Links to upcoming song festivals
2008
24th All Latvian Festival, Rīga
15th West Coast Latvian Song Festival, Ventura
2009
13th Latvian Song Festival in Canada, Hamilton
Song festival history
2007
12th Latvian Song Festival in the U.S., Indianapolis
2005
Gaŗezera Dziesmu dienas, Three Rivers, Mich.
2004
12th Latvian Song Festival in Canada, Toronto
2003
23rd All Latvian Festival, Rīga
14th West Coast Latvian Song Festival, San Francisco
2002
11th Latvian Song Festival in the U.S., Chicago
2001
Dziesmu un Deju svētki Rīgai 800
2000
11th Latvian Song Festival in Canada, Toronto
1998
22nd All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1997
10th Latvian Song Festival in the U.S., Cleveland
1993
21st All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1990
20th All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1988
8th Latvian Song Festival in the U.S., Indianapolis
1985
19th All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1983
7th Latvian Song Festival in the U.S., Milwaukee
1980
18th All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1978
6th Latvian Song Festival in the U.S., Boston
1977
17th All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1973
16th All Latvian Festival, Rīga
5th Latvian Song Festival in the U.S., Cleveland
1970
15th All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1968
4th Latvian Song Festival in the U.S., Cleveland
1965
14th All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1963
3rd Latvian Song Festival in the U.S., Cleveland
1962
1st West Coast Latvian Song Festival, Seattle
1960
13th All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1958
2nd Latvian Song Festival in the U.S., New York
1955
12th All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1953
1st Latvian Song Festival in the U.S., Chicago
1950
11th All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1948
10th All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1938
9th All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1933
8th All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1931
7th All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1926
6th All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1910
5th All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1895
4th All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1888
3rd All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1880
2nd All Latvian Festival, Rīga
1873
1st All Latvian Festival, Rīga
Song festivals have been part of Latvian culture since the 19th century. Both in Latvia and abroad, they have served as a focal point for not only defining and regenerating Latvian culture, but also as a means of political expression. And, above all, they have been a call for unity. Here we present a growing collection of stories, photographs, videos and other material related to Latvian song festivals.
Top story
500 diaspora Latvians to be among song festival performers
May 06, 2008
About 500 Latvians from abroad—including a folklore ensemble from Luxembourg that accounts for nearly 10 percent of the total—will be among the thousands of singers and dancers participating in this summer’s All Latvian Song and Dance Festival, according to event organizers in Rīga.
The diaspora Latvians will be coming from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Groups include three folk dance troupes, the 49-member folklore ensemble from Luxembourg and 13…
Current festival information
04 Apr 2008
Dublin’s eLVe joins Irish choir for April 5 concert
Concertgoers in Ireland will get a taste of the 2008 Latvian Song and Dance Festival when two choirs—one Irish and…
19 Mar 2008
Photo exhibit examines song festival tradition
A photographic exhibit about the tradition of song and dance festivals in Latvia will see its first presentation abroad on…
17 Mar 2008
Culture minister wants more song festival tickets
Organizers of the 2008 Latvian Song and Dance Festival this summer in Rīga must guarantee that more concert tickets will…
10 Mar 2008
Rīga song festival tickets selling quickly
Just hours after going on sale, tickets all but sold out to the most popular concerts of the 2008 Song…
27 Feb 2008
Ticket prices announced for Latvian song festival
Tickets for the 2008 Song and Dance Festival in Latvia will range from LVL 1 to LVL 25, organizers have…
21 Feb 2008
Milwaukee begins planning for next U.S. song festival
Almost three decades after last hosting one, Milwaukee is organizing the next U.S. Latvian Song and Dance Festival (XIII Vispārējie…
Under the direction of Laura Rokpelne-Mičule, the men's choir performs "Jūŗa, plašā jūŗa" in Symphony Center during 2002 U.S. song festival in Chicago. (Photo by Andris Straumanis)
Song festival archive
04 Jul 2007
Indianapolis song fest runs July 4-8
Thirty-one choirs totaling about 500 singers and 34 folk dance ensembles with about 720 dancers are expected to perform during…
01 Aug 2005
Gaŗezers songfest draws 1,200 spectators
An estimated 1,200 spectators watched more than 500 singers and dancers perform during the grand concert of the 13th Gaŗezers…
27 Jul 2005
More than 500 performers set for Gaŗezers festival
More than 500 singers and dancers from the United States, Canada and Latvia are expected to perform during the 13th…
29 Dec 2004
Australia marks 50th annual arts festival
The 50th annual Australian Latvian Arts Festival (Austrālijas latviešu 50. Kultūras dienas), a celebration of Latvian identity in Australia, took…
15 Jul 2004
One choir singer’s view of the song festival
Back in Rīga after an exhausting eight-day trip to the 12th Latvian Song Festival in Canada, I wanted to put…
06 Jul 2004
Why did we cry at ‘Eslingena’?
