News

The 22nd International Ice Sculpture Festival will take place in Jelgava from 7th to 9th of February with theme “Superheroes”. The venues of the festival are Pasta (Post) Island, Čakste Boulevard and the open-air concert hall “Mītava”. Several restrictions on pedestrian movement as well as traffic organization could be applied during the festival. Visitors are invited to park cars on the side of the River Lielupe, from which they arrive in the city and if possible, avoid using the Lielupe Bridge.

During the festival Jelgava City Municipality will cooperate with Waze navigation app, where everyone will have a map with marked parking lots and traffic restrictions. Drivers will receive real-time traffic information to help plan the route.

TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS

The main stage of the festival will be located at the Jānis Čakste Boulevard.

• From February 4th to 10th, the traffic on Jānis Čakste Boulevard between Raiņa Street and Ūdens Street is closed.
• From February 5th, traffic from Ūdens Street to Lielā Street is closed.
• From February 5th, Raiņa Street, Ūdens Street and Driksas Street are closed from the Akadēmijas Street to Jānis Čakste Boulevard.
• From February 7th to 9th, only buses are allowed to access Jelgava Castle.

AVAILABLE PARKING AREAS

• By entering the city from Riga, cars will be able to park in the meadow opposite Jelgava Palace and in the meadow at Lielupes left-coast promenade from Cukura Street, at the parking areas of Zemgale Olympic Center and Jelgava Ice Hall.
• By entering the city from Dobele or Šiauliai, drivers are invited to use the parking lot on Sporta Street 2C, which includes parking places for cars and buses, as well other parking lots in the city, indicated in the traffic organization scheme.
• Tour operators and travel agencies are invited to park their buses in the parking lot behind Jelgava Castle. This parking lot will be for buses only.
• There will be a parking place for disabled people on Pilssalas Street 1, which can be used by presenting a permit for the use of a disabled parking site placing it in the car compartment behind the windscreen.

Transit passengers of the city are advised not to enter the center of Jelgava and use the motorways A8 Rīga – Jelgava – Lithuanian border (Meitene), A9 Riga – Liepāja.

Traffic organization scheme during the Ice Sculpture Festival

To avoid traffic jams, visitors are recommended to leave their cars on the side of the city from which they are arriving from. The main parking lot will be opposite Jelgava Palace.

FESTIVAL AREA

The festival will take place on Pasta (Post) Island, Jānis Čakste Boulevard and for the first time in the open-air concert hall “Mītava”.

• On Pasta (Post) Island, there will be 15 large team ice sculptures, photo sculptures and one of the biggest festival objects – the ice bar, created by the most famous Latvian sculptor Kārlis Īle and his team. There will also be attractions for children on Pasta (Post) Island.
• There will perform the group “Astro’n’out”, “Sub scriptum”, “Franco Franco”, “Alex & Opus Pro”, “Singapūras satīns” as well as Ralfs Eilands and  “X Factor ” participants from Latvia and Lithuania on the big stage at Jānis Čakste Boulevard.
• There will be performances and activities for children in the open-air concert hall “Mītava” – Liepaja traveling circus “Beztemata” will be performing on Friday evening from 6pm. On Saturday and Sunday there will be performances by Jelgava New Theater and Ādolfa Alunāna Jelgava Theater, as well as creative association “Fairy House”. On Saturday, “Theater and I” will also welcome the smaller visitors.

NOTE! For the convenience of visitors the organizers of the festival have planned two bicycle parking places at the Jelgava Regional Tourism Center and Pilssalas Street near the Tea House. Attendance with a bicycle in the festival area is not allowed!

ENTERING THE FESTIVAL AREA

Main entrances of the festival:

• Pilssalas Street 1;
• Jānis Čakste Boulevard at the intersection with Lielā Street;
• At the Jelgava Student Theater on Jānis Čakste Boulevard 7 (entrance from Driksas Street).

TICKET SALES PLACES

Tickets outlets:

• Pilssalas Street near the Tea House (Pilssalas Street 1);
• Jānis Čakste Boulevard at the intersection with Lielā Street;
• At Jelgava Student Theater on Jānis Čakste Boulevard 7 (entrance from Driksas Street);
• Jelgava Culture House.

IMPORTANT! Entrance with dogs will be prohibited in the festival area.

Upon arrival at the event, the visitor agrees that they may be filmed and / or photographed. The recorded material may be translated, reproduced and distributed without limitation.