Liepāja’s Lāčplēsis Garden Festival returns on Saturday, 15 August, beginning at 14:00 in Lāčplēsis Garden, Karosta. Now for its seventh time, the festival has become a much‑loved August tradition for residents and city guests. This year, the Liepāja 2027 Foundation invites the public to take part in a special community art event, “The Pride of the Whole World Is in You When You Hold Your Head High” (Viks.), which combines a creative workshop with a collective procession. The event is part of the Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027 programme.
The concept for this public engagement initiative was developed by set designer Reinis Dzudzilo, who drew inspiration from a well‑known line by Latvian poet Viks, and made popular through a song by the band “Pērkons”: “The pride of the whole world is in you when you hold your head high.” During the workshop, participants will create three‑dimensional portraits of their own profiles – symbolic “torches of light” in which each person’s facial outline becomes the flame. The process is both artistic and documentary: together, these portraits will form a cross‑section of today’s Liepāja residents and visitors, capturing the people who are shaping the city’s story on its path towards 2027.
“I feel we should walk into the Lāčplēšis Garden Festival in Karosta with “Pērkons” at our back – they’re like the crack of lightning that splits the sky, that sudden electric pulse that makes everyone look up. It suits Liepāja perfectly. The European Capital of Culture is powered by (un)rest, by that restless current that keeps the city awake and moving. So, the workshop should carry that same charge. We’ll stand tall, backs straight, heads high, and then we’ll march as if we’re trying to raise our heads above the hum of the whole city. Look – the pride of Liepāja travelling through space and time,” says Reinis Dzudzilo.
At 19:15, workshop participants will gather for a joint procession through Lāčplēšis Garden, accompanied by live music featuring melodies by “Pērkons”.
This year’s festival theme, “Rest in Karosta”, highlights the area’s unique character and ongoing cultural revitalisation. The festival is organised by the “Baringtons K2” association in collaboration with “Liepāja 2027”. As part of its contribution, Liepāja 2027 is also adding to the programme a new exhibition created by artists from the “CreArt” network. From 22 July to 19 August, artists Patricija Gilytė and Cédric Canaud are in residence in Karosta, developing new works inspired by the local environment, community, and the theme of ecological restoration. These works will be publicly unveiled for the first time at the Lāčplēšis Garden Festival.
All festival events are free of charge.
The “(un)rest” programme of “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” is implemented by the Liepāja 2027 Foundation, with funding allocated by the City of Liepāja, the South Kurzeme and Kuldīga municipalities, and the Ministry of Culture. The “Liepāja 2027” programme is supported by its main partner in environmental education and sustainability, AS “CleanR Grupa”, Jsc; its main partner in air mobility and international communications, AS “airBaltic Corporation”, Jsc; its partner in legal matters SIA “Sorainen ZAB”, Ltd; its land mobility partner, SIA “Lux Express Latvia”, Ltd; alongside its maritime mobility and international communication partner SIA “Stena Line”, Ltd; The Foundation’s media partners are: VSIA “Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs”, Ltd; SIA “Tvnet grupa”, Ltd; and AS “Kurzemes Radio”, Jsc.