Baltā Nakts (White Night)
One September night when the city’s galleries, museums and public spaces stay open after dark, mostly for free.
Quick Answer
Baltā Nakts (“White Night”) is Riga’s contemporary culture forum, held on a single night in September. Museums, galleries and public spaces across the city open late with 50+ events — installations, performances, music, film and poetry — and the great majority are free to attend.
What It Is
Baltā Nakts is Riga’s entry in the international Nuit Blanche movement that began in Paris in 2002 and spread to Brussels, Rome, Madrid and later cities worldwide. The format is consistent everywhere: for one night, a city’s cultural institutions stay open into the small hours, admission barriers come down, and temporary work appears in places that are not usually galleries at all.
In Riga that has meant programmes of 50 or more events spread across the city — in one edition, more than 50 separate locations. Expect art installations, live music, performance, video and poetry, in a mix of established venues and unexpected corners.
How to Do It
Treat it as a walking night rather than a single destination. The events are deliberately scattered, so the pleasure is in moving between them and stumbling into things — which suits Riga, given how walkable and flat the centre is. Check the official programme when it is published and pick three or four anchor points rather than trying to cover everything.
Planning Around It
September is one of the best-value months to visit — thinner crowds than August, often decent weather, and lower prices, as covered in our Riga in September guide. Baltā Nakts pairs naturally with the Miķeļdiena harvest festival earlier in the month. Because it runs late, stay central — see our where to stay guide — and note that Bolt covers late-night rides across the centre cheaply if you end up far from your hotel.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Baltā Nakts in Riga?
Baltā Nakts (White Night) is Riga's contemporary culture forum, held on one night in September. Museums, galleries and public spaces across the city stay open late with more than 50 events spanning art installations, music, performance, film and poetry.
Is Baltā Nakts free?
The great majority of the programme is free to attend. It is a city-wide public culture night rather than a ticketed festival, though individual venues occasionally run their own paid events alongside the main programme.
When is White Night in Riga?
It is held on a single night in September — recent editions have fallen in the first half of the month. The exact date and full programme are announced annually, so check before planning travel around it.
Is Baltā Nakts part of an international festival?
Yes. It belongs to the Nuit Blanche movement that started in Paris in 2002 and has since spread to cities including Brussels, Rome, Madrid, Amsterdam, Toronto and Tokyo. Riga was one of the earlier European cities to adopt it.
Planning a September trip?
Last updated: August 2026. The date and programme are announced annually by the organisers — check the official Baltā Nakts listings before building travel plans around it.