Calendar

London Jazz Festival in cooperation with Latvian Concert Agency - Rothko in Jazz and Latvian Radio Bigband, presenting programme Mare Balticum, Kristine Prauliņa (Latvia) un James Morrison (Australia).

Latvia International Ceramics Biennale - the most significant event in the field of contemporary ceramics in Baltic region. 100 pieces created by artists from around the world, including outstanding Latvian ceramic artists, will be on display for the Martisnons Award Competition to be evaluated by international jury.

The series of articles “What Latvian museums remember” published in the online magazine “Satori” will be an educational and enjoyable literary cycle of publications on six Latvian memorial museums, compiled by cultural researcher and publisher Ieva Viese-Vigula and poet Arvis Viguls.

The theme of this year's triennial is IDENTITY - historical, social, artistic, personal. It is diverse in a philosophical sense therefore artists are expected to discuss it from all points of view. It might have wide interpretations and can be viewed from different aspects.

This unique exhibition, taking place parallel to the 6th Riga International Textile and Fiber Art Triennial, will display tapestries from the designs of famous artists Henri Matisse and Joan Miro, legendary French tapestry maker Jean Lurcat, and others.

The exhibition provides an introduction to the Finnish Jaegers, a military unit founded during World War I.

Within the framework of the Riga Photography Biennial 2018, the exhibition Identity Issues will be on view in Cēsis Exhibition Hall.

Within the framework of the Riga Photography Biennial 2018, the Yves Ullen’s solo exhibition Tribute will be on view in Riga Central Library.

This exhibition features a selection of works by contemporary artists from Eastern Europe of the Balkans. It is the final event of an international cooperation project. Michal Novotny, director at the FUTURA Center for Contemporary Art in Prague, is the curator of the exhibition.

JCI European Conference is the largest international annual conference in Europe for young leaders, entrepreneurs will take place in the city of Riga on 19-22 June 2018. We are planning a conference with 1500 participants from 42 countries.

The exhibit celebrates diaspora Latvian diversity, accomplishments and multi-faceted connections to Latvia. It forms a symbolic connection between Latvians throughout the world, showing migration as part of the Latvian story and the complicated formation and evolution of ethnic and national identity.

A 3 day Summer Solstice Celebration will be taking place at the 11th November embankment (11. novembra krastmala).

Latvians and members of the Latvian diaspora, aged 30 - 90+ years, are invited to participate in the Senior Games in six winter/spring categories and 24 summer categories. Participants will be divided into thirteen age groups with some differences depending on the sport.

International Student Song and Dance Festival Gaudeamus will take place in Tartu from 22 to 24 June, bringing together thousands of high-level performers from the Baltics.

“I’ve realized that it’s enough if one tone is played perfectly.” By focusing on single tones and triads Arvo Pärt created simple and direct music. Today, he is one of the most influential composers still alive. The Latvian Radio choir and Sinfonietta Rīga were awarded the Grammy Award for their performance of “Adam’s Lament”.

Choreographer Kirils Burovs has created a dance performance in two parts in collaboration with dancers from Latvia and the UK. The first part is about a woman in the midst of a mid-life crisis (Little Red Riding Hood/Sarkangalvīte), and the second is about a diver demonstrating an unsettling world record (The Goal/Mērķis).

“I’ve realized that it’s enough if one tone is played perfectly.” By focusing on single tones and triads Arvo Pärt created simple and direct music. Today, he is one of the most influential composers still alive. The Latvian Radio choir and Sinfonietta Rīga were awarded the Grammy Award for their performance of “Adam’s Lament”.

Creative workshop for youth by Kate McIntosh and Arantxa Martinez will introduce to the ideation process in contemporary art, placing special emphasis on relationship between people and objects, as well as questions about the future.

World Latvian Economic and Innovation Forum in Valmiera – first large-scale forum of economics outside the capital of Latvia.

For the first time, the Baltic Triennial will take place in the three Baltic countries. Opening at the CAC in Vilnius, Lithuania in May 2018, June 2018 at Tallinn Art Hall, Estonia, and September 2018 at Kim? Riga, Latvia. The three distinct exhibitions act as different chapters to form the Triennial.

