Riga to Celebrate its 825th Anniversary This Year

This year, Riga will host grand celebrations to mark its 825th anniversary, inviting everyone to enjoy a diverse, month-long program of festive events throughout August. The celebrations will span local neighbourhoods, musical parks, and a major birthday event on the 11. novembra krastmala (November 11th Embankment) and other locations across the city.

“In a way, Riga’s 825th birthday is also the second birthday of every Rigan. This year’s theme, ‘Open Riga! Code: 825’, invites us to see the city in a new light. It is a city that pulses not only in its historical center but across all our neighbourhoods. This celebration is a story about Riga that will never be complete, as it continuously grows, refines itself, and draws inspiration from its people. I invite every resident and visitor to join the celebrations throughout August to create together the next moments in the city’s history,” says Mayor of Riga Viesturs Kleinbergs.

Riga’s Vice Mayor Vilnis Ķirsis, whose responsibilities include cultural events in the capital, points out that this year’s festivities have been planned with particular dedication, given that Riga is celebrating a milestone anniversary. “Among the capitals of the three Baltic states, Riga is the oldest and, as a born Rigan and patriot of the city, I believe it is also the most beautiful. Riga deserves a grand celebration for its 825th birthday. The City Council has designed the program so there is something special for every resident and visitor, ensuring that everyone who celebrates Riga feels welcome and moved. Such events are vital not only for celebration but also for stimulating economic activity in the city. Therefore, we have actively promoted the Riga festival program in neighbouring countries and expect many foreign guests.”

“Riga is like the Daugava River—constantly in motion, shaped by diverse currents, and always open to new ideas, people, and experiences. From the ancient Livonian Riga to today’s capital, it holds a rich cultural heritage while looking firmly to the future. On Riga’s 825th birthday, we invite everyone to open their own Riga and celebrate a city that lives, breathes, and evolves together with its people,” emphasizes Dāvis Stalts, Head of the Culture Committee of the Riga City Council.

The core theme of Riga’s birthday this year is “Open Riga! Code: 825”, which calls for celebrating and discovering Riga as a living, polyphonic city whose soundscape is shaped by its people, neighbourhoods, history, and culture. Riga continues to pride itself on its openness to diversity and an environment that is equally safe, legendary, and welcoming in the city center, the Old Town, and the outskirts and neighbourhoods. Riga’s 825th anniversary marks a forward-looking path of development, innovation, and inspiration, echoing the traditional legend of “the city that will never be complete.”

The central element of the anniversary campaign’s visual identity is a bright, dynamic, and monumental letter “R”—the first letter of “Riga”—which visually serves as a city space in its own right. The shape of the letter and the area around it are populated by dozens of tiny figures, each engaged in a different activity: dancing, reading, running, relaxing, exercising—living their unique lives and together creating a vibrant, bustling portrait of the city. The visual identity of the festival was created by artist Reinis Pētersons.

The festivities will kick off on August 1st with the unveiling of the Riga Summer mural at E. Smiļģa Street 46 and the Left Bank Festival in Uzvaras Park. The event will invite residents and guests to rediscover Riga as an open city for open people. The day will feature creative workshops, interactive activities, performances, sports, concerts by emerging musicians, and a special catering zone featuring participants from the Latvian stage of the European Street Food Awards. In the first half of the day, the stage will host emerging bands representing various contemporary music genres and styles: “Laiki”, “Gaisaa”, and “Idille”. The evening will culminate with a performance by singer Aija Andrejeva and a special concert project—Gustavo and the Orchestra “Rīga”.

The anniversary month will continue with the National Theatre’s production of “Rebellious Riga” (Dumpīgā Rīga), which will be performed in Doma laukums (Dome Square) on August 7th and 8th. This is a musical play for the whole family, inspired by the writer Rutku Tēvs. The story is set in the spring of 1582 during the Calendar Riots in Riga, when the locals had their own strong opinions on the new order imposed in Europe. Through the lighthearted style of a musical play, the director explores the nuances of the national character then and now. The cast features beloved actors from the Latvian National Theatre, musicians, and young performers from the Riga Cathedral Boys’ Choir. The play is directed by Klāvs Mellis.

On August 8th, residents are also invited to the Right Bank Festival in Grīziņkalns Park, which will offer various activities, musical events, and interactive entertainment tailored to all tastes throughout the day.

The core weekend of Riga’s birthday celebrations will begin on the evening of August 14th with an electronic music concert in Rātslaukums (Town Hall Square). From 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM, visitors will be treated to a contemporary, multi-layered electronic music journey blending atmospheric beats, electronic pop, melodic house, synth-pop, and emotionally charged dance music. The concert will feature performances by Sign Libra, Evija Vēbere, the Lithuanian collective “Solo Ansamblis”, and local act “Oil X Gas”.

