1 August
Opening: Left Bank Festival
Uzvaras Park, plus a mural unveiling on E. Smiļģa iela 46
The festival opens on the left bank of the Daugava — the Pārdaugava side that most visitors never cross to.
8 min read · Summer Travel
Rīgas Svētki (Riga City Festival): August Guide
Once a year, Riga throws itself a birthday party — a free, month-long city festival with a riverfront spectacle at its centre. Here's what to expect in 2026.
Quick Answer
Rīgas Svētki 2026 runs August 1-29 under the motto “Atver Rīgu! Kods: 825!” (“Open Riga! Code: 825!”), marking Riga's 825th anniversary. The main day is August 15, centred on the 11 November Embankment, with a free Red Bull Showrun on Eksporta iela at 14:00 and a laser-and-fountain show on the Daugava after the evening concert. Everything is free and outdoors.
At the Festival Right Now?
Most of the programme is outdoors and free, so the festival pairs well with things you can book the same day — and if you've come in for the day from elsewhere in Latvia or the Baltics, you don't want to carry a bag around Old Town all afternoon.
Drop your bags near Old Town Luggage storage points by the train and bus stations — useful if you're up from Liepāja, Tallinn or Vilnius just for the day. Book a walking tour the same day Old Town and Art Nouveau tours run daily through August, most with free cancellation. Central Market food tour The market is a short walk from the embankment stages — a good pairing with a festival afternoon.
Staying out late? Our nightlife guide covers where to go after the stages wind down, and guided pub crawls run most nights.
Still Planning the Trip?
August is already Riga's busiest month, and the main day on 15 August pulls the crowd into Old Town and along the embankment. If your dates overlap, book the room before the programme is confirmed — Old Town and riverside places go first, and prices there move with the calendar rather than with demand on the day.
Check Old Town availabilityWhat Rīgas Svētki Is
Rīgas Svētki ("Riga Festival") is the city's birthday celebration, run by the municipality every August to mark another year since Riga's traditional 1201 founding. It's less a single event than a month-long umbrella of concerts, markets, and public performances, building to one large main day roughly two-thirds through the month.
The 2026 edition runs under the motto “Atver Rīgu! Kods: 825!” — “Open Riga! Code: 825!” — and is deliberately spread across districts most visitors never reach: it opens in Uzvaras Park on the left bank, takes in Grīziņkalns, Sarkandaugava and the Passenger Port, and only converges on the 11 November Embankment for the main day on August 15.
Where the Events Happen
- 11 November Embankment — the central hub for the riverfront programme, including the Daugava multimedia show.
- Old Town — street music, pantomime theatre, and general festival atmosphere throughout the historic core.
- Dome Square — an artisans' market with local food tastings and handicrafts.
- Vērmanes Garden — family-oriented activities in one of the city's central parks.
- Uzvaras Park — outdoor street art installations as part of the broader programme.
The 2026 Programme, Date by Date
The festival is genuinely spread across the whole city and the whole month, not just one weekend on the embankment. Here's what runs where, with the main-day highlights marked.
7–8 August
“Dumpīgā Rīga” + Right Bank Festival
Dome Square; Grīziņkalns Park (8 Aug)
The Latvian National Theatre stages “Rebellious Riga” in Dome Square, and the companion Right Bank Festival takes over Grīziņkalns Park.
14–15 August
Red Bull Showrun Village & festival restaurant
Showrun Village; festival restaurant in Opera Square
The Showrun Village opens ahead of the main run, with F1 pit-stop challenges and the show machinery on display. A pop-up festival restaurant runs in Opera Square across both days.
14–15 August
Late-night electronic concert
Town Hall Square (Rātslaukums)
Electronic music in front of the House of the Blackheads, running 21:00 to 01:00.
15 August
Red Bull Showrun
Eksporta iela, between Elizabetes iela and the Vanšu Bridge
A free two-hour motorsport show, 14:00–16:00 — a Red Bull Formula 1 car plus drifting, rally and MotoGP demonstrations on a closed city street.
15 August
Main day: “Atver Rīgu! Kods: 825!”
11 November Embankment (11. novembra krastmala)
The centrepiece. Creative workshops for adults and children through the day, food stalls, and rolling music stages. Announced daytime line-up includes folk group Auļi, Citi zēni, hip-hop veteran Ozols, Alejas and Sudden Lights.
15 August, evening
“Mana partitūra Rīga” concert, then the river show
11 November Embankment / the Daugava
Evening concert with Shipsea, Andrejs Reinis Zitmanis, Jānis Aišpurs, Aija Andrejeva and Jurģis Namejs. Afterwards the river itself becomes the stage — a laser, fountain and video performance on the Daugava, followed by DJ sets from Linda Samsonova and Magnus Eriņš into the night.
