Riga City Festival 2012 will be held from 17 - 19 August

The more detailed information about festival will be available at the end of July.

1188 has developed a special Rīga Festival guidebook for mobile phones

1188 Information Line has developed a special Rīga Festival guidebook - m.1188.lv/rigassvetki, which is easy to look at and use on both laptops and mobile phones. It contains the Rīga Festival programme, information about all of the event sites, weather forecasts and about transport to and from Rīga.

Jousting by knights on horseback to take place on the Krastmala during the Rīga Festival

On Sunday, 21st August, as part of Rīga's 810th Year Anniversary Festival, something never before seen in Latvia will take place at the 11. novembra krastmala - jousting by knights on horseback. This will be demonstrated by "Gerard Naprous & The Devil's Horsemen Stunt Team" from Great Britain, which includes professional cinema stuntmen and horse trainers.

Significant City traffic restrictions are planned during the Rīga Festival

This weekend, during the Rīga Festival significant traffic restrictions will be introduced in the City. Therefore the Rīga City Council invites residents to use public transport whenever possible when visiting Festival events. Public transport is free on the 20th and 21st August.

The Vērmanes Garden will transform into a Master Garden during the Rīga Festival

During the Rīga Festival, on the 20th and 21st August, the Vērmanes Garden in the centre of Rīga will pulsate like the city's Master heart - with Master streets, musicians and workshops.

First opera in the world, the original musical notes of which have survived, will be heard at the Rīga Festival

At the "Rīga 810" Festival, led by Conductor Māris Kupčs, the "Collegium Choro Musici Riga" Baroque choir and the "Collegium Musicum Riga" Baroque orchestra with soloists will perform a little known opera, the world's first which has been preserved to this day, and which has probably never previously been performed in Latvia.

The “Match of the Banks” 24 Hour Basketball Tournament will be opened with a game involving the Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis and other politicians

The traditional match between politicians will open the "Match of the Banks" 24 Hour Basketball Tournament at 11am on Saturday, 20th August, at the court next to the Latvian National Opera (Aspazijas bulvārī 3, Rīga). The Latvian Prime Minister, Valdis Dombrovskis will also be gracing the court.

Rīga Festival invites you to the Third Open Porcelain Painting Workshop

During the Rīga City Festival - from the 16th August to the 20th August - eight artists will be organizing an Open Porcelain Painting Workshop for the third year now.

“Baltic Chain Tour 2011” Baltic cycling tour taking place during the Rīga Festival

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Baltic Chain Tour 2011" Baltic cycling tour taking place during the Rīga Festival.
As part of the Rīga Festival programme, the Rīga section of the "Baltic Chain Tour 2011" Baltic cycling tour, which extends over a number of days, will have its opening event in Dome Square on 19th August from 1pm to 2pm. 

Aldaris to take over aldaru street

On the 20th August, through the generosity of Aldaris, Latvia's largest beer brewery, Aldaru Street in Vecrīga will be transformed into a place where an authentic 1930's Rīga street atmosphere can be enjoyed during the Rīga Festival.

“VEF Rīga” versus “Dream Team 1935” at the “Match of the River Banks” 24 Hour basketball tournament

On Saturday 20th August, on the court next to the Latvian National Opera (Aspazijas Boulevard 3, Rīga), the "VEF Rīga" Basketball Club will take part in the "Match of the River Banks" 24 hour tournament. The actors from the currently being filmed "Dream Team 1935" will be going up against VEF. This game is expected to start at 6pm.

The “At Spilve Airport” Aviation Festival will take place from the 20th – 21st August

During the Rīga Festival on the 20th and 21st August, the "Rīgas nami" LLC is inviting the people of Rīga and their guests to the "At Spilve Airport" Aviation Festival. During the event it will be possible to view National Armed Forces' air and ground military equipment, civil aviation aeroplanes, as well as to visit the Spilve Airport's historical building.

Rīgans to congratulate the City on its Anniversary with a “musical painting”

On the 20th August everyone at the Rīga Festival is invited to take part in the creation of Rīga's 810 Year Anniversary painting, which will turn into something never before experienced, as there's a surprise in store for each person at the canvas.

On the AB Dam [AB dambis] during the Rīga Festival – “Masters and Strokes”, Ievas Zēģele’s concert and a mandala created by Buddhist monks

During the Rīga Festival - on the 19th, 20th and 21st August - the "Magic Sand Riga" creative sand sculpture park invites all the people of Rīga and their visitors to become masters and create their masterstrokes by participating in the "Masters and Strokes" event on the AB Dam on the Daugava. During the Festival everyone will be given a chance to climb into Latvia's largest sand pit to create their own sand sculpture, the best ones being hailed at the conclusion of the Rīga Festival at the 11 novembra krastmala.

Viewers are invited to the “Market Theatre” performance at the Rīga Central Market during the Rīga Festival

On the 20th August, during the Rīga Festival, the "Market Theatre" theatre art project will take place at five different sites in the Rīga Central Market territory from 12 midday until 6pm.

Third Rīga Dancer’s Festival to take place at Ķīpsala

On the 19th August, the third Rīga Dancers' Festival will take place at the Ķīpsala Hall as part of the Rīga Festival, and will bring together about 2,300 dancers, young and old, from Rīga. There will be 51 adult dance groups and nine children's dance groups participating. The concert commences at 7pm.

For the first time there’ll be an Art Nouveau city-building master workshop in Alberta Street as part of the Rīga Festival

The "100 Years Ago in Alberta Street" Art Nouveau festival which is becoming a tradition will this year organically be a part of Rīga's 810th Year Anniversary "Live Rīga" Festival concept. The active participation of the people of Rīga and their visitors in the Alberta Street master workshops has also become a tradition - with porcelain painting, coloured sand, hat making and other activities.

The Liepāja Theatre presents the “West Side Story” musical at the Rīga Festival

The Rīga Festival is taking place from the 19th to the 21st August. The Liepāja Theatre will take part in it under the slogan "The Liepāja Theatre's greeting to the people of Rīga", presenting viewers with the musical "West Side Story", last season's most colourful and grandest production, which came about in collaboration with the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra. Director Valdis Lūriņš' musical can be seen on the 19th and 20th August at the Daile Theatre.

Rīga to receive congratulations from all over the world on its 810th Anniversary

This year Rīga is celebrating its 810th Anniversary from the 19th to the 21st August. Rīga is in for some surprises not just from its residents, as it will also be congratulated by representatives from Estonia, Lithuania, Germany, Russia, China, Japan, Indonesia, Turkey, the Netherlands, USA and other countries who will be visiting the city during the Rīga Festival.

“Bi - 2” and Diāna Arbeņina with her group “Nočnije Snaiperi” will perform a concert at the Rīga Festival

On 19th August, a concert featuring rock group "Bi - 2" and Diāna Arbeņina and her group "Nočnije Snaiperi" will take place at the "Arēna Rīga" as part of the Rīga Festival.