Cognitive experiments, practical workshops, performances, games, contests, discussions, theatre, and even confessions - the third Conversation festival LAMPA will have something for everyone, even the most demanding participant.

The XXVI Latvian Nationwide Song and XVI Dance Celebration will bring Riga to life from 30 June to 8 July, 2018.

The Archives of Latvian Folklore in cooperation with Office Latvia 100 and Radio Latvia opened a long lasting crowd-sourcing event for folklore manuscript transcription, called "Simtgades burtnieki" (Wizards of Centenary).

The “Story Quilt” will be made by Latvians who live outside Latvia, and who are asked to create a square, using various techniques, which will be sewn together to create a quilt. The quilt will be gifted to Latvia on the occasion of its 100th birthday.

While waiting for Latvia's centenary celebration on 18 November 2018, we are happy to present the collection of 100 natural wonder of Latvia – through our uniq travel stories, little bit of historical research and photography.

The National Encyclopaedia is a universal-knowledge, popular-science resource in the Latvian language being compiled on the basis of academic principles.

The campaign "A Special Book for a Special Bookshelf" is an opportunity for everyone to donate a book – of special importance to themselves – to the National Library of Latvia, also writing a message or personal story relating to the book on its title page.

To learn about Latvia, take a trip along the seven paths to the idea of Latvian statehood - the Livs Road, Jacob's path, Freedom Road, the Baltic Way, the Path of the Daugava, the Path of Light, and Māra's Path. These are tourist routes filled with fascinating places, rich farmsteads, and beautiful landscapes.

As a part of the initiative "LV100 Great Trees" (LV100 Dižošanās) everyone is invited to go outside and help find the Great Trees that have yet to be discovered, and, with the help of a special test, to find out which Great Tree best suits your personality.

The programme Latvian Films for Latvian Centenary features 16 long films including six feature films, two animated films and eight documentaries. This initiative is honouring the centenary of Latvia.

The Latvian Lap of Honour is a program of events to help us discover the different regions of Latvia through their cultural heritage, traditions, historical and contemporary personalities, nature, and achievements.

Young playwright Andris Ūdris' professional debut - his play "I Promise" won third place in the Latvian National Theatre's Centenary competition.

The film tells the story of four girls who spend their summer holidays in the countryside. The year is 1989 and the TV news is reporting a state of emergency in Latvia. The girls, who have been left with no adult supervision, prepare for war.

This performance brings to life several of Latvian author and playwright Rūdolfs Blaumanis' lesser-known works - Spījēnos (In Spījēni), Romeo un Jūlija (Romeo and Juliet), Nauda zeķēs (Saving Money), Laimes klēpī (In the Lap of Fortune), Īsta līgaviņa (The Real Bride), and others.

A production dedicated to Russian-American actor director, author, and theatre practitioner Mikhail Chekhov, after whom the Riga Russian theatre was named. Although archival materials were used in the creation of the show, the authors sought to create a balance between history and legend, facts and fantasy.

The Business Information Centre “Magnetic Latvia” at Riga International Airport has been designed to serve as a stopover for foreign and local guests, be it a businessmen or a diplomat, where one can receive first-hand information from the staff of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia about business opportunities and top tourist attractions

A film about life in Latvia through the eyes of five first graders is the beginning of a project that will continue to evaluate social and political processes in Latvia from their perspective throughout the years.

A poignant, life-affirming, and funny story for the whole family about seven-year-old Bille's adventures in Latva during the 1930s. The story is based on Latvian author, the Nobel Prize candidate, Vizma Belševica's autobiographical novel of the same name.

Project inspired by very popular social network account “Humans of New York” tells about Humans of Avotu Street based in Riga, Latvia.

The exhibition Symbolism in Baltic Art will be one of the most ambitious joint projects for the Baltic Centenary and among the largest centenary events to take place abroad. The exhibition will open at the beginning of April 2018 in one of the most influential museums in the world – the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

A romantic drama about dreams of realising oneself, based on Latvian author Rudolfs Blaumanis' play "Skroderdienas silmačos" (A Wedding in Silmači).

