“Staro Rīga” Light Festival Begins in Riga, Some Visitors Voice Disappointment

The annual light festival “Staro Rīga” began on 15 November in Riga, the capital of Latvia. Light objects and installations have been placed around the city, and residents are heading out on evening walks to see them. Alongside the positive impressions, the first critical reviews have already appeared on social media.

The festival's objects are spread across various locations in the city. One of them, titled “From Sunrise to Sunset”, stands near Riga State Gymnasium No. 3.

What visitors are writing

On the social media platform Threads, one woman wrote that she came home disappointed, but described the light trails in the Botanical Garden as wonderful. She noted that the weather was favourable, that many families with children were present, and that music added to the experience.

Another visitor said that only the displays at Andrejosta and the Reformed Church looked more or less like they did in photographs, and that the rest was a big letdown. Aleksa wrote that she went for a walk but did not find any of the objects. Klinta noticed that some of the objects seem to repeat from previous years.

Diāna believes last year's festival was better, though she still enjoyed the walk. Daniēla, on the other hand, is delighted with the festival and wrote that she liked it very much.