The main part of the event will be organised on Saturday in Novo mesto’s main square, where around 500 participants from abroad are expected. It will be opened by speeches from the Minister for Slovenians Abroad, Matej Arčon, and Novo mesto’s mayor, Gregor Macedoni. There will be performances by Slovene cultural groups from various different countries and the evening will be brought to a close by the Prifarski muzikanti band.

According to the organisers, the Welcome Home event is already 12 years old. It was conceived by the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad, which was its organiser for approximately two thirds of this period. Several years ago, the event’s organisation was entrusted to four different associations that are active in looking after Slovene minorities and communities around the world. This year the event is being organised by Rafaelova Družba from Ljubljana for the first time.

The programme includes a guided tour of the exhibition Plečnik’s library: created for all times, a concert by the Ljubljana madrigal singers in the National and University Library, a discussion on Slovene migrations within the former Yugoslavia, a lecture on the painter Maksim Gaspari, an exhibition of paintings by Dragan Gačnik from Zenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a Caravan of Tastes, the Little Witch show, and an exhibition of works by the painter Klavdija Nose, from Argentina.