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Jelgava city festival is a time of patriotism, pride and being together, when each of us feels the most belonging to our city. A joint celebration unites and confirms – we are Jelgava! This year, we will celebrate Jelgava’s 759th birthday with a rich festive program from May 24 to 26.

One of the most significant traditions of the festival week, which confirms belonging to the city, unites and delights both participants and spectators, is the magnificent city parade. This year it will take place on Friday, May 24, at 6 p.m. How grand the parade will be this time depends on us ourselves, so as tradition dictates, everyone is invited to participate and creatively showcase themselves – companies, institutions, associations, and societies, as well as residents, joining together in groups of friends and family.

Participants do not need to register in advance for the parade, but they are encouraged to think not only about their outfit but also about the recognizability of their group name. Assembly for the parade is planned from 5 p.m. at Pulkveža Oskara Kalpaka, Svētes, J. Asara, Lielajā iela, and Ozolskvēra. Important note: if heavy machinery is planned to be used in the parade, it must be registered in advance by email at iveta.korneva@kultura.jelgava.lv or by phone at 63023461, 25900004. Soon, precise assembly locations and the parade’s sequence will be available on www.jelgava.lv and www.kultura.jelgava.lv.

After the parade, the festival concert program will await the residents of Jelgava at Hercoga Jēkaba square, where performances by the groups “Baritoni”, “Astro’n’out”, “Sudden Lights”, and “Dagamba” will take place.

On Saturday, May 25th, the festival events will start in the morning – on Krišjāņa Barona Street and the square behind the Jelgava Cultural Center, there will be an annual fair, at Hercoga Jēkaba laukums – a tourism fair and an artist square, while on Lielā Street, across from the square, there will be a concert of folk dance groups. Until late evening, there will be choir performances and performances by Ivo Fomins, “Apvedceļš”, and Atis Auzāns with the “Slaveno Jersikas Orķestri” at Hercoga Jēkaba Square.

On Saturday, the festival venue will also include Pasta Island. The open-air concert hall “Mītava” will mark the 65th anniversary of the folk dance ensemble “Lielupe” with a concert, and as a token of gratitude to the people without whom the city would certainly be different, Jelgava’s highest awards will be presented ceremoniously. Tickets for the concert are available at the “Biļešu paradīze” box offices.

Also on Saturday, both on Pasta (Post) Island and elsewhere in the city, there are planned sporting activities. On Pasta Island’s ice rink, the first stage of the Jelgava 3×3 Basketball Tournament will take place, while on Pasta Island’s beach volleyball courts, the first stage of the Jelgava Beach Volleyball Tournament will be held. Next to the “Vivo centrs” shopping center, there will be the Latvian Powerlifting Championship, and at the Zemgale Olympic Center’s Jānis Lūsis Stadium, the Jelgava Cup in rugby is expected.

Various activities will also take place in the city on Sunday, May 26th, when the Ādolfs Alunāns Museum invites to a theater performance, and the open-air concert hall “Mītava” hosts dance ensemble concerts. BJMK Rock School will become a valuable stop with creative workshops, excursions, and a market on Sunday. Additionally, everyone is invited to the “Violas” football festival at the Zemgale Olympic Center.

To enhance the festive atmosphere, residents of Jelgava are invited to raise the flag of Jelgava city or the Latvian national flag during the festival week at buildings and institutions, while attaching a car ribbon to vehicles.

Let’s celebrate the festival together!

By attending the events, the visitor agrees to be filmed and photographed. The captured material may be broadcasted, reproduced, and distributed without limitation. More detailed information about personal data processing by the Jelgava City Council is available HERE.