Plenty of fun, entertaining, and educational events at the Sea Festival

The Sea Festival events will begin with a memorial ceremony on Saturday, 8 July, at 11.00 at the Monument to the Perished Sailors and Fishermen and will run throughout the day. From 12.00 to 23.30, residents and city guests will enjoy music, dancing and games, different food aromas, colours, merchants, bustling, activities and chats in Seaside Park and on the beach. An extended offer for children and young people. The music programme on the big festival stage will entertain with Latvian renowned and popular musicians.

Keeping up the tradition started last year, the first exciting highlights will take place on Friday afternoon, 7 July, with the Liepāja Special Economic Zone Authority taking care of it. Celebrating Liepāja's special location between the lake and the sea, on Friday afternoon a rowing competition will take place at the marina, followed by a parade of boats and dinghies. Dozens of watercraft owners enthusiastically join this event every year, managing to delight both the participants and the parade spectators.

On 8 July, we will celebrate the Sea Festival in Seaside Park. This year, the celebration area will be extended to cover the park area from Jūrmalas to Peldu Streets and the beach by the Lifesaving Station. The Music Stage Day programme will feature open-air marine carols by Anta Eņģele and Marko Ojala.

Kids will love to enjoy a performance by the legendary children's ensemble "Dzeguzīte". The duo "Karakums", featuring Kaspars Tīmanis and Normunds Jakušonoks from the band "Labvēlīgais Tips", will present a cheerful set of Latvian songs. The day's programme will conclude with a concert "My Life Beside the Sea" with soloists Dainis Skutelis and Ieva Sutugova, singing actors Dita Lūriņa-Egliena and Jānis Paukštello. Jānis Strazds' instrumental band and the event's host, Captain Normunds Laizāns, will take care of the evening's musical programme.

Alongside the events on the Musical Stage, the kids' activity area opposite the Daugava Stadium will be transformed into the "Island of Pirate Wonders". In the creative workshops, kids will make their own blindfold, headdress, and themed toy, try their hand at miniature attractions such as throwing bars and axes, slingshots, find some treasure in the big wonder chest and dance at the pirate party.

In the park area closer to Peldu Street, "Constellation Cube" will offer an educational and creative programme for children and young people. The project's creative personality Agnese Rakovska will encourage to take part in songwriting, try out different instruments and take a look into a music recording studio. The creators of "Constellation Cube" will introduce children and young people to the music fundamentals, offering discussions, masterclasses and a free microphone for self-expression, to engage those without a special musical education in music.

The traditional craft market will gather craft people from all over Latvia, offering handmade clothing, leather items, toys, candles, soaps, a variety of embellishments, wooden products, decor, natural cosmetics, modern ceramic utensils and more. Fish products have been given particular attention in the planning and selection of the market's participants: smoked products, cured fish, pickles. A wide range of cheeses, meat products, snacks, organic bread and even fish pies will be available. Home producers will have brought sweets - candied fruits, biscuits, candies, nut creams and a wide selection of honey products. Hot dishes will be available as well as the traditional ones, and we will also try something more outlandish, such as Uzbek cuisine.

Anyone tired from bustle and hustle can retire to the beach. A sand sculpting masterclass will be held in front of the Lifesaving Station. One of the sand sculpture artists we will meet in person will be Ainars Zingniks from Liepāja. The artist will build his sandcastle on the beach, which is expected to reach two metres in height. Right next to the site, a team of scientists from the Latvian Institute of Hydroecology will be conducting marine education activities to raise awareness of the biodiversity of the Baltic Sea coast. As last year, there will be the opportunity to take part in a research fishing net tow and to study the contents of the net. In the park, by the water fountain, you are welcome to stop by the Democracy Square, where you will have the opportunity to play several democratic board games and engage in lively informal conversations.

