The second open project competition “Rock the Rock”, organised by the Liepāja 2027 Foundation, has concluded, with seven interdisciplinary music and art projects receiving a total of €50,000 in funding.
“Liepāja 2027 “Rock the Rock” project isn’t just some dusty look back at Liepāja’s rock scene. The ideas coming in are actually breathing life into that heritage, turning it into something modern and creative that feels relevant right now. It’s just as vital that we’ve got young musicians and artists stuck into these projects alongside history. It proves that freedom and guts aren’t just things from Liepāja’s past – they are part of a constant living process that keeps evolving and getting passed down to the next generation”, says Baiba Bartkeviča, Artistic Director of Liepāja 2027.
In total, eight applications were received for the competition, of which seven projects were selected for support. All projects must be implemented in Liepāja between 1 February and 31 May 2027.
Supported projects:
- SIA “Wiktorija” has been awarded €10,000 to organise the “New Century” alternative music festival in Liepāja, commemorating the early 2000s. The project will also include the creation of a radio series on musical events from the turn of the millennium and the production of a new musical work.
- SIA “Liepaja Music” will organise a series of talks and musical discussions titled “Rebel Halt” at the Pegasus Courtyard cultural venue. Each evening will be devoted to a conversation with prominent Latvian musicians whose paths are closely linked to Liepāja. The project has received €10,000 in support.
- The association “Ētera Osta” will join “Rock the Rock” with a series of original broadcasts titled “Rock Castling”. Through interviews, discussions, and analysis, the project will examine the influence of rock music and alternative culture on societal identity, while highlighting Liepāja’s standing as one of Latvia’s key centres of rock music. The project has been allocated €3,200 in co-financing.
- The project “From Baroque to Rock” will present concerts at the Karosta Chamber Hall, with a special focus on Latvian rock music, offering lesser-known compositions in new chamber arrangements. The project will be implemented by the association “Baringtons K2” and has received €5,000 in funding.
- In the event series “Rocky Underground and the Broken Wave” young musicians and artists from Liepāja will collaborate with composer Jēkabs Nīmanis and musician Kārlis Tonis from the post-metal band “Tesa”. New works created through this collaborative process, alongside other original works by the participating artists, will be performed at a major concert. The project will be implemented by the “Equilibrium Group” foundation and has been awarded €10,000.
- The association “Sventāja” has received €8,000 for its project “South Kurzeme: Sounds for Tomorrow”. The project will bring together students from the Liepāja Music, Art and Design High School and young people from music schools across South Kurzeme, who will explore the cultural heritage and folk music of Rucava alongside the ethno-group “OGAS” and other professional musicians. The project will culminate in a joint performance on Rucava Day in Liepāja.
- The association “Faktu Formula” has received €3,800 to organise the trivia game series “(un)rest Games” at the Wiktorija Cultural Centre. Across four themed evenings, participants will explore and interpret Liepāja’s rock music, alternative culture, and free-spirited identity. Each event will be complemented by performances from young Liepāja musicians.
The submitted projects were evaluated by the jury panel: Baiba Bartkeviča, Artistic Director of Liepāja 2027; Diāna Daiva Priediena, Producer of Liepāja 2027; Mārtiņš Jansons, Technical Director of Liepāja 2027; Nauris Lazdāns, Deputy Head of Liepāja Department for Culture; and Jānis Šipkēvics, Chairman of the Board of Radio SWH and Liepāja 2027 Ambassador.
The competition’s stated priority is to support projects that offer an opportunity to reflect on, “un(l)rock” and reinterpret Liepāja’s traditions of alternative culture, rock, and subculture, and to create new, internationally accessible, and compelling events or event series.
In the first “Rock the Rock” project round, eight projects were supported, implemented between December 2024 and November 2025. The programme included various concerts, the creation of a performative walking show titled “How to Become a Liepājnieks?”, research into rock music and democracy in Liepāja during the 1980s and 1990s, a panel discussion, and the release of an album.
More about the competition.
The (un)rest programme of Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027 is implemented by the Liepāja 2027 Foundation, with funding from the City of Liepāja, South Kurzeme Municipality, Kuldīga Municipality, and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia. The “Liepāja 2027” programme is supported by its main partner in environmental education and sustainability, AS “CleanR Grupa”, Jsc; its main partner in air mobility and international communications, AS “airBaltic Corporation”, Jsc; and its land mobility partner, SIA “Lux Express Latvia”, Ltd. Media partners: VSIA “Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs”, Ltd. and AS “Kurzemes Radio”, Jsc.
For more information:
Foundation Liepāja 2027
Project manager
Estere Graumane
Phone: + 371 29 666 182
E-mail: estere.graumane@liepaja2027.lv
