White Night in Riga: What to See and Where to Go on September 5

This year, White Night is taking place in Riga for the 21st time. The theme of the forum is "The City Comes Alive Where We Are." The organizers invite us to view the city as a living ecosystem, where alongside people exist plants, animals, birds, and other living beings. All main events are free, however, some events require prior registration or a free ticket. ## From 12:00 ### Poetry Days 2026: Journey with Poets **12:00–14:00** **Meeting point:** at the Latvian Museum of Firefighting. A poetic walk through Riga, during which participants will get to know the city through contemporary poetry and stories from authors. ### Antonijas Street Festival **12:00–22:00** **Where:** Antonijas iela, section from Elizabetes iela to Nikolaja Rēriha iela. For the first time, Antonijas Street will become a separate festive venue. There will be music, various activities, food, and a large communal table nearly 60 meters long. ### Festival "Art for Meat Tax" **12:00–00:20** **Where:** Creative Factory Veldze, Matīsa iela 8. The international contemporary art festival will bring together exhibitions, performances, concerts, lectures, and discussions. The focus of this year's program is on the theme of overconsumption and its impact on society, health, and the environment. ### Krista Windberga-Auzniece's Installation "Oh, Sing to Me" **12:00–02:00** **Where:** Kim? Center for Contemporary Art and the courtyard of Sporta 2. An art installation created specifically for White Night, open almost all day and into the deep night. ## From 17:00 ### "Beaver Construction Site" **17:00–03:00** **Where:** Jēkaba laukums. One of the main installations of this year's White Night. The project offers a perspective on the city from the viewpoint of animals that also change the environment. This is the latest event in the official program. ## From 18:00 ### Poetry Days 2026: "Third of a Century Award" **18:00–20:00** **Where:** Bar Čē, Dzirnavu iela 82. A special event of the traditional Poetry Days featuring authors and lovers of contemporary literature. ### Riga Last Thursdays **Main program — 18:00–22:00**, however, the opening hours of individual galleries vary. Numerous art spaces in Riga are joining White Night, including MASA Studija, Dom galerija, M/Gallery, Hyper, VISKAĻI, RIXC, DUUJA, Berga baz'ART, Chekhov Theatre Gallery, MuseumLV, ISTABA, Part Time Gallery, TUR telpa, Anna Simtniece's exhibition space, and Kim?. This is a good option for those who want to spend the evening moving from one gallery to another. ### "Street Art of Sarkandaugava" Tour **18:00–20:00** **Meeting point:** Tilta iela 8. Artist Dainis Rudens will lead a tour of street art works in the Sarkandaugava area. ### Light Installation "Pareidolia" **18:00–01:00** **Where:** Vermanes Park, near the fountain. A kinetic light installation that plays with the pareidolia effect — the human ability to notice familiar shapes and faces in random forms. ### Survival Kit at White Night **18:00–24:00** **Where:** Congress House, entrance from the canal, Krišjāņa Valdemāra iela 5. The night program of the renowned international contemporary art festival Survival Kit. ### "How Do You Feel Today? Emotional Literacy" **18:00–24:00** **Where:** Riga Contemporary Art Space, Kungu iela 3. A group exhibition dedicated to emotions, their recognition, and their place in modern life. ### Sarmīte Malinā. "An Outside Perspective" **18:00–24:00** **Where:** Riga Contemporary Art Space, Kungu iela 3. A personal exhibition by one of Latvia's prominent artists. It can be combined with the previous exhibition at the same venue. ### "Pigeon Rave" **18:00–02:00** **Where:** Creative Factory Veldze, Matīsa iela 8. One of the most unusual projects of the night. Film, sound, archival materials, a lecture, installation, and performance offer a view of Riga through the eyes of an urban pigeon. ### "Butterfly Tram" **18:00–02:00** **Route:** from Riga's 45th Secondary School to Ilguciems. A regular city tram will transform into an artistic space and become an integral part of the White Night program. ### "Dionysus Theater" **18:00–02:00** **Where:** courtyard of the von Strick villa, Aristida Briāna iela 9. A performative theater program in one of the most atmospheric cultural spaces in Riga. ### Voldemars Johansons' Installation "Feeling of Closeness" **18:00–02:00** **Where:** TabFab quarter, pavilion of the National Film School of the Latvian Academy of Culture, Miera iela 58A. An artistic installation exploring the sensations of space, presence, and closeness. ### "ELPA / Relaxation Field" **18:00–02:00** **Where:** Bastejkalna Park. An outdoor spatial installation where light and the surrounding environment transform the familiar city park into a place for slowing down and observing. ### "Cinema Days — 86": 40th Anniversary **18:00–02:00** **Where:** Latvian Academy of Culture, quarter Miera iela 58A. A special film program dedicated to the legacy and anniversary of a historical event in the Latvian film industry. ### Liga Spunde. "Surprise, Surprise" **18:00–02:00** **Where:** AB dambis. A large-scale art installation on the dam overlooking the Daugava and the center of Riga. ## From 19:00 ### "Organic Synthesis" **19:00–20:30** **Where:** VEF Culture Palace, Ropažu iela 2. A concert that combines orchestral music, electronics, contemporary dance, and poetry. Free tickets are required for attendance. ### "Four Seasons. Urban Resonance" **19:00–21:00** **Where:** Ghetto Games amphitheater, Pērnavas iela 42. An interdisciplinary concert performance combining music and contemporary urban culture. ### "Whites and Albinos in the Museum" **19:00–22:00** **Where:** Latvian National Museum of Nature, Krišjāņa Barona iela 4. An educational program that tells about white coloration and albinism in nature. Suitable for families with children. ### "The City Comes Alive in Sounds and Colors" **19:00–22:00** **Where:** French Institute in Latvia, Raiņa bulvāris 9. A musical and visual program that allows a different perspective on the sounds and colors of the urban environment. ### "Nature Enters..." **19:00–23:00** **Where:** Riga Latvian Society, Merķeļa iela 13. A cultural program dedicated to the interaction between nature, humans, and the urban environment. ### "Diamond Wheels. A Celebration of Accessibility in the City" **19:00–24:00** **Where:** from the park side at the Latvian National Museum of Art, Jaņa Rozentāla laukums 1. The event draws attention to the accessibility of the urban environment and the opportunity for people with various needs to fully participate in cultural life. ### "Videography XXI — Space Textures" **19:00–01:00** **Where:** Botanical Garden of the University of Latvia, Jāņa Šteinhauera iela 2. The palm greenhouse and the garden area will transform into a space for experimental music, video, and light. ### "White Night" of the Skaņu mežs Festival **19:00–02:00** **Where:** SunsStudio, Magoņu iela 9A. A night program of experimental and avant-garde music for those seeking unusual sounds away from mass concerts. ### Satori Poetry Disco "End of the World" **19:00–01:00** **Where:** Botanical Garden of the University of Latvia, Jāņa Šteinhauera iela 2. Readings and a disco on the theme of apocalyptic scenarios, the future, and ways to be together after the symbolic "end of the world." ## From 20:00 ### Electronic Music and Lasers **20:00–23:00** **Where:** Ziemeļblāzma Culture Palace Park, Ziemeļblāzmas iela 36. One of the most spectacular venues outside the center: electronic music will be accompanied by a laser show. ### "Mushroom Vision" **20:00–22:30** **Where:** Courtyard of the Latvian Puppet Theatre, Krišjāņa Barona iela 16/18. An unusual theatrical-visual program dedicated to mushrooms and the world of nature. ### Disco "Garden Dances" **20:00–01:00** **Where:** Vermanes Park stage. A large night disco outdoors in the very center of the city. ## What to Choose if Time is Short Seeing the entire program in one evening is practically impossible. For those who want to stay in the center, it's convenient to start with exhibitions on Kungu iela, then walk through Old Riga to Jēkaba laukums, Bastejkalns, and Vermanes Park. Along the way, you can stop by the Museum of Nature, the Puppet Theatre, or the Congress House. For a more unusual program, consider the Creative Factory Veldze with the "Pigeon Rave," the Botanical Garden with video art and the poetry disco, or head to Ziemeļblāzma for electronic music and lasers. White Night takes place on the night of **September 5 to 6**, however, the first events start already at **12:00 on September 5**. The latest venue — the installation "Beaver Construction Site" at Jēkaba laukums — will be open until **03:00**. All events are free, although some require prior registration or a free ticket. The program is so rich that trying to see everything in one evening is not necessary. It is much more convenient to choose a few venues in one area in advance and create your own route. Moreover, White Night offers options for almost every taste — from family museum programs and light installations to electronic music, avant-garde concerts, and night performances.