{"id":1990,"date":"2026-01-26T22:25:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T19:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/?page_id=1990"},"modified":"2026-02-05T17:49:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T14:49:21","slug":"midsummer-celebration","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/midsummer-celebration\/","title":{"rendered":"Midsummer Celebration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

MIDSUMMER DAY AT TURAIDA: A FULL-DAY SOLSTICE CELEBRATION IN LATVIA ON 21 JUNE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
On 21 June, Latvia will celebrate the summer solstice with an all-day Midsummer festival at the Turaida Museum Reserve, a major cultural heritage site near Sigulda. Running from 4:30 a.m. until midnight, the event invites visitors from across the Baltic region to experience Latvia\u2019s most important traditional celebration through rituals, music, crafts, and shared festivities.<\/summary>\n

Midsummer, known in Latvia as J\u0101\u0146i, marks the longest day of the year and has deep roots in pre-Christian traditions connected to nature, fertility, and the sun. At Turaida, the celebration will begin at sunrise with a Greeting of the Sun and the lighting of a ritual fire, led by the folklore groups Delve<\/em> and Saules meitas<\/em>. This symbolic ceremony marks the turning point of the solstice and the height of summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the day, visitors can explore the historic landscape of the Turaida Museum Reserve, with all exhibitions open and special guided tours available. From 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., the programme includes a Midsummer inspiration trail featuring workshops in traditional singing, music-making, dance, wreath-making, and crafts. Educational nature walks led by ethnographer Indra \u010cekstere will introduce participants to meadow plants and their role in solstice traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Music is central to the celebration. Renowned Latvian kokle ethnomusician and composer Laima Jansone will perform in the morning, while instrument maker and musician P\u0113teris Jansons will lead workshops on kokle music and demonstrate how traditional Midsummer bonfires are prepared. (The kokle is a traditional Latvian string instrument related to the Finnish kantele.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Folklore groups from different regions of Latvia will perform throughout the day, and a Midsummer market will offer local food and handcrafted products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The evening programme focuses on communal celebration, with traditional singing, sing-alongs, call-and-response songs, and shared rituals. The festival will conclude with a sunset fire ceremony and a concert by Latvia\u2019s internationally recognised folk-rock group I\u013b\u0122I, followed by traditional dancing with the participation of the Riga Dance Club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tickets will be available in advance from 1 March at Bi\u013ce\u0161u Parad\u012bze ticket offices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More information: www.turaida-muzejs.lv<\/a>
Contact: info@tmr.gov.lv<\/a> | +371 26542116<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Over the Hill”  \u2013 Latvian Midsummer Celebration in Turaida<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

21 June | 4:00 a.m. \u2013 midnight<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At sunrise, as the longest day of the year begins, the power of light awakens and invites you to experience J\u0101\u0146i, Latvia\u2019s traditional Midsummer celebration. Join us in the meadows of Turaida for a full day and night of nature, music, and ancient traditions, including:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Midsummer rituals \u2013 gathering seasonal herbs believed to bring good fortune, weaving flower wreaths, and singing traditional l\u012bgo<\/em> songs<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • A festive market and hands-on workshops showcasing local crafts<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Games and activities for all ages, with performances by folklore groups and renowned kokle (traditional Latvian zither) musician Laima Jansone<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Traditional sing-along and a symbolic fire ritual, celebrating light, renewal, and togetherness<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • A concert by I\u013c\u0123i, Latvia\u2019s most internationally acclaimed world music group, at 10:00 p.m.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Traditional circle dancing, led by the Riga Dance Club \u2014 everyone is welcome to join<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Tickets available at \u201cBi\u013ce\u0161u Parad\u012bze\u201d ticket offices from 1 March 2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Celebrate the magic of Midsummer in the rolling meadows and hills of the Turaida Museum Reserve \u2014 where ancient traditions meet the light of the longest day!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Photo: Edgars Semanis, Agris Tabaks<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    MIDSUMMER DAY AT TURAIDA: A FULL-DAY SOLSTICE CELEBRATION IN LATVIA ON 21 JUNE “Over the Hill”  \u2013 Latvian Midsummer Celebration in Turaida 21 June | 4:00 a.m. \u2013 midnight At sunrise, as the longest day of the year begins, the power of light awakens and invites you to experience J\u0101\u0146i, Latvia\u2019s traditional Midsummer celebration. Join […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1990","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1990"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1990"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1990\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2029,"href":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1990\/revisions\/2029"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}