Ventspils plans fireworks and Liepāja an open-air concert for Latvia’s 18 November holiday

Ventspils will close its celebrations of the 108th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Latvia on 18 November with fireworks at 19:10 in Lielais laukums, the town’s main square. In Liepāja, the main event of the evening is an open-air concert at 18:00. Both city councils published their programmes in advance, and most events are free.

Ventspils: concerts, a path of light and fireworks

• 10:00 — a walk or run tracing the outline of Latvia on an 11.5 km route around Ventspils. Walkers and Nordic walkers set off first; the run starts at 11:18.
• 16:00 — a free holiday concert, Dzimtene – mūzika mūžīgā (Homeland – Music Eternal), at the Latvija concert hall, with the soprano Paula Mihailova, the organist Aigars Reinis, the combined Ventspils choirs and the Ventspils Chamber Orchestra conducted by Aigars Meri. Free tickets have been available from the concert hall box office since 9 November.
• 17:30 — a path of candles outside Ventspils State Gymnasium No 1, with a concert by its pupils.
• 18:00 — the Latvija 108 concert in the main square, with theatre and film music by the composer Raimonds Pauls and well-loved songs. The band Armaestro will be joined by the singers Mārcis Manjakovs, Ērika Grāvele, Lelde Dreimane, Madara Botmane, Juris Hiršs and Jānis Paukštello.
• 19:10 — fireworks to a medley of Raimonds Pauls songs.

Liepāja: an outline of Latvia, a service and a concert

• 10:00 — an 8.5 km route tracing the outline of Latvia starts in Jāņa Čakstes laukums, a square in the city centre. It can be run, cycled or walked with a pushchair.
• 11:00 — an ecumenical service at St Anne’s Lutheran Church on Kuršu laukums.
• 18:00 — a holiday concert in Jāņa Čakstes laukums with the band Tā kā pērn, the kokle player Laima Jansone, the cellist Valters Pūce, the LAIKS choir and the folk group Ķocis. The kokle is a Latvian plucked string instrument.

The concert was put together by the ethnomusician Ēriks Zeps. He said it would celebrate a sense of home and belonging, with folk songs and popular songs about strong people and endurance. Tā kā pērn are Ēriks Zeps, Julgī Stalte, Pēteris Narubins, Ingus Grīnbergs, Deniss Smirnovs and Kristaps Strods.

Fireworks are not mentioned in the programme published by Liepāja city council. Traffic will be restricted in the city during the celebrations, so visitors are advised to set off for the centre early.