As the week progresses, we will guide you through each day's festivities. Tickets are still available to many of them and some events are free, so everyone has the opportunity to experience part of the magic. Tickets are available for purchase on bilesuparadize.lv's Song and Dance Festival section.
In addition, you can watch performances live on LSM and find out more about the Song and Dance Festival's 150th anniversary at the official website.
July 2
10:00-18:00 Participants' parade (Freedom Monument to Dailes Theater)
For many people the traditional parade of Song and Dance Festival participants – all dressed in traditional folk costume – is the real opening event of the whole Song and Dance Festival, regardless of the ceremonies elsewhere.
It is free to watch for anyone along the route, but if you want to guarantee a good view, it is possible to buy a time period ticket for a numbered seat in a special spectator stand for 25 euros. Note each ticket is only valid for 1 hour 50 minutes, so if you want to watch from the stand for longer, you'll need another ticket.
LIVE: LTV1, LTV7, LSM.lv, LMT STREAM, LR1
10:00-22:00 Craft market and masterclasses (Vermanes park)
The craft fair in Vermanes park is a tradition that started with the Song and Dance Festival in 2003. As well as traditional goods, you'll find ancient skills employed in modern ways to offer a wide range of goods. There are also opportunities to learn and try some of the crafts, and throughout the day there will be performances from folklore ensembles, folk theaters, minority ensembles, folk musicians and others on the stage in the park. In fact, this is an excellent place to stumble across musical styles and performers you were previously unaware of, and all for free.
21:00-23:00 Opening Concert for Festival Participants (Square near Arena Rīga)
Before they take the spotlight themselves, Song Festival participants get a concert of their own. with some of Latvia's top performers serenading them. These include Intars Busulis, Marina Rebeka, Egils Siliņš, Jānis Šipkevics, Aija Andrejeva, and the "Tautumeitas" group, fresh from playing the Glastonbury Festival in England. It's free to watch for registered Song and Dance Festival participants, otherwise a ticket will cost your 40 euros.
LIVE: LTV1, LSM.lv, LR1, LR2
