On January 23, 2027, at 9 p.m., the opening concert of Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027, entitled Wind Symphony, will take place in the Great Hall of the Great Amber Concert Hall. The evening will feature the world premiere of Wind Symphony, a composition by Ēriks Ešenvalds, specially commissioned for this occasion.
Ēriks Ešenvalds is one of the most internationally renowned Latvian composers – his choral music and other works have been performed at prominent concert venues and festivals across the globe. Wind Symphony will be a story about Liepāja, its character, and the creative courage of its people. The concert is directed by LAURA (Laura Groza), winner of the Grand Music Award and multiple Player’s Night Awards.
Taking the stage will be the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra with conductor and Grand Music Award laureate Guntis Kuzma, the Rīga Brass Orchestra with conductor Valdis Butāns, and soloist Annija Kristiāna Ādamsone, who received the Grand Music Award as the Best New Artist of the Year and a Player’s Night Award for her role as Olympia in Jacques Offenbach’s opera The Tales of Hoffmann. In 2026, the singer also won the Audience Choice Award at the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition. The live performance of the extraordinary story will be complemented by a local jazz trio. The night will be hosted by actors and Player’s Night Award winners Mārtiņš Meiers and Agnese Jēkabsone-Ozoliņa.
The premiere of Ēriks Ešenvalds’ new composition will be accompanied by a thematic video narrative created by brothers Lauris and Mārcis Ābele about a mythical being washed ashore – Nāra, or the Mermaid. Guided by a creative glow, she discovers the city, its people, and its distinct character. Nāra’s supernatural power to ignite creative (un)rest becomes an impulse for discovering new worlds and exploring the extraordinary. Those who encounter her can see Liepāja through different eyes, and the path taken by her along the surging sea on the Kurzeme coast shines like amber – both a coastal symbol and a metaphor for creativity.
Brothers Lauris and Mārcis Ābele are known for their distinctive visual storytelling language in Latvian cinema and animation. The animated film Dog of God, which they co-directed, received the 2025 Lielais Kristaps National Film Award for Best Direction of an Animated Film.
The concert’s creative team also includes scenographer Sintija Jēkabsone, scriptwriter Mārtiņš Meiers, internationally acclaimed costume designer and Fashion Fringe Award winner Fjodors Podgornijs, and lighting designer and multiple Player’s Night Award winner Oskars Pauliņš.
Tickets for the Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027 opening concert Wind Symphony are available at all Biļešu Paradīze box offices and online: www.bilesuparadize.lv
The year of Liepāja as the European Capital of Culture will officially begin on January 22, 2027, with events in Kuldīga and Aizpute. On January 23, Liepāja will take center stage for the celebrations, featuring an ambitious opening program in urban spaces and various venues. On the opening day of Liepāja 2027 – January 23 – the morning will start with an exciting amber hunt at the Liepāja beach, followed by educational activities at the Liepāja Museum and the international exhibition Baltic Amber Surprises the World, revealing the role of amber in culture, history, and contemporary art. At the same time, city guests can take the guided audio walk Path of (Un)rest, which will reveal Liepāja’s character, historical layers, and future aspirations.
At night, Liepāja will transform into a grand stage with the urban environment, music, light, and people merging into one. Highlights include the outdoor concert performance City Symphony directed by Matīss Kaža (co-director of the Academy Award-winning animated feature film Flow) and the concert Wind Symphony directed by LAURA (Laura Groza). Following the main opening events, guests and locals will be invited to continue celebrations in bars, restaurants, cafes, clubs, galleries, and other venues, allowing them to experience Liepāja late into the night.
On January 24, adventure seekers can discover the paradoxes of Liepāja through exciting tourist routes in Karosta and other neighborhoods that have inspired the Liepāja 2027 program events, to be enjoyed in the land of (un)rest throughout the year.
Explore the full program of Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027: https://www.liepaja2027.lv/programme-unrest
The project “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” is implemented by the foundation “Nodibinājums Liepāja 2027”, the Liepāja City Municipality, and official partners – the South Kurzeme Municipality and the Kuldīga Municipality. Co-financed by the Ministry of Culture. The Liepāja 2027 program is supported by its main partner in environmental education and sustainability, AS “CleanR Grupa”, main partner in air mobility and international communications, AS “Air Baltic Corporation”, partner in legal matters SIA “Sorainen ZAB”, land mobility partner, SIA “Lux Express Latvia”, maritime mobility and international communication partner SIA “Stena Line”. Media partners – VSIA “Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs”, SIA “Žurnāls Santa”, SIA “Tvnet grupa”, AS “Kurzemes Radio”.
Kristiāna Paula Lībiete
Foundation “Nodibinājums Liepāja 2027”
Public Relations
Phone: + 371 22 355 771
E-mail: kristiana.libiete@liepaja2027.lv
On Friday, 9 October, the Liepāja 2027 Foundation (“Nodibinājums Liepāja 2027”) entered into a partnership with SIA “Transporent”, the SIXT franchise partner in the Baltic States and Finland.
On October 9, at Jānis Čakste Square, as part of the “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” programme, the open-air photography exhibition “One Day in Liepāja 1987–2007–2025” was opened, inviting visitors to travel through time and see Liepāja and its people across different decades.
In 2027, it will bring together more than 500 local and international cultural and artistic events in Liepāja and the South Kurzeme and Kuldīga regions. The programme also includes cultural tourism offers and initiatives that will build the capacity of cultural sector professionals and encourage the involvement of young people and local communities.