Throughout the year, Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, is preparing to showcase its love for art, food, and music. This will be through a lineup of already popular events, boasting such entertainment as the giant slide into a bowl of cold pink soup during Pink Soup Fest or tens of thousands of folk singers and dancers at The Lithuanian Song Festival.
Vilnius is known to many as the creative capital of Europe – after all, it’s the city known for its humorous G-spot campaign (“Nobody knows where it is, but when you find it, it’s amazing”), as well as quirky artists’ neighborhood, such as Užupis, with its own Constitution.
This year, the city again offers plenty of events that everyone should mark on their calendar. To make the choice easier, here are the top 6 events in Vilnius that should leave lasting impressions in the coming year.
Vilnius Light Festival (25-28 January 2024)
Every January, Vilnius invites crowds to celebrate its birthday by hosting the Light Festival where they delve into unique light art at the heart and remote corners of the Old Town. This year, visitors can again expect immersive experiences with vibrant light installations and innovative digital art, created by Lithuanian and international artists. A video artist Rimas Sakalauskas will present a unique Vilnius wormhole (hypertunnel) in the courtyard of the Vilnius Jesuit Gymnasium where the audience will have a chance to transport themselves to an alternative Vilnius on the Moon.
Vilnius Pink Soup Fest (8 June 2024)
This summer, thousands of Lithuanians and city guests will once again meet up at Vilnius Pink Soup Fest to celebrate their affection for a cold beetroot soup, the most popular Lithuanian summertime dish, mainly made from boiled beetroots, cucumber, and kefir. For the second time, the entire city is set to be painted in shades of pink as dozens of partners – from restaurants and bars to museums – will offer various versions of the pink soup, pink-infused coffee, beet-flavored desserts, tours, exhibitions, and workshops. The event’s purpose is not only to taste the iconic Lithuanian soup but to celebrate all things pink: last year, over 15,000 people, many dressed up in pink, joined the festival, taking part in a sliding competition and other attractions.
Lithuanian Song Festival (29 June – 6 July 2024)
The Lithuanian Song Festival, a part of intangible UNESCO heritage, offers a once-in-four-year opportunity to witness a massive concert of hundreds of choirs and thousands of people singing at once on a huge open-air stage. This year, the Festival will be celebrating its centenary, marking a century of the Lithuanian nation coming together to celebrate the country’s cultural heritage through dancing and singing. The festival holds deep importance due to its role in preserving Lithuania’s national identity during times of Soviet occupation, which is why it was dubbed the “singing revolution.” The event was shaped by strong traditions of folk singing, national revivals of 19th-century Europe, and the movement of Lithuanian choirs, inspired by amateur choirs of Switzerland and Germany. This year’s edition, called “May the Green Forest Grow,” should unite around 40,000 artisans, singers, and dancers, alongside an audience of over 300,000.
Music Festival “As Young As Vilnius” (25 July 2024)
“As Young As Vilnius” Music Festival offers an opportunity to be immersed in an open-air summer festival – but being right in the center of the city. On 25 July, which is the feast day of St Christopher, the patron saint of Vilnius, Vingis Park will again become an international music arena with special audiovisual effects. Plenty of artists spanning diverse music genres will provide free concerts throughout the day and night, offering both locals and visitors a chance to revel until dawn. In the previous years, classical music performers from Lithuania and such popular international musicians as Lewis Capaldi, a Scottish singer-songwriter, performed at the event. This year the participants can expect a similar line-up.
Vilnius Jazz (October 2024)
The oldest annual Vilnius jazz festival, Vilnius Jazz invites everyone to the 37th edition of musical experiences, set to resonate with both loyal enthusiasts and newcomers alike. The festival is known for its exclusive focus on modern jazz varieties, and a clear orientation towards innovative musical expressions. In addition to jazz artists, there will be intriguing performances by academic, ethnic, rock, and industrial musicians. The festival is not to be missed by those who seek to keep up with the most relevant contemporary jazz trends and discover emerging musicians alongside internationally established names.
Gastronomy Week (November 2024)
Vilnius is fast establishing itself as a gastronomic hotspot. Gastronomy Week will serve up flavorful culinary experiences this year, curated by renowned Vilnius chefs. Many of them will blend tradition with contemporary techniques, and share riveting stories to bring the art of dining to new heights. There will be plenty of choices for different tastes. If in question, it’s worth grabbing a table well in advance at “Ertlio Namas”, known for modern interpretations of recipes from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, Baroque, and beyond. The head chef Tomas Rimydis is expected to offer a tasting menu with such historical dishes as goose with cabbage and hazelnut sauce from the 17th century. If that’s not enough for a food enthusiast, there will be various culinary workshops, and food history-focused tours to expand gastronomic horizons even further.