Within the framework of the Riga Photography Biennial 2018, the exhibition On the Side of the Sun. Testament to Time by Uldis Briedis will be on view in Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre.

A story about a unique phenomenon in the history of cinema - Baltic school of poetic documentary and its creators - filmmakers from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia who broke the dogmatic poster-like propaganda documentary tradition in Soviet Union in the 1960s by creating films that were totally different: humane, meaningful, and poetic.

This exhibition tells a story of the brightest manifestations of Art Noveau or Jugendstil in Europe through paintings, graphic design, and decorative arts and marks the beginning of the movement as well as its flourishing in Europe.

A solo show by Latvian painter Ivars Heinrihsons “Art from Latvia. Ivars Heinrihsons” at one of the most prestigious abstract art museums in Spain – Museo Fundación Antonio Pérez in Cuenca.

At the end of the Second World War, when the German army retreated from Latvia, it also took along 700 boxes of materials from Latvian museums. If not for a young woman named Mērija Grīnberga, the exhibition halls of many museums in Latvia would be empty today.

The exhibition Latvia’s Century is a joint contribution of Latvian museums to reveal 100 years of Latvia and to provide an opportunity to see excellent historical objects stored at the museums in all regions of Latvia – Kurzeme, Sēlija, Vidzeme, Zemgale and Riga.

More than 60 streets, boulevards, and squares in Latvia have been given the name Freedom. Two events will take place in 9 Latvian cities. The main message of the events is "From freedom to freedom". Events will give insight and appreciation for Latvia and what has happened in its past 100 years.

As part of a tourist promotion campaign the inhabitants of Latvia will be invited to travel around Latvia and to become acquainted with the periods of history important to Latvia through seven different journeys of statehood.

Latvian organists are marking the year of Latvia's 100th birthday by inviting listeners to eleven concerts in Riga and regions of Latvia.

DZIEDAM VISI VIENU DZIESMU is a studio recording by the Tērvetes Trubadūri and represents our gift to Latvia on her centenary. It includes a variety of Latvian songs expressing our belonging to the country of our ancestors.

These festivals promote the civic participation among young people and initiatives for creating a supportive environment, learning from best practice examples, and facilitating cooperation between educational institutions, municipalities, and local communities.

For the first time, the Baltic Triennial will take place in the three Baltic countries. Opening at the CAC in Vilnius, Lithuania in May 2018, June 2018 at Tallinn Art Hall, Estonia, and September 2018 at Kim? Riga, Latvia. The three distinct exhibitions act as different chapters to form the Triennial.

A popular science documentary film – a historical reconstruction with dramatic elements tells about the 13th-century Baltic peoples who later formed the Latvian nation.

3 FREE is a Contemporary Art project of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, dedicated to the commemoration of 100th anniversary of the restoration of three Baltic states.

This website is a guide for exploring the 100-year history of Latvia. Here you will find information on the most significant tourist attractions, museums and memorial sites in Riga where you will be able to learn important facts about Latvia’s history, from the foundation of the Latvian state to nowadays.

The travelling exhibition offers visitors an unprecedented insight into the writing and publishing that took place the between the two world wars with the opportunity to see the wide variety of publications printed between 1920 - 1930 in the three Baltic countries.

Over the course of eight master classes, students and teachers of various stage art disciplines will prepare six performances united by a single theme - Freedom Street, a metaphorical reminder of the many streets in many cities that have been given this name in the changing fortunes of time.

For the first time in Latvia - a production of a musical based on Anna Brigadere's play Lolitas brīnumputns (Lolita's Wonder Bird). The actors are a diverse troupe of Latvians, minority youth living in Latvia, and ten members of the Latvian diaspora from the US.

The exhibition "Akademia: Performing Life" will look at narratives and themes springing from Akademia, a community and an alternative school that offered courses in dance, art and crafts, hosted an art gallery and a publishing house and staged theatre and dance pieces between the 1910s and 1970s in Paris.

