The programme will be officially opened on Saturday, 3 December 2016, at 21:00 (9:00 PM) at the Sveta srca (Sacred Hearts) Gallery in Pula with the unveiling of the accompanying exhibition and a performance by the legendary group Laibach. However, Slovenian visual art already took the spotlight on the very first day of the fair when it "flooded" several Pula-based galleries during the Ljubljana-flavoured Pula Gallery Night.

Metka Krašovec presented her art as part of the Dnevnik (Diary) exhibition at the Poola Gallery. The Cvajner House of Art displayed literary illustrations by Alenka Sottler and Hana Stupica. Both illustrators have received many awards for their sterling work. Alenka Sottler, for example, received the US Society of Illustrators Prize for her artwork featured in the book of poetry Pesem za liro (Poem for Lyre) by Bina Štampe Žmavc, while Hana Stupica received the prestigious Slovenian Hinko Smrekar Award for artfully adorning the Ukrainian folktale Rokavička (The Mitten) at the Slovenian Biennial of Illustration in 2014.

The opening of the exhibition Na begu (On the Run) at the Pula City Gallery generated a lot of attention as well. The exhibition features shocking photographs by Jure Eržen, who accompanied acclaimed journalist Boštjan Videmšek on his strenuous journey along the Refugee Trail. The photographs were originally published in Videmšek's book Na begu: Moderni eksodus (2005–2016): z begunci in migranti na poti proti obljubljenim deželam (On the Run: Modern Exodus).

The visitors were treated to tastings of traditional Slovenian cuisine. The catering was provided by the Ljubljana-based public institute for tourism Turizem Ljubljana.

Images from the event are featured below.