Jelgava City Festival 2026 - Jelgava, May 29-31, 2026

Jelgava City Festival 2026 - Jelgava, May 29-31, 2026

From May 29 to 31, 2026, Jelgava will host the Jelgava City Festival under the motto “Jelgava Unites”. At the culmination of the festival, the city will offer three days of events with a special focus on togetherness, movement, and song. On Friday evening, the central event will be the festive parade “Sound Out Jelgava”, followed by several group singing and dance events. In the evening concert program at Hercoga Jēkaba Square, Antra Stafecka and the band Dzelzs Vilks will perform, while DJ Artis Volfs will keep the festival rhythm going into the night. Saturday’s program includes a festive market, a retro car gathering, and concerts by Jelgava bands, as well as a grand dance concert at the “Mītava” open-air concert hall. Saturday evening concerts will feature Zelta kniede and Labvēlīgais tips. In the early hours of Sunday, Ivo Fomins will perform at Hercoga Jēkaba Square, while later in the day an event is planned on Jāņa Asara Street, along with a concert by the folk music ensemble “Zelta stīdziņas” at Jelgava Music Secondary School. This festival is a good reason to plan a weekend in Jelgava and experience a parade, concerts, dances, and the city atmosphere in one route.

Festival Program and Times

Friday, May 29

• 17:30 - Participants gather for the festive parade “Sound Out Jelgava”.
• 18:00 - Jelgava City Festival parade “Sound Out Jelgava”, Lielā Street. Free admission.
• 19:05 - Dance flash mob, Hercoga Jēkaba Square. Free admission.
• 19:15 - Choir sing-along “I Give You My Song”, Hercoga Jēkaba Square. Free admission.
• 19:15 - Youth zone, square behind the Culture House. Free admission.
• 21:00 - Evening concert: Antra Stafecka, Hercoga Jēkaba Square. Free admission.
• 23:00 - Evening concert: Dzelzs Vilks, Hercoga Jēkaba Square. Free admission.

Saturday, May 30

• 00:30 - DJ set: DJ Artis Volfs, Hercoga Jēkaba Square. Free admission.
• 11:00 - Festival market, Kr. Barona Street and the square behind the Culture House. Free admission.
• 11:00 - Contemporary dance concert to Latvian music “Savīšanās.Latviski” by the professional-track dance school “Benefice”, Hercoga Jēkaba Square. Free admission.
• 13:00 - Retro car gathering, Pasta Island. Free admission.
• 14:00 - Concerts by Jelgava bands, square behind the Culture House. Free admission.
• 18:00 - Grand dance concert “Come Dance with Me”, “Mītava” open-air concert hall. Free admission.
• 19:00 - Youth zone, square behind the Culture House. Free admission.
• 19:00 - Evening concert: Zelta kniede, Hercoga Jēkaba Square. Free admission.
• 22:00 - Evening concert: Labvēlīgais tips, Hercoga Jēkaba Square. Free admission.

Sunday, May 31

• 00:00 - Evening concert: Ivo Fomins, Hercoga Jēkaba Square. Free admission.
• 11:00 - “What’s Happening on the Other Side of Asara Street?”, Jāņa Asara Street 2. Free admission.
• 17:00 - Concert “The Sun Played the Kokle” by the JVPI “Kultūra” folk music ensemble “Zelta stīdziņas”, Jelgava Music Secondary School. Free admission.

Concerts and Artists

The festival concert program is centered around the evening events at Hercoga Jēkaba Square. On Friday at 21:00, Antra Stafecka will perform, followed at 23:00 by a concert from the band Dzelzs Vilks. On Saturday night at 00:30, the program includes a DJ set with DJ Artis Volfs, while in the evening Zelta kniede will perform at 19:00 and Labvēlīgais tips at 22:00. On Sunday at 00:00, Ivo Fomins will perform in concert. In addition to the concerts, on Saturday at 11:00 at Hercoga Jēkaba Square there will be the contemporary dance concert “Savīšanās.Latviski” by the professional-track dance school “Benefice”, while on Sunday at 17:00 the JVPI “Kultūra” folk music ensemble “Zelta stīdziņas” will perform the concert “The Sun Played the Kokle” at Jelgava Music Secondary School.

Venues and Practical Information

The festival events will take place at several locations in Jelgava: Lielā Street, Hercoga Jēkaba Square, the square behind the Culture House, Kr. Barona Street, Pasta Island, the “Mītava” open-air concert hall, Jāņa Asara Street 2, and Jelgava Music Secondary School. During the festival, visitors should expect traffic restrictions in the city center, especially during the festive parade on May 29, when certain street sections along the parade route will be closed. It is also planned that from Friday evening until 03:00 on Sunday, May 31, the section of Lielā Street from Pasta Street to Uzvaras Street will be closed. When planning travel, it is recommended to choose a route in advance and allow extra time to reach the event venues.

Why Visit

The Jelgava City Festival “Jelgava Unites” offers a concentrated weekend program where a parade, concerts, dances, and the feeling of the city coming together meet in one place. The program includes both major evening concerts and daytime events, allowing visitors to enjoy the festival at different rhythms. The wide range of venues helps reveal Jelgava in motion, from the city center to Pasta Island and “Mītava”. The concert program, featuring several well-known artists, makes it possible to experience different genres and moods in one evening. Meanwhile, the market, retro car gathering, and youth zone add multiple layers to the festival and make it suitable for different audiences. If you want to feel the city’s energy during its birthday celebration, this is a weekend to plan in Jelgava.