From 7 July until 30 September 2018 Journey to Nowhere, a major exhibition of works by Imants Tillers, will be on view at the Latvian National Museum of Art in the Great Exhibition Hall of the main building (in Riga, at Jaņa Rozentāla laukums 1)

Russian composer Dmitri Kourliandski (Дмитрий Курляндский) – recipient of the prestigious Gaudeamus International Composers Award and co-founder of the Structural Resistance (StRes) group of composers – will oversee the world premiere of his third string quartet „Dolce stil nuovo”.

For the first time in Latvia - a production of a musical based on Anna Brigadere's play Lolitas brīnumputns (Lolita's Wonder Bird). The actors are a diverse troupe of Latvians, minority youth living in Latvia, and ten members of the Latvian diaspora from the US.

The Latvian Radio choir sings at the Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier.

Programme: Ēriks Ešenvalds, Pēteris Vasks, Arvo Pärt, and others. Conductor - Sigvards Kļava.

The "Born in Latvia" project will establish a unique symphony orchestra made up of Latvia's best young musicians as part of the celebration of Latvia's centenary. They will have an excellent opportunity to improve their skills together with outstanding Latvian musicians who are world famous -- Kristīne Opolais, Ksenija Sidorova and Vineta Sareika.

The Valmiera Summer Theatre Festival is searching for a vision of the further development of human beings and their souls, of civilization and their cities, as seen through the eyes of children, entrepreneurs, and society.

2018, the year of Latvia's centenary, World Orienteering Championships will take place in Latvia. To host the top event of the year in the world-level orienteering is a great honour and an equally demanding responsibility.

For the first time in Latvia - a production of a musical based on Anna Brigadere's play Lolitas brīnumputns (Lolita's Wonder Bird). The actors are a diverse troupe of Latvians, minority youth living in Latvia, and ten members of the Latvian diaspora from the US.

In 2018 in Latvia the Baltic States Firefighter Games will be held to show the diversity of firefighters' professional skill set, a sense of belonging to the nation and the responsibility they feel toward the people who live here, as well as to strengthen the cooperation between Baltic Fire and Rescue Services.

A hundred days before Latvia's 100th anniversary, we are reviving our grandparents' tradition of the outdoor dancing event to socialise, sing and dance, accompanied by local music groups, under summer skies.

Youth guards and cadets from all three Baltic countries and the UK will participate in this international youth guard camp.

Each of the historical regions of Latvia - Kurzeme, Latgale, Vidzeme, Zemgale, and greater Riga - will be represented by ten 'jewels'. In each of these five locations displays portraying the ten most significant landscapes for each region will be on display.

On the occasion of Latvia's State Centenary, the Riga City Festival will celebrate the cultural history and creative heritage of the city.

PLATU 25 SPORT YACHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2018 will be held in Riga 18.-25. August. This is one of the most ambitious projects in Sport Sailing, one design class in Latvia for last 30 years, which is Latvia`s Centenary worthy event.

BURNING CONSCIENCE will be permanent exhibition on the resistance of the people of the former Cēsis apriņķis (District) against the Soviet and Nazi occupations 1940 – 1957. The Exbition will be open to the public from 23 August 2018.

On the occasion of the Latvian and Estonian centenaries, the Estonians and the Latvians reaffirm their musical talents, performing a joint concert at the prestigious Baltic Sea Festival in Stockholm.

This performance is about human destiny and the ancient Balts, whose daily activities and significant life events - births, christenings, marriages - are interwoven with the battle for survival, the anticipation and reality of war.

Civic initiative honouring Latvia's centenarians.

On Ancient Bonfire Night, everyone living in the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea is invited to light bonfires along the seashore to symbolise our commitment and care for the Baltic Sea.

Eric Ericson is a choral music legend in Sweden and in the world, who greatly influenced the development of this genre. The concert programme includes masterpieces of choral music that are sure to shine when performed by this unique collaboration of outstanding choirs.

A story about the KGB archive and the evaluation of history in the renewed Latvia.

A play for children and their parents about a boy who has been given a wondrous opportunity to travel through time. On his journey he meets his parents and grandparents at the age he is now. The boy faces his past and his ancestors in order to find the way back to himself and to the essence of who he his.

On 31 August, 2018 a concert "Mirdzi Stirniene Latvijas zvaigznājā" devoted to the centenary of Latvian state and 125 anniversary of Bishop Boļeslavs Sloskāns will take place in Stirniene with the State Academic choir Latvija (conductor Māris Sirmais).

