Links to upcoming song festivals
2008
15th West Coast Latvian Song Festival, Ventura
2009
13th Latvian Song Festival in Canada, Hamilton
Song festival history
2008
24th All Latvian Festival, Rīga
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.
News
Computer crash doesn’t stop festival success
September 15, 2008
Even a computer crash two days before the start of the West Coast Latvian Song Festival could not stop the regional American event from being a success, says the chairman of the festival’s organizing committee.
The festival, which ran from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1 in Ventura, Calif., drew its expected 1,000 to 1,200 participants and audience members, Chairman Pauls Berkolds told Latvians Online. And when the books are closed on the festival, he said he believes the…
Talk about song festivals
Have your say in our Song festivals forum, or read and respond to these recent posts...
2008 festival DVD's
McTalzeme wrote: I would also consider checking with Jumava. They have an online bookstore as well, but their store on Dzirnavu in…
Ventūras Dziesmu Svētki
Irena wrote: I always remember the West Coast Song Festivals that I attended not being on quite the same scale as those…
Song and Dance Celebration
martinsStrikis wrote: I have finally returned home to Australia after attending and performing in the Closing concert. I will provide…
Current festival information
15 Sep 2008
Computer crash doesn’t stop festival success
Even a computer crash two days before the start of the West Coast Latvian Song Festival could not stop the…
28 Aug 2008
West Coast song festival gets under way
It has already been a busy summer for Latvians, so what’s one more big event? The West Coast Latvian Song…
12 Jul 2008
Šie svētki ir, lai vienotu mūsu tautu nākotnei
Šodien mūsu visu sirdis ir atvērtas dziesmai un dejai, lai godinātu brīvo Latviju tās 90-tās dzimšanas dienas gadā. Reizē ar…
04 Jul 2008
State TV also streams song festival events
Latvian State Television now also will stream a limited number of 2008 Latvian Song and Dance Festival events live over…
03 Jul 2008
Song festival events to air on radio, TV, Web
If you can’t be there in person for the 2008 Latvian Song and Dance Festival in Rīga, you can still…
05 Jun 2008
Extra song festival tickets go on sale June 7
Nearly 22,000 more seats to events will become available when the second round of ticket sales for the 2008 Latvian…
27 May 2008
Bank of Latvia releases coin honoring song festivals
A commemorative 1-lat coin honoring Latvia’s song festival tradition, which began in 1873, has been released by the Bank of…
12 May 2008
More festival tickets to go on sale after June 10
Additional tickets for this summer’s song festival in Latvia will not be available until after June 10, says Romāns Vanags,…
06 May 2008
500 diaspora Latvians to be among song festival performers
About 500 Latvians from abroad—including a folklore ensemble from Luxembourg that accounts for nearly 10 percent of the total—will be…
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 the 2007 U.S. song festival in Indianapolis. (Photo by Andris Straumanis)
Galleries
12 Jul 2008
Skati no noslēguma koncerta
Dziesmu svētku noslēguma koncerts notika 2008.g. 12.jūlijā Mežaparkā, Rīgā.
12 Jul 2008
Interview: Terence Swan, an Australian in Latvia
Terence Swan, an Australian living in Jūrmala, talks about his impressions of the Latvian song festival.
12 Jul 2008
Folklore Day
Folklore Day, part of the 2008 Latvian Song and Dance Celebration, took place at the Latvian Ethnographic Open Air Museum.
12 Jul 2008
Intervija: Laila Straubergs, latviete no Zviedrijas
Zviedrijas latviete Laila Straubergs šoreiz Dziesmu un Deju svētkos nepiedalās, toties ir vairāku pasākumu skatītājos.
11 Jul 2008
Intervija: Miķelis Svilāns, Dziesmu svētku dalībnieks no Kanādas
Kanādas latvietis Miķelis Svilāns piedalās un novērtē Dziesmu svētkus.
08 Jul 2008
Ko Aldis Sils šogad dara Dziesmu svētkos
Šogad no Austrālijas uz Dziesmu svētkiem atbraucis Aldis Sils, bet ne lai dziedātu korī.
08 Jul 2008
Runājošie akmeņi tagad Rīgā
“Runājošie akmeņi,” kas slavu guva “Pārsteidzošā Latvija” festivālā Francijā, tadad dzied un stāsta Dziesmu svētku ietvaros.
06 Jul 2008
Thousands march in Song and Dance Celebration parade
One of the biggest events during the 2008 Latvian Nationwide Song and Dance Celebration is the July 6 parade.
06 Jul 2008
Dziesmu svētkos piedalās arī latvieši no ārzemēm
Starp Dziesmu un deju svētku dalībniekiem bija ap 500 latvieši no ārzemēm. Dažus intervējam pirms 6.jūlija gajiena Rīgas centrā.
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
19 Nov 2008
PBLA honors Jānis Kukainis with its top award
Jānis Kukainis, a longtime Latvian-American community activist, has been honored with its top award by the World Federation…
News
18 Nov 2008
ALA announces Nov. 18 gifts to Latvia
About USD 280,000 in financial support for a children’s fund, a museum and a film have been approved…
Opinions
17 Nov 2008
Latviskā pašapziņa dzīvo katra cilvēka sirdī
Godātie tautieši! Godātie Latvijas pilsoņi! Esiet sveicināti visi, kas dzīvo ar Latviju sirdī ārpus tās robežām!
…
In the forums
Daudz laimes dzimsanas diena, Latvija! - "Mūsu ir tikai nepilns pusotrs miljons, un mums IR sava valsts." posted by ambersun on 18 Nov 2008
Apsveic Latviju ar 90 gadu jubileju posted by katjai on 18 Nov 2008
Kas Jauns Latvijā 11/2008 posted by Roberts on 17 Nov 2008
Latvian Soldiers of the Strange War. Requiem. posted by AugustaDels on 17 Nov 2008
Valsts valodu apdraud krievu valodas pašpietiekamība posted by Peteris Cedrins on 17 Nov 2008
