Klaipėda Tourism and Culture Information Centre Turgaus Str. 7 , LT-91247 Klaipėda Tel. +370 46 412186 Fax. +370 46 412185 E-mail tic@klaipedainfo.lt
STATISTICS
Population in Klaipėda - 184 684 Population by age group: Children aged 0-14 - 13,7 perc. Aged 15-59 - 67,2 perc. Aged 60+ - 19,1 perc. (2008, January)
Calendar
THE MAIN CULTURE EVENTS IN KLAIPĖDA at 2010
At the beginning there was a sea and a coast. Then, contours of a castle showed up in the swampy ground, in the lower reaches of the river. And a windborne city – as open and unpredictable as the horizon – sprang up. This is the first impulse for creating, building and going into the streets to celebrate life.
There is no other city that has so much space for looking around, for improvisation and creation. This is why Klaipėda is called „a jazzy city with striped soul“. Artists who come from the seaside city are less tightened by institutional screws and more spontaneous: they also bring in some uproar to the citys life with their surprising projects. The cultural life of Klaipėda waves like a sea, too: here is an absolutely calmness and then a powerful wave come up, and then everything calms down again...
JANUARY 13th
Day of Independence defenders
January 13th
Near Klaipėda city municipality
Liepų St. 11
JANUARY 15th
Klaipėdas land day
January 15th
Sculpture park, Theatre square, various public halls
Shrove Tuesday
February 14th
FEBRUARY 16th
Rebuilding of Lithuania independence
February 16th
INTERNATIONAL XII YOUNG ARTISTS FESTIVAL „SKAMBANTI BANGA“
Beginning of March
MARCH 11th
Lithuania independence recreation day
March 11th
Music Festival “KLAIPEDA MUSIC SPRING“
The oldest festival of classical music in Lithuania. Its oneness lies in big projects of classical music: concerts of the symphony and chamber orchestras, operas etc.
“Klaipėda Music Spring” – majestic sound of classic!
End of April – Begging of May
Annual
Klaipėda Concert Hall
CULTURE DAY
Klaipėda city municipality culture department stated this festival at 2008. Fest it self is more for the culture organization employs, and people who can not imagine their live without culture.
April 15th
STREET MUSIC DAY
On the first Saturday in May thousands of people go out to the streets to play music. Street Musician Day is the event which unites all who speak the worlds most universal language - the language of music. In response to the invitation from musician and actor Andrius Mamontovas, professional and amateur musicians flood into the streets, yards, parks and squares of Vilnius. Armed with a variety of musical instruments, they play rock, classics, jazz, avant-garde and folklore and beat African rhythms. On this day all Lithuanian cities and towns engage into the fest of free creation and socialising between musicians and the public.
In 2008, Street Musician Day erupted all across Lithuania with more than 3,000 musicians playing in the capital and 31 other cities and towns. Street Musician Day in 2009 will involve Lithuanians living all over the world playing jazz, rock, classics, rhythms and folk music out on the streets.
May 1st
INTERNATIONAL PUPPET FESTIVAL „KARAKUMŲ ASILĖLIS“ KLAIPĖDA
May
GERMAN CULTURE DAYS
Traditional project, dedicated to presentation of German and Austrian culture (literature, visual art, films, theatre, music). The project was coordinated by R. Bosch fund till 2005, since 2006 by – “Simon Dach house”. Partners of the project – Goethes culture institute, Embassies of the Republics of Germany Federation and Austria in Lithuania.
Public spaces of Klaipėda,
KKKC “Kultūrpolis”, S. Dach house, P. Domšaitis gallery
“MUSEUM NIGHTS”
International event of all museums of Europe, organized to commemorate International day of Museums. During the event various concerts, workshops of crafts and arts, exhibitions, performances, meetings with the artists, etc. take place all day long at Klaipėda Clock, Sea and History Museum of Lithuania Minor as well as P. Domšaitis art gallery.
Middle of May
Museums of Klaipeda city
International Plain-air of Black-smith “KETURI VĖJAI” ("FOUR WINDS")
Today Lithuanian black-smith lives its renaissance. It would be difficult to find a town or a village where modern black-smith works would not appear next to the old ones. Professional Lithuanian black-smiths, who have adopted mysteries of their craft from their grandparents and grand-grandparents, spread it to their children now. A wish to promote black-smith work and to continue the old traditions of this craft, induced Lithuanian black-smiths to establish their own union and to organize the plain-airs of black-smith every year.
