News

On the 8th and 9th of June, the “Summer Signs 2024” festival will take place on Pasta Island. Visitors will be welcomed by the largest sand sculpture park in the Baltics, where 17 professional sculptors from 10 countries will reveal their interpretations of the theme “World Fairy Tales” through sand art. The festival will also traditionally feature concerts by Latvian musicians and a wide-ranging entertainment programme for families with children.

This time, the sand sculpture park will offer visitors the opportunity to travel through time and around the world, immersing themselves in a fairy tale kingdom with folklore and fairy tale characters, myths, and legends from different cultures. The Little Mermaid, the Snow Queen, Hansel and Gretel, Sprīdītis, the Turkish mythological legend Shahmaran, and Kotigoroshko from Ukrainian fairy tales are just a few of the characters depicted in sand, showcasing their stories and reflections while also impressing with technical execution.

Fifteen professional sculptors from Indonesia, the USA, Turkey, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia will create the sand artworks for the 18th International Sand Sculpture Festival competition. The park’s most grandiose artwork will be the demo sculpture, traditionally created by Latvian sculptors Kārlis and Maija Īle. Artists will start working on the competition sculptures on Pasta Island from the 1st of June.

On the opening days of the summer festival, 8th and 9th June, visitors will not only enjoy sand art but also a grand event programme. On Saturday, popular Latvian musicians – “Zelta kniede”, “Kautkaili”, Emilija Bērziņa, Būū, and “Līvi” – will perform on the “Mītava” open-air stage. On Sunday, there will be a concert by the folk dance ensemble “Diždancis” titled “For Our Joy, For Your Joy”, followed by performances from Chris Noah, Fiņķis, and DJ Rudd. Additionally, throughout both festival days on Pasta Island, various family-friendly events will take place, including shows, play programmes, a musical performance “Honey Cake” by the pop group “Lai skan”, and foam parties. The programme will be further enriched by creative workshops, fairy tale characters, and photo zones.

The sand sculpture park will be open from 10 AM to 1 AM on 8th June and from 10 AM to 11 PM on 9th June. Tickets can be purchased at “Biļešu paradīze” ticket offices and online. Tickets bought in advance until 7th June will be cheaper. The ticket prices are as follows: €10 for adults, €5 for schoolchildren, students, pensioners, and people with disabilities, and a family ticket is available for €20. Only in advance, tickets with a Jelgava resident card and “Jelgavas Vēstnesis” coupon can be purchased at the Jelgava cultural centre ticket office. The ticket price with a Jelgava student ID is €4, and with a “Jelgavas Vēstnesis” coupon or Jelgava resident card is €7.

However, during the festival, the entrance fee will be €15 for adults, €7 for schoolchildren, students, pensioners, and people with disabilities, and €30 for a family ticket. Children under the age of 7 can enter for free.

Saturday, June 8th / 10 am – 1 am

11:00 am – Ā. Alunāns Jelgava Theater play for children “Šurumburums beyond the nine lands”

12:00 pm – Carousel of surprises “A day of celebration”

1:00 pm – SIA “YOGITAS PASĀKUMI” game program “Pippi Longstocking’s unexpected adventures”

2:00 pm – Foam party

4:00 pm – Foam party

5:00 pm – Zelta Kniede

6:30 pm – Kautkaili

8:00 pm – Emilija Bērziņa

9:00 pm – Būū

10:30 pm – Līvi

Sunday, June 9th / 10 am – 11 pm

11:00 am – Jelgava New Theater play for children “Once upon a time…”

12:00 pm – Pop group “Lai skan” musical “Honey Cake”

1:00 pm – SIA “Jogitas pasākumi” play program “Book of Wonders”

2:30 pm – “Carousel of Surprises” musical “Sweet colorful wonder”

3:30 pm – TDA “Diždancis” concert

6:00 pm – Chris Noah

7:00 pm – Fiņķis

8:30 pm – DJ UFO

The “Summer Signs 2024” summer festival in Jelgava is organized by the City of Jelgava and the institution “Kultūra” in collaboration with the main sponsor, AS “Ramirent Baltic”.

The event visitor agrees to be filmed and photographed. Recorded material may be broadcast, reproduced and distributed without restriction. Detailed information on personal data processing in Jelgava Municipality is available HERE.