Taking place in Riga and Liepāja from April 9 to April 17, festival “Baltic Music Days 2026” will strengthen cooperation between the Nordic and the Baltic countries.
The festival “Baltic Music Days 2026. We Live In Different Times” will soon begin in Riga and Liepāja, marking a significant milestone in the cultural partnership of the Baltic-Nordic region and promoting mutual understanding, creative dialogue and long-term cooperation. Artists, composers, networking events and the participation of professional delegations strengthen regional cultural exchange and create a single platform for joint projects.
The new cooperation significantly promotes the flow of ideas between the Baltic and Nordic music environments, creating a sustainable model for the circulation of new works beyond their premieres and extending their life cycle in an international context. The festival strengthens the role of the Baltic States in the European cultural space as an active and equal partner, while enriching the region’s music ecosystem with diverse experiences, aesthetics and professional practices.
“We’re thrilled to finally have the sister festivals of Baltic and Nordic Music Days shake hands in Riga and Liepaja at Baltic Music Days 2026. It brings me great joy and hope these days to deepen this friendship with our Baltic neighbourhood, building understanding of our place in this world, both musically and otherwise”, comments Osmo Tapio Räihälä, Chair, Council of Nordic Composers and the Society of Finnish Composers.
The festival program:
April 9: Prelude to Different Times. Juventus, Minjona, Dziesmuvara – Riga Central Station
April 10: Kairos/Chronos. Liepāja Symphony Orchestra – “Great Amber” concert hall, Liepāja
April 11: Phantom Streams. Alexander Tillegreen – “Great Amber” concert hall, Liepāja
April 11: Letters to a Young Poet. Latvian Radio Choir – “Great Amber” concert hall, Liepāja
April 12: Turning the Time. Ensemble for New Music Tallinn – “Great Amber” concert hall, Liepāja
April 13: The Arrow of Time. Twenty Fingers Duo – Latvijas Radio 3 “Klasika”, live broadcast
April 14: Active Access: Opening Music-Making Through Technology. Workshop by a Scottish composer Ben Lunn – JVLMA, Riga
April 14: Time to Rise. Qullaq – Ģertrūdes Street Theatre, Riga
April 15: Two Northern Times. Aud the Deep Minded and HAV Duo – Ģertrūdes Street Theatre, Riga
April 16: Timeless Origin. Orchestra Riga – VEF Culture Palace, Riga
April 17: River of Time. Reinis Zariņš – Spīķeri Concert Hall, Riga
Tickets for the festival concerts in Riga and Liepaja are available here: https://www.bilesuparadize.lv/lv/custompage/6008
The festival is possible thanks to the Latvian State Culture Capital foundation, Riga City Council, Liepāja concert hall “Great Amber”, Liepāja City Municipality, Nordic Music Days, Nordic Culture Fund, Nordic Council of Ministers, Culture Action Europe and Statens Kunstfond; the festival’s informational support is done by Latvijas Radio 3 “Klasika” and shopping centre “Origo”.