On 21 June, the square near the Kazdanga bus stop and the shore of Lake Dzirnavezers will become a site for Midsummer celebration and fire ritual, where local residents of Kazdanga will be joined by traditional music performers from the Finnish city of Oulu – European Capital of Culture 2026, to launch the “Nordic Solstice” project of Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027 in South Kurzeme.
The celebration will begin at 19:00 and visitors will be invited to open the evening by joining Midsummer games and dances led by Staņislavs Skudiķis, leader of the Rucava Ethnographic Ensemble and Ambassador of Liepāja 2027, together with the Rucava folk band “Paurupīte”. Alongside the music and dancing, guests can try their hand at traditional crafts – weaving floral wreaths and making sauna brooms.
At 21:30, the celebration will transition to the shore of Lake Dzirnavezers together with the Finnish duo – Osmo Hakosalo and Erja Pätsi, who will perform on their kantele and jouhikko traditional Finnish musical instruments, while Ernests Medenis will add a vibe with his distinctive local voice and bagpipe playing. The centrepiece of the evening will take place at exactly 22:22 by burning of a straw figure in the lake – a time-honoured ritual heralding the shortest night of the year.
The event is being organised in collaboration with the association “Kazdangas Dzirnavas” and its representatives, Elīna and Ernests Medenis, who have been holding this type of Midsummer ritual since 2021. One of the association’s aims is to preserve, collect, research and revive local traditional cultural heritage. The ritual is based on local traditions: while researching and documenting ancient customs, folklorist Iveta Medene found evidence in her notes that, in the past, a straw figure was burned in Kazdanga during the Midsummer celebrations.
From 23:00, an outdoor dance party takes over, featuring the Finnish folk group “Rällä”. After midnight, the band “Spēlmaņi” will take the stage, and from 01:00, musician Aivars Ērglis will carry the celebrations through to dawn.
Admission to the event is free.
The evening forms part of the Liepāja 2027 project “Nordic Solstice”, which in 2027 will bring together traditional summer solstice celebrations and their contemporary reinterpretations across Liepāja, South Kurzeme, and Kuldīga. In preparation for 2027, Liepāja 2027 organised a series of masterclasses in Kazdanga in April and May of this year, under the title “Midsummer on a Farm”. Participants gained both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in organising traditional Midsummer celebrations. 25 farms took part in the sessions, including 16 from the South Kurzeme region, all of which will be ready to open their farmsteads for shared celebrations with a wider public in 2027.
The “Nordic Solstice” project is being implemented by the Liepāja 2027 Foundation. Total project funding amounts to 468,310 euros, co-financed by the City of Liepāja (33,667 euros), South Kurzeme Municipality (50,000 euros), Kuldīga Municipality (20,000 euros), and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia (364,643 euros).
The (un)rest programme of Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027 is implemented by the Liepāja 2027 Foundation, with funding allocated by the City of Liepāja, the South Kurzeme and Kuldīga municipalities, and the Ministry of Culture. 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”, legal partner: Sorainen Law Office, Ltd., Jsc; and its land mobility partner, SIA “Lux Express Latvia”, Ltd. Media partners: VSIA “Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs”, Ltd. and AS “Kurzemes Radio”, Jsc.
Foundation Liepāja 2027
Project Manager
Dārta Rašmane
Phone: +371 22 011 136
E-mail: darta.rasmane@liepaja2027.lv
The symposium will feature masterclasses, demonstrations of traditional skills, and discussions on cultural spaces, craftsmanship, and the significance of intangible cultural heritage in contemporary society.
On Tuesday, 19 May, the (un)rest programme of Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027 was presented to foreign ambassadors and international institutions in Latvia at the “Ola Foundation” cultural space, highlighting existing international cooperation and future partnership opportunities.
On 14–15 May 2026, representatives of the Liepāja 2027 Foundation took part in the ECoC Family Meeting in the Portuguese city of Évora, which will hold the title of European Capital of Culture alongside Liepāja in 2027. The meeting brought together representatives of former, current and future European Capitals of Culture, creating a space for the exchange of ideas and the development of new collaborations.