". The collages will consist of artistic materials of various types (paintings, photographs, documents), primarily from the collections of the SNG. The final layout, the conflict of the artworks next to each other, their juxtaposition will speak about the nature of the historical event. Open: Tue – Wed 10:00 – 18:00, Thur 12:00 – 20:00, Fri – Sun 10:00 – 18:00 until Dec 31, 2018. More info: www.sng.sk
Useful Photography. Photography in Contemporary Slovak Art – This exhibition will not present photography as a useful, fast recording medium, "a document of the period", or as an instrument of digital manipulation, but as a tool that is suitable for a wide range of use in contemporary art. In their response to the era of digital technology, artists use the photo medium much more freely but in a more sophisticated way. Appropriated documented reality is constructed, arranged, staged anew, but with the use of purely photographic methods and classical approaches. The collection will focus on events in the past 10 to 15 years, examples of artistic techniques and strategies within the wide spectrum of possibilities of this medium. It will also take into consideration a relatively new phenomenon - the impact of foreign training and long-term stays on the work of Slovak artists. Open: Tue – Wed 10:00 – 18:00, Thur 12:00 – 20:00, Fri – Sun 10:00 – 18:00 until Feb 17, 2019. More info: www.sng.sk.
TEMPORARY EXHIBITION IN DANUBIANA
Adam Szentpétery: Geo Codes - This individual exhibition of prominent Slovak artist Adam Szentpétery features a retrospective view of his painting career in the visual language of geometry. Line, colour and plane are the basic building blocks of his visual system. Over the course of four decades Szentpétery has created a monolithic painting program in the field of geometric abstraction which is the essence of mental contraction, rational practices and protestant economy of form. The exhibition presents basic themes and series of works, but without any linear sequence. On the contrary, they run parallel to each other or emerge in a later period in a transformed shape. Open: Tue – Sun 10:00 – 18:00 until January 13, Vodné dielo Čunovo. More info: www.danubiana.sk.
Milan Lukáč: Paintings and Sculptures - Sculptor Milan Lukáč is one of the most well-known artists in Slovakia and his name resonates in a wider European context, particularly in France and Austria. Thanks to the universal language of his paintings and sculptures he can address a broad audience as his work conveys a convincing testimony of the state of the world in its endless forms and shapes. Sometimes it has an eminently intellectual and even philosophical charge with distinctive human overtones; at other times it interprets the fragility of interpersonal relations, but frequently it casts a lighter view of the endless realm of nature, its mysteries and its metamorphosis. Open: Tue – Sun 10:00 – 18:00 until January 13, Vodné dielo Čunovo. More info: www.danubiana.sk.
Peter Roller: Messages - Peter Roller is an inventive Slovak sculptor who has mastered space, form and the material itself. Since entering the art world in the 1970s, he has created a special associative and metaphoric language of sculpture. He equally enjoys working with stone, wood and metal. Light has played important role in his work from the very beginning. For Roller, the material building of sculptures and objects is a philosophical utterance whose outer expression is dependent on the inner construction. The light of the environment, which turns the sculpture’s surface into shadows, emphasizes and complements the quality of the form by its various intensity. Open: Tue – Sun 10:00 – 18:00 until January 13, Vodné dielo Čunovo. More info: www.danubiana.sk.
Karol Kállay: Unforgettables - Karol Kállay entered the world of Slovak photography in his own way. In 1942, at the age of sixteen, he won his first award (gold medal for first place) for his photograph entitled Asfaltéri / Asphalters at a national competition. In 1950, he definitely decided to devote his life to photography, and he began to work as a freelance photographer and travel the world. In the mid-1950s he brought motion to fashion photography by taking models outside and away from the photo studios and breathing life into his shots. His work was well received in Germany and France; he even received an offer for cooperation from Moscow. Open: Tue – Sun 10:00 – 18:00 until January 13, Vodné dielo Čunovo. More info: www.danubiana.sk.
TEMPORARY EXHIBITION IN KROKUS GALLERY
Erik Šille: Black Melon - Erik Šille (1978), painter and graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, has been nominated for the Tatra Banka Art Award 2018 for his solo show “error” at Kunsthalle Bratislava in 2017, and the monograph “Erik Šille – Happiness Is Within Reach’ (published by Krokus and Slovart) is in the final selection of the National Design Prize 2018. Open: Wed-Sat 14:00 – 18:00 until December 21, Námestie 1. Mája 3. More info: www.krokusgaleria.sk.