Why did we cry at the close of the musical “Eslingena”? Because we were happy that Andrejs and Ilze stayed…
14 Apr 2004
Song fest visitors to see normal border delays
As Latvians prepare to visit this summer’s biggest Latvian ethnic event in North America—the song festival in Toronto—they should also…
07 Nov 2003
UNESCO proclaims song festivals as masterpieces
The traditional song festivals of the Baltic states have been proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization…
12 Sep 2003
San Francisco festival brings out the sun
According to a West Coast Latvian Song Festival insider, the management of last summer’s song festival hotel in Chicago had…
28 Jun 2003
Song festival donates profit to Gaŗezers
Programs at the Latvian center Gaŗezers have received a USD 41,000 donation from profit made during last year’s song festival…
21 Jul 2002
Reunion visitors remember Auseklis high school
“Viņš ir Filadelfijā.” He’s in Philadelphia. “Viņa mira.” She died. Snippets of conversation revealed some of what has happened in…
21 Jul 2002
A song festival diary: Final day
CHICAGO—Compared to the excitement of the previous day, Sunday morning proved downright low key. The faithful flocked to either the…
20 Jul 2002
A song festival diary: Third day
CHICAGO—Already some song festival participants were dragging their feet when morning came, especially those who had stayed up and out…
19 Jul 2002
A song festival diary: Second day
CHICAGO—Early in the Čikāgas Piecīši concert July 19, lead singer Alberts Legzdiņš noted the various events that were competing for…
18 Jul 2002
A song festival diary: First day
CHICAGO—The first day of the 11th Latvian Song Festival in the United States was a day in part defined by…
18 Jul 2002
BrainStorm readies for Chicago’s song festival
If there’s a darling of the popular music business in Latvia these days, it has to be BrainStorm (Prāta Vētra).…
09 Jul 2000
Experience is key to Toronto festival
While there’s always something to criticize if you’re Latvian, most early reviews of the recent 11th Latvian Song Festival in…
Ventspils chamber choir director Ivars Cinkuss (left) and honorary choir director Arvīds Purvs join in singing the final song of the performance, "Tev mūžam dzīvot, Latvija," during 2007 U.S. song festival in Indianapolis. (Photo by Andris Straumanis)
Galleries
08 Jul 2007
12th Latvian Song Festival in the U.S., Fifth day
Photos from the last day of the Indianapolis festival.
07 Jul 2007
12th Latvian Song Festival in the U.S., Fourth day
Photos of the Rīga folk dance troupe Līgo performing and other activities from the fourth day of the Indianapolis festival.
06 Jul 2007
12th Latvian Song Festival in the U.S., Third day
Photos from the third day of the Indianapolis festival, including the grand folk dance performance.
05 Jul 2007
12th Latvian Song Festival in the U.S., Second day
Photos from the second day of the Indianapolis festival, including “Kabaremonts” and the New Choreography Show.
04 Jul 2007
12th Latvian Song Festival in the U.S., First day
Photographs from the opening ceremony and other activities on the first day of the Indianapolis festival.
31 Jul 2001
Dziesmu un deju svētki Rīgai 800
“Dziesmu un deju svētki Rīgai 800” in 2001 celebrated the anniversary of the Latvian capital’s founding.
What's new
News
11 May 2008
First ambassador to Brazil gets accreditation
Latvia’s first ambassador to Brazil—home to about 200 Latvian citizens and many more persons who claim at least…
News
11 May 2008
Latvia nips Norway, edges closer to hockey quarters
Latvia’s outlook for getting into the quarterfinals of the 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship has improved…
Columns
11 May 2008
Apple re-emerges in the Baltics
With Apple’s percentage share of the worldwide computer market now approaching double digits, things are now finally starting…
In the forums
Vaira Vike-Freiberga - extraordinary Latvian voice featured in "Extraordinary Voices" lecture series in SF May 14 posted by ambersun on 11 May 2008
About Rezekne posted by Aussie Latvian on 07 May 2008
Latvian Birth Certificate posted by Skye on 05 May 2008
Happy May Day, fellow proletarians................ posted by peter B on 01 May 2008
There is no need for Republic of Latvia whatsoever posted by Mr L L on 28 Apr 2008
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