The evening programme on the Musical Stage will start at 19.00 and will create a real summer festival atmosphere. The first to go on stage will be the popular singer Būū. In 2022, Būū was a four-time nominee for the Latvian Music Recording Award "Golden Microphone" and was a winner in two key categories – "Debut of the Year" and "Song of the Year". For the Sea Festival, the singer has put together an hour-long programme that will captivate you with its joyful frenzy, inspiring you to sing along and dance. The Hobos & Ralfs Eilands will continue the show with a musical duo. The performances of this band are capable of delivering unprecedented energy vibrations to the audience. The most popular songs of the band are to be performed at the festival - "Christian (I'm Gonna Be)", "Walk All Night", "Lost in Space", "Lululu", as well as other well-known and beloved songs of "The Hobos". The musicians also plan to play their new joint project with Ralfs Eilands - "Sober Sky", the music and lyrics of which were written by band member Rolands Balodis-Ūdris or Ūdrītis. The night culminates in a truly Liepāja spirit with the legendary musician and artist Igo, who will entertain folks with his "golden repertoire" from the bands "Līvi", "Remix", "Liepājas brāļi", as well as excerpts from Zigmārs Liepiņš' rock opera "Lāčplēsis" and the opera "The Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris". The chosen repertoire is wonderful retrospect of events that were personally important for Igo, for each one of us and for Latvia, in a way - living with the music and songs.

We have taken great care to ensure that the festival is a worry-free, safe, and enjoyable experience, paying particular attention to the prevention of getting lost and distracted. Children will be given the opportunity to receive wristbands at the venue, marking them with a contact number in case they wander away from their close ones. Volunteers will be present at the meeting point to provide assistance or information in case of emergency, such as where to get medical help, how to contact or meet relatives. Most of the people seeking help at these events are children, people suffering from health problems and the elderly.

Check out www.liepaja.lv/jurassvetki2023 to plan and find your favourite event in the vast array of activities on offer, to take part in events that will introduce you to new experiences, or to find out about traffic restrictions and other up-to-date information.

Sea Festival programme:

7 July The Old and New Promenades opposite Liepāja Yacht Marina

"Across the city from the lake to the sea"

15.00 – 19.00 Rowing competition,

19.00 – 20.00 parade of boats and dinghies,

Organised by the Liepāja Special Economic Zone Authority.

8 July Liepāja Seaside Park

11.00 Memorial ceremony at the Monument to the Perished Sailors and Fishermen

Musical stage

Day programme:

12.00 – 12.35 Anta Eņģele and Marko Ojala,

12.40 – 13.30 Children's ensemble "Dzeguzīte",

13.40 – 14.30 Duo "Karakums", Kaspars Tīmanis and Normunds Jakušonoks,

14.45 – 16.00 concert programme "My Life Beside the Sea", Dainis Skutelis and Ieva Sutugova, singing actors Dita Lūriņa and Jānis Paukštello, instrumental band led by Jānis Strazds.

Evening programme:

19.00 – 20.20

20.30 – 21.50 The Hobos & Ralfs Eilands

22.00 – 23.20 IGO

The Constellation Cube

12.00 - 17.00 Creative platform throughout the day, giving everyone the opportunity to try out their talents. Children, young people, parents and everyone else are encouraged to take part in songwriting, try out different instruments and check out the recording studio.

Island of Pirate Wonders

12.00 – 17.00 Activities for children - workshops, mini attractions.

12.00,14.00,15.30 Street artist Peppino Marabita (Italy),

12.45,14.45,16.15 Illusionist Juris Gavrilovs (Latvia),

13.30, 16.00 Pirate Disco Party.

Democracy Square

12.00 – 17.00 A chance to try out some democratic board games, engage in conversations, meet like-minded and different-minded people.

14.30 – 15.30 and 16.00 - 17.00 "Democracy Café" afternoon of conversations. Presented by the Democracy Foundation in cooperation with the Kurzeme NGO Centre and the Liepāja City Municipality.

National Armed Forces

12.00 – 17.00 Encounter with representatives of the Navy.

Festive market along the park pathways and alleys

12.00 – 23.30 Plenty of handicrafts and home-made products on sale.

On Liepāja beach near the Lifesaving Station

Sand sculptures

12.00 – 17.00 Sculpture-making masterclass with professional sculpture makers. Ainars Zingniks, an artist from Liepāja, will create his own sandcastle.

Sea Explorers

12.00 – 16.00 Marine exploration activities with the Latvian Institute of Hydroecology team, thematic workshops, research fishing net towing and net contents study at 12.30, 13.30 and 14.30.

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