Alice in WonderBand & Etno zbor Ljelje - Sargfabrik - 2026

Sargfabrik - Verein für integrative Lebensgestaltung, Wien

Combining physicality, rhythm, and a healthy dose of joy: Alice in WonderBand brings Balkan world music to where it has the most immediate impact—on stage and right under your skin.

Since the late ’90s, the Serbian duo of Ana Vrbaški and Marko Dinjaški has been blending music, theater, and dance into a performance that’s less of a concert and more of a shared experience—with body percussion at its heart: the body itself becomes an instrument, a metronome, and a resonating chamber.

Their shows are energetic, rhythmically dense, and at the same time open. Inspired by the natural surroundings of Fruška Gora National Park, they create a sound that organically blends tradition and the present. It’s no coincidence that their debut album, *RikaTaka – New Balkan Rhythm*, made it into the Top 10 of the World Music Charts Europe.

With their new album *The Courage to Be Afraid* (release fall 2026), they are now opening a new chapter. Behind this lies a clear stance: recognizing the fragility of art and culture—and carrying on nonetheless. To forge their own path. To choose connection, curiosity, and what we share.

Etno zbor Ljelje is a women’s choir from Slovenia that blends traditional music from the Balkans and other regions with great intensity and an immediate stage presence. Through a blend of archaic melodies, polyphonic singing, and rhythmic energy, they create a sonic space that feels at once wild, sensitive, and communal.

The singers draw inspiration from ancient songs and stories, bringing them into the present with great musical openness. Their concerts possess a special pull—carried by voices that foster a sense of closeness and draw the audience into a shared musical experience.

Since their debut at the Floating Castle Festival in 2022, Ljelje has been thrilling audiences on stages in Slovenia and around the world. Under the direction of Jelena Soro, the choir has developed a musical language that allows traditional music to be experienced as a vibrant and unifying force.