Welcome to the Folklore Association VAL Piran portal!

The folklore association VAL from Piran has been active already from the year 1961. In its ranks it gathers the youth from the entire Slovenian coast. Each year the group exhibits in many performances. It has been a regular guest all over Europe and also abroad.

The folk dance group has received many prizes and commendations from the Commune of Piran for its work.

The folklore association VAL Piran is the founder and manager of the MIFF - MEDITERRANEAN INTERNATIONAL FOLKLORE FESTIVAL - that is held on the Slovenian coast every year, from the year 2003 on.

Folklore festivals

The group performs more than 50 times per year and the most important festivals we performed in last few years are:

1996 – International folklore festival Reisbach, Germany,
1997 – International folklore festival Karlsruhe, Germany,
1999 – International folklore festival Karlsruhe, Germany,
2002 – "Midsummer" festival Sweden,
2004 – International folklore festivals in Quaios, Villa Nueva - Figuera de Foz area, Portugal,
2004 – Folkloriada, Augsburg, Germany,
2004 – International folklore festival Vodnjan, Croatia,
2005 – International folklore festival »Europa igra« Loznica, Serbia,
2006 - International folklore festival LENT - FolkArt (festival CIOFF), Maribor, Slovenia
2006 - International folklore festival ZLATA SOPELA (festival CIOFF), Poreč, Croatia
2006 - International folklore festival QUIFF, Quala, Malta
2007 - International folklore festival LA VEGA, Milis, Sardinia, Italy
2007 - International folklore festival BALLUS, Uta, Sardenia, Italy
2007 - International folklore festival SINNAI, Sardenia, Italy
2009 - Folkloriada, Augsburg, Germany
2011 – VII. International folklore festival, Larnaca, Nicosia, Cyprus
2012 – XXVIII. International folklore festival COFIT (festival CIOFF), Acores, Portugal
2013 – International folklore festival, Sofia, Bolgaria
2014 – V. International folklore festival Parelia Katerini, Greece
2015 - XX. mednarodni folklorni festival »Citta di Vita« (TR), Italy
2016 - Mednarodni folklorni festival Herceg novi, Montenegro
2017 - Mednarodni folklorni festival Rimini, Italy
2018 - Mednarodni folklorni festival XXV Encontro dos pobos, A Guarda , Spain
2019 - XXVI. International folkore festival (CIOFF) Alberobello, Italy

Program

The folkloric group VAL Piran presents a programme of ten Slovenian dances in 8 different traditional costumes:

Istrian šagra (festivity)
Ća to šuška (What whispers)
Night in the Salt Field
Juca Moja (Istrian Dances)
Dances of Goriška
Dances of Karst
Dances of Bela Krajina
Dances of Gorenjska
Dances of Štajerska
Dances of Prekmurje
Dances of Kostel
Dances from Trieste

We occasionally perform also with the ex Yugoslavian dances from Serbia and Bosnia.

Folklore Association VAL Piran groups'

Folklore Association VAL Piran has 6 groups:

Folk dance Group VAL (»Wave«) Piran - first and second group
Etno music group
Etno chore group
VAL Senior - the Senior Folk Dance Group
Folk dance Group VALČEK (»Small wave« - the Junior Folk Dance Group. Different Junior Folk Dance Groups are set up and are active in the Elementary Schools on the Slovenian coast

Festival - MIFF

Folklore Association VAL Piran organises the MIFF - Mediterranean International Folklore Festival - from the year 2003 on. The purpose of the MIFF Festival is to present to the public the folklore dances, music and singing and the cultural variety of the Mediterranean countries.

The event take part on the Slovenian Coast: in the old medieval city of Piran, on the Tartini Square and The 1st May Square or, in case of bad weather, in the Tartini Theatre, in the congress-spa resort Portoroz in Concert Hall "Avditorij", in Koper on the Carpaccio square and in Izola on Manzioli square or on "Lonka". From the year 2007 till 2009 the festival was expanded also in Croatia, in the city of Umag, and it was organized together with our partner »Pučko otvoreno učilište Ante Babič« from Umag. At that time the festival was unique due to the fact that all the performances were taking place at the same time in four different cities and two countries: Koper, Izola, Piran and Umag.

Nowadays the festival MIFF is the second biggest folklore festival in Slovenia. Good organization, strictly respecting performances time, a lot of free time for the beach or cultural sightseeings, interesting excursions and other festival's events are the reason that many partecipating groups would like to partecipate again..