Dobele City Festival START SUMMER HERE!26 - Dobele, Dobele Municipality, June 5-6, 2026

Dobele City Festival START SUMMER HERE!26 - Dobele, Dobele Municipality, June 5-6, 2026

On June 5-6, 2026, Dobele invites visitors to the annual city festival “START SUMMER HERE!`26”, marking the beginning of summer with a wide-ranging cultural, entertainment and sports program. The celebration takes place in Dobele, with activities held at several locations in the city center. The festival opening is planned for June 5 with a concert at Dobele Evangelical Lutheran Church, featuring songs from the repertoire of Antra Stafecka and Uldis Marhilevičs. The main festival day is June 6, when there will be a market, sports activities, a family and children’s program, and a festive parade. The evening culminates in the Historic Market Square with concerts on the Main Stage, featuring Eolika, Carnival Youth and Sudden Lights. After the evening concerts, a disco party is planned, with DJ Cimmis and drummer Sigvards Dižais taking care of the party rhythm. The daytime program includes creative workshops, a fashion market and performances in various genres suitable for different audiences. The festival is an opportunity to enjoy Dobele’s atmosphere, performances by local groups and concerts by popular Latvian musicians all in one place. The program is designed to keep the city lively from morning until late evening. If you want to start the summer with a festive parade, market, concerts and friendly togetherness, Dobele is the right choice this weekend.

Festival Program and Times

Saturday, June 6, 2026

• 10:00 - “Vējdzirnavas” OpenLab, “Magnēti” – workshops (10:00–16:00), Dobele Municipality Central Library. Free.
• 10:00 - “RD atrakcijas” inflatable attractions (10:00–19:00), green area opposite the Maxima store. Paid.
• 10:00 - “Lilac Chess Tournament” (10:00–14:00), by Dobele Crafts House. Free.
• 10:00 - “Smile Workshop” children’s and toddlers’ entertainment park (10:00–18:00), in the garden of Dobele Evangelical Lutheran Church. Free.
• 10:00 - “Little Dobele Municipality Resident” baby honoring ceremony (10:00–11:30), in the garden of Dobele Evangelical Lutheran Church. Free.
• 11:00 - “Andele pa šiko” fashion market (11:00–16:00), in the courtyard of the “Pilsētas māja” guest house. Free.
• 11:00 - Choir concert “Dzel mani saulī” (11:00–12:00), Main Stage in the Historic Market Square. Free.
• 11:00 - “Start Summer Here” children’s run (11:00–12:00), Uzvaras Street. Free.
• 11:00 - “Made in Latvia” festival market (11:00–20:30), along Baznīcas Street. Paid.
• 11:00 - “Poorbaltics” car exotica, competitions, activities (11:00–17:30), by the DAVV hotel. Free.
• 11:00 - “Bake Up a Delicious Festival! Gourmet Street” home producers’ and entrepreneurs’ cafes (11:00–03:00), Uzvaras Street. Paid.
• 12:00 - “Bērze Banks Matches” basketball tournament (12:00–16:00), at the “Saules parks” recreation and playground area. Free.
• 12:10 - “Bake Up a Delicious Festival!” competition for visitors (12:10–12:40), Main Stage in the Historic Market Square. Free.
• 12:50 - Dance story “Beyond Happiness” (12:50–13:30), Main Stage in the Historic Market Square. Free.
• 13:00 - “Dobele Memory Trail” guided tour of Dobele (13:00–14:30), Uzvaras Street. Free.
• 13:40 - Hip-hop dance concert (13:40–14:00), Main Stage in the Historic Market Square. Free.
• 14:10 - Concert “Sound Energy” (14:10–15:10), Main Stage in the Historic Market Square. Free.
• 15:00 - “Ansis Auns” open-air theatre performance (15:00–16:00), by Dobele Crafts House. Free.
• 15:15 - Awarding of participants in the “Bake Up a Delicious Festival!” competition (15:15–15:30), Main Stage in the Historic Market Square. Free.
• 15:40 - DJ Cimmis (15:40–16:00), Main Stage in the Historic Market Square. Free.
• 16:00 - “Here, We Begin” concert by Dobele Municipality folk dance groups (16:00–17:30), Pļavas Street terrace. Free.
• 17:30 - Gathering for the festive parade (17:30–18:00), Sports Hall, Tērvetes Street 10. Free.
• 18:00 - Festive parade “Turn Summer Up Louder!” (18:00–19:00), route: Sports Hall – Brīvības Street – Baznīcas Street – Historic Market Square. Free.
• 19:00 - Band Eolika (19:00–20:30), Main Stage in the Historic Market Square. Free.
• 21:00 - Carnival Youth (21:00–22:20), Main Stage in the Historic Market Square. Free.
• 22:40 - Sudden Lights (22:40–24:00), Main Stage in the Historic Market Square. Free.
• 00:00 - Disco party (00:00–03:00), Main Stage in the Historic Market Square. Free.

Concerts and Artists

The festival’s main artists are Sudden Lights, Eolika and Carnival Youth, who will perform on the evening of June 6 on the Main Stage in the Historic Market Square. The evening will begin with a concert by Eolika, followed by Carnival Youth, and later in the evening, Sudden Lights. After the concerts, a disco party with DJ Cimmis and drummer Sigvards Dižais is planned. At the festival opening concert on June 5 at Dobele Evangelical Lutheran Church, the repertoire will include songs from the repertoire of Antra Stafecka and Uldis Marhilevičs. During the day on June 6, the program also includes the choir concert “Dzel mani saulī”, the dance story “Beyond Happiness”, a hip-hop dance concert, the concert “Sound Energy”, and the open-air theatre performance “Ansis Auns”.

Venues and Practical Information

The festival venues are located in the center of Dobele and at several nearby points. The major concerts and several performances take place on the Main Stage in the Historic Market Square, while the “Made in Latvia” festival market is set up along Baznīcas Street. Gourmet Street “Bake Up a Delicious Festival! Gourmet Street” takes place on Uzvaras Street, where the children’s run and the start of the guided tour are also planned. Family activities and the “Little Dobele Municipality Resident” baby honoring ceremony take place in the garden of Dobele Evangelical Lutheran Church. The festive parade starts at the Sports Hall on Tērvetes Street 10 and goes along Brīvības Street and Baznīcas Street to the Historic Market Square. Separate activities are also planned by the DAVV hotel, by Dobele Crafts House, on the Pļavas Street terrace, and at the “Saules parks” recreation and playground area.

Why It Is Worth Visiting

This festival is a good reason to come to Dobele right at the beginning of summer, because in one day you can combine a market atmosphere, sports, family activities and concerts. The program is arranged so that in the morning visitors can choose workshops, the children’s zone or activities around the city, while in the evening they can move into the rhythm of the big concerts in the Historic Market Square. The festive parade “Turn Summer Up Louder!” gives the city a special sense of togetherness and connects the different venues into one flow. The concert section offers both nostalgia and a contemporary sound, as Eolika, Carnival Youth and Sudden Lights all perform on the same evening. An added value is that the festival also includes performances by local groups and acts in various genres. The daytime activities allow families with children to enjoy the festival as well, while the evening is suitable for those who want to welcome summer with live music and a party into the night.