On Saturday, 9 May, European Day was celebrated with community involvement in the land of (un)rest. This year’s programme in Liepāja featured educational activities in the square by the concert hall “Lielais dzintars” and performances by artists from the “Art Bus 75” project across various cultural venues in the city. In Dienvidkurzeme Municipality, celebrations took place in Durbe and Virga, while in Kuldīga Municipality they were held in Vārme and Alsunga.
Throughout the day, youth-led initiatives on European values took place, along with expert-led workshops, a cyberattack simulation, and the “Faktu Formula” quiz game. The programme was enriched by projects supported through the community microgrant competition “The European Dream in Our Community!”. Through creative activities, visitors explored local identity, sustainability, and European values via storytelling, workshops, and micro-theatre formats.
Discussions led by moderator Kristaps Tālbergs explored art and culture as a foundation for resilient communities and European values, as well as democracy and media literacy as a safeguard for a strong society. Participants included active community representatives of different ages from across the land of (un)rest.
From midday, performances by artists from the “Art Bus 75” project took place across five cultural venues in Liepāja, offering a diverse contemporary art programme featuring artists from Finland, Serbia, China, the Netherlands, Greece, and Denmark. Visitors experienced multisensory, audiovisual, and interactive performances, dance events, and creative workshops. The programme encouraged audiences not only to observe, but also to participate—engaging in shared storytelling and the exchange of emotions and personal narratives.
European Day events are intended to continue developing Liepāja’s role both as a European Capital of Culture and as a venue for European Union celebrations. The aim of the project is to build a shared tradition of celebrating European Day, strengthening civic awareness, a sense of belonging to the European community, and continuing the dialogue on our place in Europe’s future.
The “Europe Day” project is implemented by the foundation “Liepāja 2027 Foundation”. The total project funding amounts to €28,306.44, including co-financing from the City of Liepāja (€16,000), South Kurzeme Municipality (€287.44), Kuldīga Municipality (€500), the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia (€11,519), and the German Embassy in Latvia’s “Fact, Fiction and Democracy” project (€5,450). The Liepāja 2027 programme is supported by its main partner in environmental education and sustainability, AS “CleanR Grupa” JSC; its main partner in mobility and international communication, AS “airBaltic Corporation” JSC; and its mobility partner, transport operator SIA “Lux Express Latvia” Ltd. Media partners: VSIA “Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs”, Ltd. and AS “Kurzemes Radio”, Jsc.
