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30 professional artists from seven countries have been chosen to participate in 22nd International Ice sculpture festival, which will be held in Jelgava from 7th to 9th of February. Creating 45 competition sculptures, artists will bring to life 2020 years’ festival theme “Superhero’s”.

The city is getting ready for festival in time – ice freezing for the festival started already in June. For 22 years the Ice Sculpture Festival has taken place regardless of the weather. In addition, photo sculpture and ice bar are ready and waiting in cold store to welcome visitors in festival.

Overall for the contest will be prepared 45 ice objects – 30 small and 15 large sculptures in 70 tonnes of ice.

The sculptures will reveal the fantastic and the mundane

Every year the festival has another theme. This year’s – Superheroes – unique, interesting, also gives the opportunity to create works that display human values without focusing on superheroes in the usual direction that anyone can understand.

This year organisers of festival have received 111 individual and over 50 team sculpture sketches from 18 countries. Looking for creative ideas, different techniques and new artist’sjury have chosen 30 sculptors. The selection process was particularly difficult, as not only were the sketches and ideas evaluated, but also the artist’s experience, potential and compliance with the theme.

This year, for the first time, visitors will have the opportunity to watch a meeting of ice and sand sculptures, as the large sculpture of the summer’s Sand Festival – Sphinx pyramids – is preserved on the island of Pasta (Post) Island and will be especially illuminated.

Weather does not frighten

Constructions for ice sculptures are designed to be easy to transport and assemble – it is easy to transport them to cold store. However, having regard to the weather on the sculptures guests are welcome to take the opportunity to view the sculptures as early as Friday evening.

Over the course of the festival, sculptors will complement the range of sculptures on display, not only in traditional demonstrations, but also in the creation of flash or flash sculptures. Two areas are planned this year for visitors to appreciate the creative expression of the artists in action.

The organizers invite festival visitors to keep up with the weather and choose the appropriate clothing.

Musical entertainment

Special concerts will feature groups on the central stage – “Astro’n’out”, “Sub scriptum”, “Franco Franco”, “Alex & Opus Pro” and “Singapūras satīns”, also Ralfs Eilands and participants of the show “X factor”from Latvia and Lithuania. Fireworks are scheduled for every evening at 21.00.

At the entrances of Pasta (Post) Island and Čaka Boulevard, there will be DJs playing music, reporting the spotlights and information related to the event’s program.

Festival also in the open-air concert hall “Mītava”

Festival part for families – performances and events for children will be held in open-air concert hall “Mītava”. Liepaja travelling circus “Beztemata” will perform on Friday, also on Saturday evening from 18.00 with various performances.

Also on Saturday and Sunday there will be performances by Jelgava New Theatre of Ādolfs Alunāns Jelgava Theatre as well as creative association “Pasaku Nams (Fairytale House)”. On Saturday, the project theatre “Teātris un es (Theatre and me)” will also delight smaller visitors.

Tourism during the festival

Guests of the festival are invited to visit other tourist attractions of the city – Jelgava Holy Trinity Church Tower, Jelgava History and Art Museum of Ģederts Eliass and Memorial Museum of Ādolfs Alunāns. More information: www.visit.jelgava.lv

Available pre-sale tickets

There are family, children, student and pensioner discounts for festival tickets sold in advance until 6th February from “Biļešu paradīze” trading points. Admission to the festival is free for children up to the age of seven.

Traffic organization

The visitors of the festival are kindly asked to park their cars on the side of the River Lielupe, from which they arrive in the city, and, if possible, not to use Lielupe Bridge.

NOTICE! The use of drones in Jelgava city must be confirmed by Jelgava city municipality, more information here.