Want to experience song and dance in a way you never have before? Visit Latvia's Nationwide Song and Dance Festival every five years. Learn more here!

1. A GLIMPSE
INTO LATVIAN CULTURE:
By: Mikus Kins
The Nationwide
Song and Dance Celebration

2. LA TVIA
G E T T O K N O W
A RICH
HERITAGE AND
CULTURE
Latvia is near and dear to my heart. I
have travelled there countless times and
have even gained dual-citizenship in the
country. One of Latvia’s nationwide
customs is to celebrate the Nationwide
Song and Dance Celebration every five
years for one week. This festival attracts
millions of people from around the
world to celebrate Latvia’s rich heritage
and culture.
M I K U S K I N S . N E T

3. THE SINGING
REVOLUTION
Latvia is known worldwide for its
traditions in singing. Most Latvians, you
will find, have been involved in choirs at
some point in their lives. Folklore
strongly influences these songs and the
people of Latvia, even in modern times.
They even had a “Singing Revolution”
once the country became self-governed.
M I K U S K I N S . N E T
" THE
SINGING
NA TION"
A K A :

4. BORN
A T R A D I T I O N W A S
These millions and millions of songs over
the centuries encompass topics such as
human life, cultural traditions; and
relationships with self, a higher power,
other people, and nature. The powerful
influence of song in Latvia created an
ever-growing group of people who
wanted to advance their artistic and
social ideas. Out of this was born the
Nationwide Song and Dance
Celebration.
M I K U S K I N S . N E T

5. This Celebration all started in the second
half of the nineteenth century in
Vidzeme, Latvia. Six musical groups
joined together for the first ever “Song
Festival.” The beauty of this celebration
has gone so far as to touch UNESCO,
naming it a “national treasure.”
M I K U S K I N S . N E T
CELEBRA TION
A B O U T T H E

6. THE CELEBRA TION,
CONTINUED
S O U R C E : H T T P : / / W W W . S T U D Y I N L A T V I A . E U / E N / W H Y - L A T V I A / C U L T U R E
Folksongs are deeply ingrained in this tradition. According to
StudyInLativa.eu, “There are three essential elements of these
folksongs: tradition, literature and symbolism. The daina, [for
example,] is a form of oral art and is a symbol that has both
shaped and epitomized Latvia’s national identity for the last two
centuries.” The next time the Celebration will occur is in 2018,
which coincidentally is the country’s 100th birthday.

7. MA JOR STA PLES
M I K U S K I N S . N E T
IN THE FESTIVA L
The Festival’s Opening Concert
Daugava Stadium
The Festival’s Closing Concert

8. M I K U S K I N S . N E T
CONCERT
T H E O P E N I N G
The opening concert is
held in Viesturdārzs
Park, Riga, Latvia each
year, because it is the
same place as the
original first concert of
the Celebration almost
150 years ago.

9. M I K U S K I N S . N E T
STA DIUM
D A U G A V A
Dancers, actors, and singers, all
war against one another in a
grand competition in Daugava
Stadium. The productions gather
tens of thousands of viewers and
thousands of performers. This
stadium is known nationwide as
being a major hub of various
artistic productions throughout
the Celebration.

10. M I K U S K I N S . N E T
CONCERT
T H E C L O S I N G
The Festival’s finale attracts tens of
thousands of performers, let alone
audience members. It showcases
traditions both new and old and
displays cultural norms from years past,
as well as modern performing
techniques. People from all over the
world are drawn to this concert and it
boosts the economy tremendously, as
tourism spikes during this time.

11. LA TVIA TRA VEL
M i k u s K i n s . n e t
Latvia’s Nationwide Song and Dance
Celebration has been celebrated for over a
century and it is not slowing down anytime
soon. This is a national holiday every five
years, and people take off time to enjoy all
the Celebration has to offer. Interested in
visiting Latvia? Learn more at
www.latvia.travel.

12. THA NKS!
M i k u s K i n s . n e t