15 August (all day)
Across the rest of the city
Old Town, Dome Square, Vērmanes Garden, Uzvaras Park
Street music and pantomime theatre through Old Town, an artisans' market in Dome Square, family activities in Vērmanes Garden, and the “Discover Wonders!” street-art programme in Uzvaras Park.
15–16 August
Krastu mačs & Riga Football Festival
Esplanāde; Riga Congress House
The traditional 24-hour “Bank Match” basketball tournament runs at the Esplanāde, alongside one of Latvia's largest amateur and youth football events.
22 August
Row Baltics 2026
Sarkandaugava
Closes out the Street Art Month programme in the Sarkandaugava district, north of the centre.
29 August
Closing day: three events at once
Old Town; Riga Passenger Port; Vakarbuļļi beach
The Traditional Culture and Crafts Centre “Īrga” opens in Old Town, the Fantadroms kite festival takes over the Passenger Port, and Ancient Fire Night is marked out at Vakarbuļļi beach.
A note on accuracy: this programme is compiled from the city's own listings and Latvian public-broadcaster coverage. Line-ups and start times occasionally shift, and the municipality confirms final details closer to each date — check riga.lv or rigasvasara.lv before building a day around one specific act.
Planning Around It
August is already Riga's peak season — the festival adds another layer of demand on top of that, especially for the main day itself. Book Old Town or riverside hotels early if your trip lines up with it, and expect the embankment and central squares to be genuinely packed that evening.
If crowds aren't your thing, the earlier and later weeks of the festival's August 1-29 window are far calmer while still carrying festival-adjacent programming across the city.
Building a wider trip around it? See our Riga in August guide for beach weather and booking tips, or our month-by-month guide for how August compares to the rest of the year. Only in Riga for the day? Our one-day guide covers a compressed route, and day trips from Riga covers the reverse — using the city as a base.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Rīgas Svētki (Riga City Festival) 2026?
Rīgas Svētki 2026 runs from August 1 to August 29, marking Riga's 825th anniversary, with the main celebration day on August 15.
What happens on the main day of Rīgas Svētki?
August 15 is the main day. The centrepiece programme “Atver Rīgu! Kods: 825!” runs on the 11 November Embankment with workshops, food and music stages through the day, an evening concert called “Mana partitūra Rīga”, and then a laser, fountain and video performance on the Daugava followed by DJ sets into the night. A free Red Bull Showrun motorsport display runs 14:00–16:00 on Eksporta iela, and Old Town, Dome Square, Vērmanes Garden and Uzvaras Park all carry their own programmes.
What is the Red Bull Showrun in Riga and is it free?
It's a free two-hour motorsport display on August 15, 14:00–16:00, on a closed section of Eksporta iela between Elizabetes iela and the Vanšu Bridge. It features a Red Bull Formula 1 car plus drifting, rally and MotoGP demonstrations. A Showrun Village with F1 pit-stop challenges and the show machinery on display runs across August 14–15.
Where can I leave my luggage during Rīgas Svētki?
Luggage storage points operate near Riga's central train and bus stations and around Old Town, which is useful if you're coming in for the day from elsewhere in Latvia or the Baltics. Most charge a small daily rate per bag and include insurance.
What else is there to do in Riga during the festival?
The festival programme is free and outdoors, so it pairs well with same-day bookings — Old Town and Art Nouveau walking tours run daily through August, and the Central Market is a short walk from the riverfront stages. Riga's bars and live-music venues stay busy through the festival period too.
What happens during Rīgas Svētki?
Centred on the 11 November Embankment and Old Town, the festival includes street music and pantomime performances, an artisans' market in Dome Square, activities in Vērmanes Garden, street art installations in Uzvaras Park, a multimedia show on the Daugava river, and sports events including a Red Bull Showrun and a football festival.
Is Rīgas Svētki free to attend?
Yes — it's a free, city-run public festival. No tickets are needed for the outdoor events, markets, or main-day programme.
Should I book a hotel early for Rīgas Svētki?
Yes. August is already Riga's peak tourist season, and the festival's main day draws large crowds into Old Town and along the riverfront — book Old Town or riverside accommodation well ahead if your dates overlap with it.
Here for the festival?
Still planning a trip around it?
Last updated: July 2026. Programme details for Rīgas Svētki are confirmed by Riga's municipal government (riga.lv) closer to the festival — check current listings before finalising plans around specific events.