Exciting events for adrenaline lovers

At Ljubljana Tourism, we take on different roles in events of this kind. We promote some, co-fund or fully fund others, and often bring partners together and help turn a sporting competition into an experience of the city itself. We support events that engage residents, attract visitors from Slovenia and abroad, and present Ljubljana as an active sporting destination. What matters is not only the final score, but also accessibility, responsible delivery and the lasting impact on the city after the final whistle.

Some of the more unusual spectacles have included the world’s largest trampoline above the Ljubljanica as part of Odbito na Ljubljanici, Triglav the Rock climbing spectacle and Volleyball on the Ljubljanica. We have also supported the Women’s European Handball Championship and World Kidz Breaking. Some events have brought elite sport into arenas. Others have placed it where absolutely no one expected to find it.

The scale of sports tourism is best illustrated by the figures. FIBA U20 EuroBasket 2026 brought 16 European national teams to Stožice Arena and generated more than 6,000 overnight stays in Ljubljana. We conceived the 2026 UEC Road European Championships as a regional event connecting Ljubljana with eleven municipalities across Central Slovenia and Gorenjska, bringing together more than 800 riders from over 50 countries in 14 events. Events of this scale provide more than excellent material for television broadcasts and social media. They bring athletes, support teams, officials, journalists and spectators to Ljubljana, where they stay overnight, explore the city and generate business for local providers.

Sports tourism does not run on adrenaline alone. It also requires partnerships, international promotion, good organisation and a considerable number of early hotel breakfasts. When these elements come together, visitors gain a reason to travel, local businesses gain new customers and residents can enjoy elite sport almost on their doorstep. Sometimes in an arena, sometimes on city streets and occasionally right on the Ljubljanica. Ljubljana simply has little interest in obvious sporting venues.

More exciting sporting and other events can be found here.