News

More than 60 ice structures, demonstrations of ice sculpture creation, duels, and a wide entertainment program for both adults and children – from February 2 to 4, the 25th International Ice Sculpture Festival will take place in Jelgava. In this jubilee year, 32 professional sculptors from 11 countries will bring their unique vision of the theme “Treasures of the World” to life, using a total of 80 tons of ice.

Jelgava Regional Tourism Center (JRTC) has published the 2024 tourism material – “Mītava. Jelgava 2024”.

The Latvian U-16 national team in 3×3 hockey became the champions of the Youth Winter Olympic Games. Jelgava Ice Sports School (JLSS) goalkeeper Patriks Plūmiņš played in the national team.

The renovated buildings on Jelgava’s Vecpilsētas street welcome anyone interested to see and feel the ancient Jelgava, its wooden buildings, and the stories of lost streets, as well as to acquaint themselves with the skills of ancient crafts.

In the webinar “Synergy between Traditional Cultural Representatives and Cultural Creative Industries” organized by the European Union’s “Interreg Europe” program, the Old Town Street Quarter in Jelgava received high praise.

From February 2nd to 4th, the 25th anniversary International Ice Sculpture Festival will take place in Jelgava, Latvia, at Jānis Čakste Boulevard, Pasta Island, and the open-air concert hall “Mītava.” This year, 32 professional sculptors from 11 countries – Ukraine, Indonesia, Argentina, Latvia, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Estonia, Czech Republic, Mongolia, the United Kingdom, and Spain – will showcase their unique perspectives on global treasures through ice sculpture. The festival will feature the creation of 45 competition sculptures, with a total of over 60 ice objects on display. Ticket sales for the festival have begun at the Jelgava Cultural Center and “Biļešu paradīze.”

Accessibility to information is one of the most important necessities in life, so it is crucial to find a way for all groups of people, including those with visual impairments, to access information. The Jelgava.lv website provides a text reader that reads the published information on the site. This enhances the accessibility of the website and ensures that its content is reflected in two ways – both audibly and visually.

As we’re about to step into the new year of 2024, let’s take a quick look back at what Jelgava experienced in 2023 and what was accomplished – highlighting some of the most noteworthy events in our city.

“During this festive anticipation, we often hear: “Let peace reign on Earth…” However, how often do we ponder that peace on Earth begins with the tranquility within our families, with empathy and respect for our fellow beings right here, in our city. Yes, we are diverse, but fundamentally, each of us is a person capable of creating peace around us. May our home – Jelgava – be a place where everyone feels safe and content. Today, a predictable and stable tomorrow has become the most precious gift that the new year, 2024, can offer us,” emphasizes Andris Rāviņš, Chairman of the Jelgava City Council, underlining that this should be the priority in both the city’s and each Jelgavian’s daily life.

At a solemn ceremony at the French Embassy in Riga, the director of the Jelgava Vocational Secondary School, Edīte Bišere, was awarded the Order of Academic Palms of the French Republic. In recognition of her contribution to international cooperation in the field of education and the promotion of French cultural heritage, the high award was presented to E. Bišere by the French Ambassador to Latvia, Aurélie Royet-Gounin.

At the ceremonial awarding of the “Export and Innovation Award 2023” competition, companies that excelled in exports in the past year and created new and innovative products or services were honored. Among them were Latvijas Piens Ltd. and AKG Thermotechnik Lettland Ltd..

The traveling exhibition “Blackout” by the international artists’ collective NUA opened its doors at the Jelgava Old Town House, marking the beginning of its journey through the world starting from Jelgava. Through drawings, the exhibition urges viewers to contemplate climate change and the energy crisis. Visitors are welcome to explore the exhibition until January 2nd 2024.