Theatre square
RUNNING MARATON „Vilties bėgimas“ (Hope running)
First marathon stated at 2008 m. May 11 d. The purpose of this event were to introduce people and city guests with idea of building new "Holly Pranciškus oncology center" project and start to gather founds.
May 23th 14h.
„SPRING OF POETRY“
A part of the traditional event of Lithuanian poets. It is organized in May every year. During the event it is possible to listen to the Lithuanian and foreign poets, reading their poems day and night, to take part at the discussions, dedicated to the urgent problems of literature, to participate at the presentations of new books, and awards of the most prominent poets of the year.
End of May – Beginning of June
The yard of P. Domšaitis gallery
Libraries
Ships
KIDS AND YOUTH ETHNICAL CULTURE CAMP-FESTIVAL "VĖLUNGIS"
Last May weekend
KLAIPĖDA OLD TOWN SUMMER SEASON OPENING "Aš myliu Klaipėdos senamiestį" (I love Klaipėda old town)
Klaipėdos old town business companies that organizes the event invites handicraft specialists, art attractions and provocations, free concerts, movies preview.
Beginning of June
Interantional Festival of Street Theatres „ŠERMUKŠNIS“ (“ROWAN-TREE”)
“Šermukšnis“ – a massive festival of the city, promoting unspecific genres of theatre in the untraditional areas. There are various illusions of theatre, actions, improvisations and carnivals as well as music and circus performances presented during the festival.
Often it is even no theatre, but just a fantasy or event, having elements of the theatre. Pure genre of theatre occupies just a small niche of the festival program.
The real “Šermukšnis” is the whole complex of colors, various events, and phantasmagoric pulse of the city.
There have been 20 theatres from different foreign countries presented at the festival.
June
Every two years
Old-town of Klaipėda, Castle territory
Klaipeda Castle Jazz Festival
It is the international event and has the status of the city festival. The motto of the festival is "Good music for good people". It reflects the purpose of the festival for the jazz and world music lovers of various ages, educational background, music taste in Klaipeda city and in the whole Republic of Lithuania. The festival became an important part of the cultural life in Klaipeda city and Lithuania since the 10th anniversary in 2003. For all these years all the performances have stayed free of charge.
End of June
Theatre square, old town, jazz club
“Kurpiai”
MIDDSUMER DAY
In the evening 23rd of June on Jonas hill Midsummer festival is held. Midsummer may simply refer to the period of time centered upon the summer solstice, but more often refers to specific European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice, or that take place around the 24th of June and the preceding evening. The exact dates vary between cultures.
June 23rd
TRADITIONAL FOLKLORE FESTIVAL „PARBĖG LAIVELIS“
The international folklore festival Parbeg laivelis is one of the largest celebrations of ethnic culture in Western Lithuania. It is arranged every second year in the port city Klaipeda. Its characteristic feature is the attention to authenticity.
Water is the axis of the massive folklore festivity; thats why the events of the festival usually move from ordinary stages and squares to the waterfront. Concerts are held near the river Dane or right in it, in the waters of the Curonian Bay, onboard the moored ships in the quays. Parbeg laivelis is listed in the festival calendar of the international folk-art organization CIOFF under UNESCO.
July
SEA FESTIVAL
The main event of Klaipėda city, celebrated annually last week-end of July since 1934. During the festival there are more than 100 various events organized (concerts, fairs, exhibitions, artistic actions, ceremonies of seamen, etc.). It is also famous for traditional sailing regattas “BALTIC SAIL” and „SPRINT CUP” taking place during the festival.
More than 500 thousands of people are coming to the city during the festival.
July 30th – August 1st
Old town, Smiltynė, harbour area
ETNOCULTURE FESTIVAL „Žuvys išgalvojo giesmes“
Traditional and international ethnographical fishermans festival. During the festival visitors can try smoked fish products, original fish soup, various teas, local herb drinks, original healing recipes, old authentic crafts. Festival days there are always folklore group performances.
