Events
As with all large cities, Vilnius does not lack for interesting events all year round. There are various cultural events, festivals and celebrations taking place either in the open air, in halls or in non-traditional venues. Below is information on some of the major city events each year.
Vilnius traditionally gets ‘all done up’ for national holidays. Flags are raised, floral decorations abound, and fireworks light up the night skies. Vilnius has its own urban festivals, but some national holidays take on a special significance here.
Vilnius is becoming well known for its rich cultural life. Every week a variety of cultural events are taking place: discerning culture lovers will find something on the long list of events to suit their tastes.
During the cold months Vilnius does not lack for interesting events; but in summer the city really comes alive. People still in Vilnius during summer choose entertainment and leisure in the open air.
As with all large cities, Vilnius does not lack for interesting events all year round. There are various cultural events, festivals and celebrations taking place either in the open air, in halls or in non-traditional venues. Below is information on some of the major city events each year.
On 1 January 1919, the Lithuanian tricolour was hoisted on the tower of the Gediminas Castle for the first time. To celebrate this day, a solemn ceremony of replacing the flag is held on Gediminas Hill in Vilnius.
The Three Kings Festival is an impressive mystery performance which symbolises the end of the winter holidays. The Three Kings (the three wise men of the Gospels) pass through the Old Town and wish residents good health, peace and wellbeing.
On 16 February 1918, the Council of Lithuania signed the Act of Independence of Lithuania, which proclaimed the termination of all state ties and declared Lithuania an independent state. Solemn commemorations, concerts, orchestra parades and other events take place in the capital and all over the country.
A calendar holiday during which Shrove Tuesday mummers flood the Old Town to "drive out winter”, and pancakes are cooked. If you eat many pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, your year will be a success. At the end of the festivities, Morė (a symbol of winter disasters), is burned on a bonfire and people await the arrival of spring.
At the end of February there is a major Book Fair event at the Litexpo exhibition centre and there are sales of books published in Lithuania taking place at book shops and cultural spaces around Vilnius, as well as opportunities to meet famous authors from all around the world.
The fair, which originated from the day of St. Casimir, the guardian of Lithuania, has been in existence for over 400 years. This is the largest occasion for traditional craftsmen to present their work to visitors. It is also a celebration which embraces all areas of the Old Town.
The Act of Re-establishment of the State of Lithuania was signed on 11 March 1990. On this day, the victims of fights for Lithuanian independence are honoured, the ceremony of hoisting the state flag takes place in the Nepriklausomybės Sq., and brass band parades, performances by various groups, and concerts are organised.
This festival offers its audience a chance to see well-known or awarded movies from various film festivals; meetings with prominent representatives of the film industry are organised alongside thematic evenings or discussions.
The festival Jauna Muzika is the largest festival of electronic and electro acoustic music in the Baltic States. It presents the audience with the latest achievements and projects of musical art.
Concert halls in Vilnius and other towns of the country see the return of Lithuanian musicians who work or study abroad and who often bring a foreign colleague to the festival. Almost all Lithuanian music stars from all over the world return to perform at Sugrįžimai.
This is a new tradition whereby music professionals and amateurs play and sing in the streets, squares, and parks of the capital like street musicians.
This is the largest event of contemporary dance in the Baltic countries, which attracts participants not only from the Baltic Sea region, but also from other countries and continents.
Lithuanian poets and guests from abroad read their poems in various venues of the city; debates and discussions with listeners take place.
Vilnius Festival is an international music festival, recognised by the European Association of Festivals, which attracts distinguished performers, representatives of the world music elite and the best bands of Lithuania (10–15 events).
Exciting concerts involving folk groups from Lithuania and many foreign countries take place in squares, parks and courtyards of Vilnius Old Town. A fair of folk crafts accompanies the festival.
Summer solstice or Rasos Festival originated in pagan times and was renamed St. John’s Festival in Christian times. An evening party with songs, folk dances, and fortune-telling is organised in Verkiai Regional Park. At midnight, the search for a magic fern blossom, which allegedly blossoms on that night only, begins.
The World Lithuanian Song Festival is held every four years or on special national occasions. In 2009, for the first time in history, groups of pupils will participate alongside adults in the special song festival "The Glee of the Century—for Lithuania and the World” (working title), dedicated to the celebration of the millennium of Lithuania’s name.
On the Day of Statehood, Lithuania celebrates the day of the crowning of Duke Mindaugas, the founder of the State of Lithuania. Days of Live Archaeology are organised at the foot of Gediminas Hill and in the Old Town where craftsmen demonstrate old crafts, knights can be seen standing in groups, participants listen to old music and are welcomed to the fairs, and concerts of ethnographical bands or other festivities are organised around the city.
This is an international festival that abides by the rule "all genres are good except the boring ones”. It is one of the biggest summer events in Vilnius, which attracts numerous performers from Lithuania and other countries. (Around 40–50 events)
The Castle Festival, which is held annually, presents the public with Renaissance and Early Baroque material, as well as the spiritual and cultural heritage of the manor of Grand Dukes of Lithuania and promotes its restoration.
Numerous highly ingenious and even extreme performances are held in various outdoor venues in the capital during the Days of the Capital. Gedimino Avenue turns into a huge art workshop and a gallery of different national cuisines.
This event devoted to the founder of Vilnius, Duke Gediminas, includes a carnival and concerts given by Lithuanian regional and ethnic minorities. An impressive mystery performance of fire sculptures crowns the finale of the festivities. Before the performance, large straw sculptures created by professional artists are exhibited outdoors around the city.
Sirenos presents provoking and challenging modern European theatre and new impressive projects of the Lithuanian stage. Performances are staged in various theatres of Vilnius and other locations.
Vilnius Jazz, the oldest festival, attracts the participation of the best Lithuanian jazz performers and prominent jazzmen from other countries. Vilnius Jazz is famous for creative and ambitious programmes and improvisations.
This, the main and largest contemporary music festival in Lithuania, presents the newest music trends, fashions and creative processes in Lithuania and the world and attracts the participation of prominent original performers.
This is a unique event of Lithuanian performers, which has taken the shape of a concert-marathon lasting from nine to ten hours. Hundreds of performers take part in the event—from the most prominent country musicians and groups to young talents who have already won recognition in international contests.
The youngest jazz festival in Lithuania, open to all styles and trends of jazz music, has already taken its place among the most significant events both in Vilnius and all over Lithuania.
According to ancient Lithuanian customs, when the darkest season comes, Blukas—an old stump—is dragged through courtyards collecting the troubles of the ending year. By burning it, people get rid of all the troubles of the old year.
Every year winter brings numerous concerts, performances, exhibitions, fairs and other entertainments to Vilnius. The Christmas season is the main religious and most scintillating winter holiday, which lasts until the Three Kings.
