News

On February 24, it will mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. To show solidarity with the Ukrainian people, Latvian residents are invited on Monday at 9 AM to take a moment to pause their daily activities and unite in a collective moment of silence, remembering and honoring the victims of the Ukrainian people. Meanwhile, to pray for peace in Ukraine, an ecumenical service will be held on Monday, February 24, at 6 PM at the Holy Anne Pro-Cathedral in Jelgava.

Ice sculptures will be on display at Pasta (Post) Island for a fee throughout this week – every weekday from 11 AM to 8 PM.

“The biggest difference between Latvia and the US is infrastructure, then human resources – both the number of workers involved in the industry and the opportunities for athlete selection and scouting – and, finally, the quality of coaches’ work, although we also have professional and capable coaches,” said Aldis Trukšāns, Deputy Director and coach of the Jelgava Specialized Swimming School (JSPS), after his visit to Carmel, USA, Jelgava’s sister city.

The 26th International Ice Sculpture Festival was opened in Jelgava on Friday. In a vibrant and musical atmosphere, visitors were introduced to world-class artistic creativity – more than 60 ice objects in total, where 35 sculptors from 13 countries brought their unique vision of the theme “The Story of the Universe” to life. The award ceremony also announced the winners of the Ice Sculpture Festival competition – the jury’s favorites.

Today, on February 3, 30 artists from 13 countries started work on creating sculptures for the 26th International Ice Sculpture Festival competition in Jelgava. Currently, team sculptures are being created on Pasta (Post) Island. By Friday, the sculptors will complete 45 competition sculptures in total—15 team works on Pasta (Post) Island and 30 individual art pieces, which will be placed on Jānis Čakste Boulevard.

In order to learn about the swimming training program and understand how the training process is organized, representatives of the Jelgava Specialized Swimming School have traveled to Carmel, a sister city of Jelgava in the United States.

To familiarize himself with the business development priorities of Jelgava and discuss future collaboration opportunities, the British Ambassador to Latvia, Paul Brummell, visited Jelgava on a regional visit today, January 24.

From February 7 to 9, Jelgava will traditionally transform into an ice sculpture kingdom. The 26th International Ice Sculpture Festival will take place on Pasta (Post) Island, at the public ice skating rink, and along Jānis Čakstes Boulevard. Thirty-five sculptors from 13 countries will carve and polish 80 tons of crystal-clear ice to reveal their vision of the theme “The Story of the Universe.” The festival will be accompanied by an extensive entertainment program – sculpture-making duels, a fire show, ice games, children’s performances, and musical performances. Tickets will be available at a reduced price until January 31.

The year 2025 marks Jelgava City’s 760th birthday! To highlight the significance of this celebration, a visual identity and guidelines for the 760th anniversary have been developed. The main elements of the logo include the name of Jelgava State City, the symbolic combination of the anniversary year’s numbers transitioning into the city’s silhouette, and the city’s founding year. Let’s take pride in our city and create a festive atmosphere together!

What has the year 2024 been like in Jelgava, what have we experienced, and what have we accomplished? We offer a brief look back at the highlights of this year in our city.

Next year, Jelgava will celebrate its 760th anniversary. To welcome both the New Year and the city’s anniversary year, on December 31st, starting from 11 PM, the people of Jelgava are invited to Duke Jēkaba Square. In the heart of the city, we will experience the special moments of the New Year’s Eve with festive greetings, songs, and dances – at midnight, along with the whole of Latvia, and 25 minutes later, according to Jelgava’s time.

Encouraging to spend the holiday season actively, outdoors, and with family, this year, until January 5th, a themed Christmas walk will take place at the “Lediņi” in the “Junda” creative house. Participation in the walk is free of charge and does not require prior registration, but the working hours of the Elf Village must be observed.