“Baltica” Festival Will Gather More than 200 Folk Bands from Latvia and Other Countries
During July 6–10 this year, the international folklore festival “Baltica” will take place in Latvia. The program is rich and varied, with events happening in Riga, Talsi, Sigulda, Turaida, Inčukalns, Krimulda, Mālpils, Jūdaži, Inciems, Lēdurga, Kuldīga, Alsunga, Skrunda, Ventspils, Pope and Dundaga, gathering 225 folk music bands.
The most widely represented historical region will be Latgale, with 76 bands taking part in this year’s festival. Riga and its region will be represented by 35 bands, and Kurzeme – by 41. There will also be 38 groups from Vidzeme, 29 from Zemgale and three from Sēlija. The bands participating in the festival have acquired the highest or second highest rank in the review competitions.
Among the participants this year, there will be two folk bands of diaspora Latvians – “Dūdalnieki” from Northern England and “Rēvele” from Estonia. There will also be four folk bands from the other Baltic countries – a group of musicians from the Mooste Folk Music School in Estonia, folk band “Ammuker” from Sõrve, Estonia, folk band “Labingis” from Vilnius, and folk band “Ratilio” of the Vilnius University. We will be able to hear them in the concert “Kaimiņu būšana” on July 6 at the National Library of Latvia and on July 8 at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, as well as in other places and events in Vidzeme and Kurzeme.
Traditionally, we will also hear the performances of storytelling. Among the participants of this year’s festival, there will the Lithuanian storyteller Milda Varnauskaite from Vilnius and the Occitan storyteller Monique Burg.
For more detailed information please see: http://www.festivalbaltica.com/en/programme/.
The entrance to all the events is free. Entrance fee in the Latvian Ethnographic Open-air Museum and in the Turaida Museum Reserve is as required by these museums.
The theme of the “Baltica” festival in 2022 is “PLAY” and its motto is “Come and Play!”. Since 1987, the festival is taking place in one of the three Baltic countries, jointly organized by governmental and municipal institutions and non-governmental organizations. This year, the festival is organized by the Latvian National Centre for Culture in cooperation with the Latvian Ethnographic Open-air Museum, Turaida Museum Reserve, the municipality of the Sigulda region, the municipality of the Talsi region, the municipality of the Ventspils region, and Ventspils Culture Centre.