The goal of the Mana Jūra initiative is to highlight the importance of the Baltic sea and the Latvian sea coast and for the people of Latvia state by presenting Latvia with a symbolic gift - a clean coastline.

These lectures have been organised to inform the community about the development of medicine, broad opportunities, problems, and personalities not only during the early years of the formation of the Latvian state, but also by following these processes through various periods.

The exhibit celebrates diaspora Latvian diversity, accomplishments and multi-faceted connections to Latvia. It forms a symbolic connection between Latvians throughout the world, showing migration as part of the Latvian story and the complicated formation and evolution of ethnic and national identity.

Sculptor Gļebs Panteļejevs has created an interactive sculptural composition dedicated to the outstanding coach of the 1935 Dream Team Valdemārs Baumanis, and the Basketball Basket of Glory, which symbolises the greatest achievements of Latvian basketball teams, their coaches, and individual players.

Artist Voldemārs Johansons is participating in the Bozar Electronic Arts Festival with his work Quantasonic: data modulation and 2 other works. Curator - Christophe De Jaeger (Brussels).

The Seasons, Pēteris Vasks' composition for piano, is at the centre of this performance about the life of a dancer. The characteristically short career of the dancer in part symbolises the harsh reality that everything comes to an end.

300 members of the European Law Institute and leading academics, judges, and practising lawyers will assemble in Riga to symbolise the development of the Latvian legal system and Latvia's belonging to Europe.

The Festival's tenth anniversary is being planned as an ambitious contemporary art exhibition, performance, and discursive event in two acts - September 2018 and May 2019. The idea for Survival Kit 10 is based on an exploration of the concept outland. It will interrogate the traditional geopolitical and cultural divisions 'centre and periphery'.

School children from all around Latvia are invited to participate in the opening of the Latvian School Bag, celebrate the beginning of a new school year and kick-off the cultural programme. Through the day, pupils will be able to learn about the institutions and organisations involved in the Latvian School Bag project and learn about their capital city.

The significance of Kurts Fridrihsons reaches beyond the importance of his art because during the Soviet period there were not many personalities refusing to comply with the regime while at the same time being outstanding artists. He was a model and inspiration for many people whose spiritual world refused to accept the existing system.

The event will be designed as a story of the most significant contemporary agricultural areas, products, services and education for rural and urban interaction in order to demonstrate that in Latvia we are proud about our land and traditions that are still appreciated today.

This exhibition reflects the work of the Latvian Red Cross over the course of one hundred years from 1918 to the present day.

This performance is dedicated to a vital period in the formation of the Latvian state - the historical events of 1919 on the steamship Saratov, where the Latvian Provisional National Council took refuge for six long months.

White Night is a modern urban culture forum – one night a year locals and tourists are invited to enjoy a vigil creativity aimed to change their perception of the environment and cultural life. The Forum's international programme will highlight the work of Baltic artists in honour of the Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian centenaries.

Programme: Pēteris Vasks, Francis Poulenc, Anaberg Conductor: Sigvards Kļava

FEE! International is the world's leading organisation for environmental education. Latvia has been one of the most active countries in the region ever since, realising all five FEE International programmes. For this reason, the FEE International General Assembly will take place in Latvia in 2018.

A multimedia 3D performance has been created on the occasion of Latvia's first president Jānis Čakste's birthday. The performance will honour first four presidents of the Republic of Latvia - Jānis Čakste, Gustavs Zemgals, Alberts Kviesis, and Kārlis Ulmanis.

More than one thousand participants - members of organisations representing the various minority populations living in Latvia and their friends - gather at the Cultural Festival of Nationalities in Latvia in order to promote and develop their traditional cultures.

On September 15, 2018, World Cleanup Day, people in 150 countries will stand up against the global trash problem and clean up waste, making it the biggest positive civic action the world has seen.

In 2014, Europe celebrated 25 years since the fall of Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain. To record this event, the project "Peace Bread" was created showing contribution of long-term agricultural practice in peace-building and to the human well-being.