In 1963 a festival of baroque music was organised for the first time by the Concert Management Maribor. In 1994 the festival was held with its concept and name changed to Glasbeni September (Musical September), International Chamber Music Festival, under the artistic directorship of the pianist and professor Janko Šetinc. It took place every year in Maribor for the past 10 years, offering a distinguished range of chamber music from the Baroque to present times. Comprising around 20 concerts in the main and additional programme, it has become one of Slovenia's most exquisite classical music events. The festival comprised also a workshop where participating musicians joined together in an ensemble in order to study a distinctive programme. Up to 2007 the festival programme was created by a well-known chamber musician, Croatian horn player Radovan Vlatković. The festival was distinguished also for its unique approach to organisation as the invitations to the Festival were not sent out to chamber ensembles with their concert repertoire being pre-defined but rather, in the majority of cases, to top musicians – soloists who then created ensembles in Maribor according to the programme selected by the artistic director. Final concerts took place at concert halls and in churches and castles, not only in Maribor but also in some picturesque nearby cities (Ptuj, Slovenj Gradec). The 10th Jubilee Festival in 2003 featured Norwegian music and the centenary of Hugo Wolf's death.

In 2008 (4-14 September) the festival is run under the new name Festival Maribor. It is led by Richard Tognetti, violin player, conductor, composer and artistic head of the Australian Chamber Orchestra. The number of concerts has increased to 21 including morning matinees (mostly classical music recitals, afternoon concerts, some featuring unusual instruments and evening concerts, bringing together the jewels of classical music, interactive projects and Roma musical heritage with some of the finest musicians from the Eastern European Gypsy diaspora). The programme also contains symphony works following the introduction of an orchestra-in-residence - in 2008 Camerata Salzburg, which is going to perform eight concerts. Also performing will be the Ave Chamber Choir, the Swedish Brass Quintet, Mahala Raï Banda and Fanfare Ciocărlia with guest artists and more than 40 chamber musicians and soloists.

The festival in 2008 features around 200 artists from 20 different countries: Slovenia, Australia, Austria, Croatia, Sweden, China, Finland, Great Britain, Argentina, Egypt, Norway, Bulgaria, Hungary, Canada, Italy, Romania, France, Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The programme comprises also a number of accompanying exhibitions and other social events.

The Maribor Festival venues are the Narodni dom Hall, Maribor, Union Hall, Rotovž Square, Knights Hall at Maribor Castle, Maribor Cathedral, Casina Hall and the Old Hall at the Slovene National Theatre (SNG) Maribor and the Knights Hall at Ptuj Castle.