The celebrations will hit full swing on August 15th across the 11. novembra krastmala, Old Town, Vērmanes dārzs (Vērmanes Garden), Uzvaras Park, Eksporta Street, Esplanāde, near the Riga Congress Center, and in the Opera Square.

On the 11. novembra krastmala, the program “Open Riga! Code: 825” will offer something for every resident and guest. Daytime activities include creative workshops for all ages, gastronomic adventures, and a musically diverse stage program featuring the contemporary folk-metal band “Auļi”, Atvara, the band “Citi Zēni”, hip-hop legend Ozols, and the bands “Alejas” and “Sudden Lights”. The evening concert program “My Score: Riga” (Mana partitūra Rīga) will feature Shipsea, Andrejs Reinis Zitmanis, Jānis Aišpurs, Aija Andrejeva, and Jurģis Namejs. The concert will be enriched by dancers of various genres, bike trial masters, roller-skating pros, and parkour enthusiasts. The concert program is directed by Juris Jonelis, with Reinis Sējāns as artistic director. The hosts for the evening are New Riga Theatre actor Gerds Lapoška and Latvian National Theatre actress Elza Rūta Jordāne.

Following the concert, a spectacular laser, fountain, and video show will illuminate the waters of the Daugava River, and the party will continue into the night with DJs Linda Samsonova and Magnuss Eriņš.

On August 15th, Old Town will transform into a vibrant European cultural hub, bringing together two ancient traditions of Old Europe—street music and the art of mime. Such a cultural symbiosis is rare in modern Europe, making Riga—as an ancient Hanseatic city—the perfect place to preserve and develop these traditions. The streets and squares of Old Riga will echo with jazz, dixieland, classical music, and percussion, while the urban space will come alive with pantomime, clowning, and Butoh movement theater. To wrap up the event, the artists will unite for an energetic, flashmob-style performance in Rātslaukums, blending music, dance, and performance art.

During the celebrations on August 15th, a Crafts Market will take place in Doma laukums, where visitors can browse and buy authentic, traditional handicrafts from various regions of Latvia.

Visitors will also be welcome at Vērmanes dārzs, which will turn into a gathering place where traditions, cultural diversity, and the joy of togetherness create a special festive atmosphere. During the day, representatives from foreign embassies and Riga’s twin cities will share their stories, joined by various Latvian cities to create a festival of friendship and cooperation. The evening concert program will delight audiences with performances by the band “Le Petit Paris” and Diāna Pīrāgs, followed by a parade of the world’s most beautiful songs hosted by Roberto Meloni and his friends—Rigans of diverse nationalities. The evening will conclude with a performance by the band “Big Al & the Jokers”.

In Uzvaras Park, the event “Discover the Wonder!” will invite audiences to experience stunning street art performances. The first half of the day will feature a show, games, and a disco for children, while from 3:00 PM until midnight, the park will host acclaimed street artists from the UK, Sweden, Belgium, Spain, Estonia, and Hungary.

Food enthusiasts can head to Opera Square, where the Riga Birthday Festival Restaurant will open on August 14th and 15th—a special venue where the city’s flavors, people, and stories meet. Over the two days, the festive atmosphere will be complemented by a diverse gastronomic offering, musical highlights, and the chance to enjoy the city in a leisurely, hospitable ambiance. It will be an opportunity to celebrate Riga through its tastes, character, and people.

Meanwhile, at Esplanāde, the celebrations will take a sporty turn with the traditional 24-hour basketball tournament “Match of the Riverbanks” (Krastu mačs), while the square next to the Riga Congress Center will host the “Riga Football Festival 2026”. Both sporting events will take place on August 15th–16th, drawing hundreds of participants and thousands of spectators for a two-day weekend of sports and entertainment.

The anniversary program will be further elevated by the Red Bull Showrun—a unique motorsport show bringing world-class engineering, athletes, and high energy right to the heart of the capital. The highlight of the show will be a rare, first-time opportunity in Latvia to see a Red Bull Formula 1 car live in action, complemented by spectacular drift, rally, MotoGP, and other show elements. Local rally star Mārtiņš Sesks will also participate in the Red Bull Showrun.

Throughout the entire month of August, the festive spirit will resonate via the Musical Parks program at the Dzegužkalns Open-Air Stage, the Ziemeļblāzma Culture Palace Park, Vērmanes dārzs, and the Kalnciema Quarter. Street Art Month events will also take place in Sarkandaugava, culminating in the street art festival “Row Baltics 2026” on August 22nd.

At the end of the month, on August 29th, the grand opening of the Traditional Culture and Crafts Center “ĪRGA” will take place in Old Riga at Mazā Jauniela 5 and the adjacent parking lot. As the day draws to a close, the Vakarbuļļi Beach will host the magical rituals of the Ancient Fire Night (Senās uguns nakts).

See how it sounds, how it breathes, how it pulses—the city of Riga, open, living, and free!