Arena Market: Slovenia

In Slovenia, the capital Ljubljana is home to Hala Tivoli, which is mostly used for ice hockey but can accommodate 4,500 in its smaller hall or up to 6,800 in its larger one for concerts.

Just 4km away is the beautifully designed 11,500-capacity Arena Stožice, which also hosts basketball. Sting played last year and André Rieu is booked, too.

Gala Hala and Punk Rock Holiday promoter and booker Andrej Sevsek says “conditions are good” but the pandemic halted global acts coming to Slovenia despite its proximity to Italy, Croatia, Hungary, and Austria. “Currently, there’s an oversaturation of Slovenian artists performing locally, while international acts remain scarce,” he says.

The audience is geared towards…