10 Unmissable Events in Vilnius: Summer in Lithuania

The European Capital of Culture in 2009, Vilnius is by definition a city where great art and cultural events are the highlights of a busy and inspiring summer calendar. If you are planning to visit Lithuania this season, be sure to include on your list the capital’s diverse and unmissable music festivals and celebrations. This is our guide to ten of the best cultural events taking place this summer.

Music | Vilnius Festival

2 - 21 June
This June, Vilnius is the place to be for all classical music enthusiasts, who can attend one ‘of the most prestigious, solid and versatile classical music events’ in this country. The diverse programme of the Vilnius Festival features both Lithuanian and international soloists and orchestras, spiced up with renaissance and baroque music and jazz concerts, through which the organisers aspire to ‘reflect the cultural experiences of different nations and eras’. This year’s guests include the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Swedish jazz band The Real Group, and the performances of violinist Roby Lakatos and pianist Lukas Geniušas.

Culture | Let There Be Night

20 June
Starting from the belief that ‘darkness allows to immerse yourself into culture, let the imagination run free and enjoy the processes around you’, Culture Night invites visitors to its 200 performances planned in just one night, from dusk to dawn. A free-entrance event organized for the first time in 2007, Culture Night is a great chance to discover a different side of Vilnius, one in which culture and art are the main guides of the city. The main focus of this year is theatre in all its forms, from children’s plays to travelling shows. The atmosphere is set to be memorable with numerous performances, including 3D visual arts projections, taking place on Neris River or in Vilnius catacombs.


Art | Art Vilnius

18 - 21 June
Conceived as an international contemporary art fair, this event is a great opportunity to see exhibitions from galleries from all over Europe, from Georgia, Romania and Ukraine to France, Russia, the Netherlands and Sweden. One of the most important visual arts events from the Baltic States, this year Art Vilnius features a solo exhibition of Antanas Sutkus, a presentation from the Lewben Art Foundation Collection with creations by Ray Bartkus, Aidas Bareikis, Patricija Jurkšaitytė, and sculptures and installations by top Lithuanian artists.

Culture | The Feast of Saint John

23 - 24 June
Preserving the magic of old traditions, the Feast of Saint John is a summer solstice celebration that brings wreaths floating down the Neris River and colourful decorations in Serikiskiu and Verkiai Parks. Also known as 'Jonines' or 'Rasos’, the Feast transports to the present rituals that go back to the pagan times, when Midsummer Days were defining moments of the year. A one-of-a-kind manifestation, this particular event is a perfect way to observe contemporary and ancient culture blending in an original celebration of the Baltic summer.

Culture | Crowning of King Mindaugas – Day of Statehood

2 - 6 July
A special anniversary for all Lithuanians, the Day of Statehood commemorates the founder of the state, Duke Mindaugas, a legendary figure of Lithuania’s history. On this occasion, locals and tourists can attend special demonstrations during the ‘Days of Live Archaeology’ and also numerous crafts exhibitions and parades, all while enjoying traditional music concerts performed around the capital. Organised in early July, the Day of Statehood coincides with another important event that marks Lithuania’s love for culture and firm commitment for its celebration – the World Lithuanian Song Festival.

Music | World Lithuanian Song Festival

2 - 6 July
Song festivals are a national tradition in Lithuania, and this particular event goes back 90 years to 1924, continuing in different forms even between the wars and during the Soviet occupation. An ‘overall national cultural phenomenon and a continual purposeful creative process spiritually equal to ancient Greek Olympic Games’, the World Song Festival Lithuanian Song Festival is held every four years. The event is structured in three main parts: a day of dance, an afternoon of ethnographic and folk music groups, and a day of song, with participants from Lithuania and all over the world and thousands of spectators. The Day of Songs is the most impressive part, with performances of over 14,000 singers from 400 choirs.
Event held in several locations in Vilnius

Music | Kristopher Summer Festival

July - August
Guided by the belief that ‘all genres are good, except the boring ones’, Kristopher Summer Festival is a 2 month music festival, the largest of this kind in Vilnius and one of the most impressive in the Baltic States. This year in its 20th edition, the festival promises a fabulous incursion across cultures with thematic performances from Romania, Georgia, Spain, Africa, Chile or France and world-renowned international artists like flamenco guitarist Rafael Cortes, accordion player Martynas Levickis or jazz singers Vincent Peirani and Aga Zaryan. Conceived as ‘festivals in a festival’, this major music event is an excellent choice for all concert enthusiasts who can choose from various genres, from classical to Celtic music or fado.

Music | Trakai Fanfare Week

27 July - August 3
The perfect music event for brass bands fans, the Fanfare Week takes places in the small and scenic town of Trakai, in the nearby of Vilnius. Now in its 10th edition, Trakai Fanfare Week distinguishes itself through its educational component with ‘brass, percussion and fanfare orchestra‘s masterclasses led by leading educators in their fields’ such as conductor Bert Langeler, saxophonist Liudas Mockūnas, trumpet player Tomas Gricius percussionist Bo Håkanson or jazz pianist Dmitrij Golovanov. The professors and their students give free concerts each night during the event.

Art | Bartholomeu Fair

22-23 August
There’s nothing better than a festival like Bartholomeu Fair to take us back in time even if just for a day. A fair of arts, crafts and guilds traditions with a Renaissance-inspired theme, this event celebrates Saint Bartholomeu Day, a tradition stretching back to 1495 that honours the first guild of Vilnius, the goldsmiths. Nowadays, the fair revives tradition with live craftsmen demonstrations from weavers, cobblers, stained-glass makers, soap makers and blacksmiths, among many other craftspeople from a by-gone era.