The Social Activities Department of Maribor Urban Municipality is responsible for pre-school and elementary education, research, culture, health and social care. It draws up development proposals, prepares programmes and financial plans, gives concessions for social care, co-finances the programmes of institutes and other cultural organisations and monitors their implementation, and funds and oversees the infrastructure and finances of organisations established by the Municipality.

Some cultural institutions located in Maribor have the status of state institutions, eg the Regional Archives of Maribor and the Slovene National Theatre (SNG) Maribor, which hosts the annual Borštnik Meeting, Slovene Theatre Festival, a major gathering of Slovene theatres and theatre ensembles. Several other festivals are also held in Maribor, mostly organised by non-governmental cultural organisations (see Cultural organisation listings).

The local branches of the Union of Cultural Societies of Slovenia (ZKDS) and the Public Fund for Cultural Activities of the Republic of Slovenia (JSKD) facilitate the activities of around 90 cultural associations with about 3,600 members.