Religious Services for non-Slovak speakers

SERVICE: Apostolic Church; Starts: Sundays, 9:30, Bratislava City Church, Trnavské mýto 1, English
SERVICE: Bratislava International Church, Starts: Sundays 10:00 English, Malý kostol, Panenská Street (entrance from Lýcejná Street)
SERVICE: Brotherhood Church (Cirkev bratská); Starts: Sundays 10:00, Cukrová 4, English
MASS: The Church of Saint Ladislav; Starts: Sundays 11:00, Špitálska, English
MASS: Church of St. John of Matha; Starts: Sundays 9:00 Latin
MASS: St. Martin’s Cathedral; Starts: Sundays 7:45 German, 9:00 Latin
MASS: Church of the Merciful Brothers; Starts: Sundays 11:30 Italian
SERVICE: Small Evangelical Church; Starts: Sundays 9:00 Hungarian, 10:00 English, 11:30 German, Malý kostol, Panenská Street (entrance from Lýcejná Street)
SERVICE: Citylight Church, Starts: Sundays 10:00 English, Námestie 1.mája 1
SERVICE: Bratislava International Fellowship, Starts: Sundays 10:00 English, Trnavské mýto 1, (Istropolis)
SERVICE: International Baptist Church; Starts: Sundays 10:00 English, Súľovská 2
JEWISH SERVICE: Synagogue on Heydukova Street; Starts: Friday evening (before twilight), Saturday morning (usually at 9:00), and during feasts, Hebrew

Highlights of the year

CONCERT: Glenn Miller Orchestra; Starts: January 15, 19:00
CONCERT: Steven Wilson: To the Bone Tour 2019; Starts: February 10, 20:00
CONCERT: Nicki Minaj & Future; Starts: February 22, 2019, 19:30
EVENT: Lord of the Dance; Starts: Mar 1, 20:00
CONCERT: Paul Kalkbrenner; Starts: Mar 7, 19:30
CONCERT: Eros Ramazzotti; Starts: Oct 5, 2019
CONCERT: Glenn Miller Orchestra - The original American Glenn Miller Orchestra was founded in the thirties of the last century. Founder Glenn Miller is considered one of the greatest shining stars of the American jazz scene for more than 35 years. Glenn's career lasted only five years, but this time was long enough for Glenn Miller to become a leading personality of the world's most popular swing orchestra, which remains under the name of "Glenn Miller Orchestra". Dutch conductor and keyboardist Wil Salden has been conducting the orchestra for several decades. You can enjoy his amazing talent and work live on January 15, 2019 in Bratislava. They will play favourites such as Sunrise Serenade, Moonlight Serenade, Moon Love, Over The Rainbow, Blue Orchids, Careless, When You Wish Onon, and Imagination. Starts: January 15, 19:00, Istropolis, Trnavské mýto 1. Admission: €45-€59.
CONCERT: Nicki Minaj & Future – World hip-hop icons Nicki Minaj and Future have their first shared tour, NickiHndrxx. The show is great for those who love hip-hop and mainstream music. The several award-winning musicians are well-known for their hits that reach top places in the music rankings. Together, they will bring an unforgettable show to the stage. Starts: February 22, 2019, 19:30, Ondrej Nepela’s Winter Arena, Odbojárov 9, Bratislava. Admission: €69-€109. More info: www.ticketportal.sk.
CONCERT: Steven Wilson: To the Bone Tour 2019 - Steven Wilson, composer, musician, producer and leading personality of contemporary progressive rock, will perform for the first time in Slovakia. His successful show, To the Bone enriched by Porcupine Tree, will be presented on February 10, 2019 in the Bratislava refinery gallery. Steven Wilson has published more than fifty albums over his thirty-year career. The current, To the Bone, is his most successful record. After being released in August last year, he reached third place in the UK Album Chart, 2nd in Germany, and even in August 2017 his was among the 10 best-selling albums in Europe. To the great pleasure of intelligent progressive rock fans, Steven Wilson continues his successful worldwide tour To the Bone in 2019. Starts: February 10, 20:00, Refinery Gallery, Vlčie hrdlo, Bratislava. Admission: €39.5 - €50.5. More info: https://listocheck.sk/en/detail/steven-wilson.
EVENT: Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games – The Famous Lord of the Dance returns to Slovakia to perform in front of our public. Their last visit in 2017 was rewarded with record audiences. A brand new dancing performance, great visual technology, sound, beautiful costumes, new music by composer Gerard Fahy and 40 talented young artists from around the world are the core of Dangerous Games. Starts: Mar 1, 20:00, Viedenská cesta 3-9, Incheba arena. Admission: €23-€78. More info: www.ticketportal.sk.
CONCERT: Paul Kalkbrenner - Paul Kalkbrenner is ranked among the best electronic musicians in the world. The DJ from Berlin caught the attention of Slovakia in 2012 and after seven years he is returning to Bratislava with new work. The best electronic concert of the year 2019 will be played at the Refinery Gallery and you must be there! Starts: Mar 7, 19:30, Refinery Gallery, Vlčie hrdlo, Bratislava. Admission: €39. More info: www.ticketportal.sk.
CONCERT: Eros Ramazzotti – Italian pop-rock star Eros Ramazzotti has announced his world tour and also a new studio album. Slovaks can also look forward to well-known songs such as Fuoco nel fuoco and Piu bella cosa, L’Aurora, Un‘ altra te, Dove c‘ é musica, Se bastasse una canzone. Starts: Oct 5, 2019, Ondrej Nepela’s Winter Stadium. Admission: €39-€79. More info: www.ticketportal.sk.

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