18 November 2026 in Riga: parade, fireworks, what’s open

Latvia celebrates the 108th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Latvia on Wednesday, 18 November. In Riga the main events are a military parade at midday and a concert on Freedom Square in the evening. This guide covers what had been confirmed by 10 November and will be updated when Rīgas satiksme, the city’s public transport operator, and the shop chains publish their plans.

The parade: where and when

The National Armed Forces, services of the interior and justice ministries and foreign units will parade on the 11 November Embankment, along the Daugava in the Old Town, from 13:30 to 14:45. A full rehearsal is planned for 17 November. A military equipment display will be open at the Riga Passenger Port from 11:00 to 16:00.

The parade will also be streamed: the Ministry of Defence said it would be shown live by LSM, the Latvian public broadcaster, and TV24, and on the ministry’s social media. Broadcast times have not been published yet.

Evening on Freedom Square

• 18:00–18:45 — the folk group Vilkači.
• 19:00–20:00 — the festive concert “Brīvības ainavas” (Landscapes of Freedom) with Aija Andrejeva, Asnate Rancāne, Dagnis Roziņš, Rihards Mačanovskis, Neaizmirstulītes and Oranžās.
• 20:00 — an address by President Edgars Rinkēvičs, followed by the national anthem.
• 20:10 to 23:00 — the light show “Dižkoku balsis” (Voices of the Great Trees), repeated several times an hour.

Will there be fireworks?

The 2026 holiday programme published by Riga City Council and the Ministry of Defence does not mention fireworks; the evening on Freedom Square ends with a light show. We will update this article if fireworks are announced.

Daytime concerts and museums

• 10:00–17:00 — a holiday programme at the National History Museum of Latvia in Riga Castle.
• 14:00 and 16:00 — concerts at the Riga Art Nouveau Centre (museum ticket required, book in advance).
• 15:00 — the Riga orchestra, choirs and soloists in “Rīgas pastkartes Latvijai” (Riga Postcards for Latvia) at the Ziemeļblāzma Palace of Culture.
• 16:00 — concerts at the Imanta culture centre, the Riga Latvian Society House (a men’s choir concert marking 90 years since the birth of the composer Edgars Račevskis) and the VEF Palace of Culture; free invitations from Biļešu Paradīze box offices from 12 November.
• 20:30 — the concert “Atnākšu pie sevis” (I Will Come Home to Myself) at the Mazā Ģilde culture centre.

The Staro Rīga light festival also runs on the holiday evening: from 15 to 18 November it lights up a route along both banks of the Daugava from 17:00 to 23:00. Unless stated otherwise, entry to the events is free.

Road closures

• Parking is banned on the 11 November Embankment between the Stone Bridge and Muitas Street from 20:00 on 16 November until 23:00 on 18 November.
• The 11 November Embankment will be closed to traffic from the afternoon of 17 November until the evening of 18 November.
• The Stone Bridge may close briefly during the rehearsal on 17 November and for about one to two hours during the parade on 18 November.
• The Vanšu Bridge stays open to pedestrians, but people may not gather on it.
• Only the National Armed Forces may fly drones.

Public transport will run, but some routes may be shortened or diverted. Travel on Riga’s public transport will be free on 18 November, LSM reported, citing the city’s holiday programme. Rīgas satiksme has not yet published a list of route changes.

Days off and opening hours

18 November, a Wednesday, is a public holiday. Under Latvia’s Labour Law the working day before a public holiday is one hour shorter, so work ends an hour early on Tuesday, 17 November. No working days are being moved in November 2026, so 16 and 19 November are normal working days.

Latvijas Pasts, the national postal service, has published holiday hours for its customer centres in Riga shopping centres: on 18 November the branches in Akropole, Alfa and Spice Home open from 10:00 to 21:00, Damme and Origo from 10:00 to 18:00, and Domina from 10:00 to 17:00.

By 10 November the large supermarket chains and shopping centres had not yet announced their hours for 18 November. In previous years the biggest chains usually kept their normal hours on national holidays, while some shopping centres closed earlier. Check the shop’s or centre’s website before you go; we will update this article when the chains publish their hours.