July – August
CITY BIRTHDAY
Traditional festival of the city, organized in the territory of the city castle. During the day, the most important people of culture are awarded with the names of City Master of Culture. Also s special event “Visit to the Medieval Town” is organized, where citizens may get acquainted with historical dances, songs and art of chivalry.
August 1st
The Castle museum
International Opera and Symphony Music Festival “MUZIKINIS PAJŪRIS” (“Musical Seaside”)
The only festival of such genres in the Western Lithuania. Each year festival is dedicated to new conception or topic. The biggest part of the program is made of the opera premiers and concerts, prepared by the organizer of the festival - Klaipėda State Musical Theatre. Nevertheless, symphony and chamber orchestras, ensembles, quintets, soloists and conductors from Lithuania and foreign countries are taking part at the festival as well.
August
Klaipėda State Musical Theatre, Nida, Juodkrantė, Plungė
Alternative Music & Art Summit Festival - Satta Outside
Alternative music and art festival
International Festival of Contemporary Art “PLArTFORMA”
The main idea of the festival “PLArTFORMA” is to combine the forms of visual and performing arts as well as the artists from Lithuania and foreign countries in one cultural platform. At the same time it is a possibility to uncover new cultural areas, while inhabiting former urban and industrial territories with creative projects. In this way “PLArTFORMA” is a project of versatile and multilateral communication, the only event of such a kind in Klaipėda and whole Western Lithuania.
September 4-5th
Harbour and city castle territory, Cruise Ship Terminal (Pilies str. 4)
International Short Film Festival “TINKLAI “ (“Nets”)
New short films from the Baltic sea region countries are screened during the festival. The beholders may get acquainted with the variety of contemporary short films: documentary, animation, scenic films, etc. There are seminars, meetings with producers and directors of films organized during the festival.
Festival starts in Klaipėda and then takes place in Vilnius, Kaunas, Panevėžys, Šiauliai and Alytus.
The uniqueness of the festival is that it takes place in open-air or untraditional spaces: urban buildings, museums, etc.
End of September
Contemporary Music Festival „PERMAINŲ MUZIKA“ (“Music of Changes”)
Festival of the modern composition, organized since 2005. Goal of the festival is to present the most modern forms of contemporary music expression, interaction of different arts, prompt the non-traditional ways of composition. About 10 musical projects of different formats are in the program of the festival.
September - October
XVIIIth International Choir Competition of Stasys Šimkus
30 years of history having competition is well known not only in Lithuania, but also in Europe. It is inscribed into the European choirs competitions and festivals register.
It is the only competition of such rank in Lithuania, where only professional groups may participate.
During the competition, the concerts at the churches and concert halls of the city are taking place, as well as various meetings, discussions, etc.
October
Arts Faculty of Klaipėda University, Klaipėda Concert Hall
International Event “NOVELĖS RUDUO” (“Autumn of Novel”)
Traditional event of Lithuanian prose-writers, where public readings of novels are taking place. The writers from Lithuania and foreign countries are presented. It is organized since 1950.
Middle of October
Klaipėda city schools, Public Library of
I.Simonaitytė
MARTYNO FESTIVAL
Each year at November 11th Klaipėda city is celebrating joyfll festival for kids and youth.
November 11th
NORTH COUNTRIES MOVIES FORUM „SCANORAMA“
European Film Forum “Scanorama” is the festival of discoveries. Not only popular and famous films but also new names, new creations, new ideas, new stylistics, the opportunity to discover something that will never be shown elsewhere.
„ “Scanorama” is a clear concept of film display, professional film selection, elaborate and original retrospectives, new special programmes each year, interesting guests, and thoughtful discussions.
Last weekend of November
Festival of Christmas Music "SALVE MUSICA"
Festival is dedicated for Christmas. Its program consists of famous pieces of popular classics, diverse entertaining and popular projects that emphasize the elevated mood of the seasonal spirits.
December
Christmas and New Year Events
Each year cycle of Christmas events starts on the first week-end of December with enlightenment of Christmas tree and ends on the 31st with festal salutes.
December 4-31th
Theatre square, Revival square, Johns hill, public spaces
