Riga celebrates Left Bank festival; Burger Festival opens with first day
On 1 August, Riga hosted the Left Bank festival, featuring creative workshops, sports and concerts, with the highlight being Aija Andrejeva and the special project GUSTAVO together with the orchestra "Rīga".
Riga's Left Bank festival took place on 1 August, inviting residents and visitors to rediscover the capital. Thanks to favourable weather, attendees could take part in creative workshops, sports events and enjoy food.
The festival reached its culmination with performances by Aija Andrejeva and the special concert project GUSTAVO, accompanied by the orchestra "Rīga". Throughout the day, the performance zone drew particular attention, bringing together movement art, music and science. Children were delighted by the Cēsis Small Theatre play "Ūdens ceļš" ("Water's Path"), which explained the journey of water in nature in an accessible way. The Estonian science centre AHHAA presented fascinating experiments, while the BUTŌ Lab performance "Femina Vas Hermeticum" and the experimental electronic music of "Waterflower" added contemporary art touches to the programme.
In the skatepark area, professional BMX riders, skateboarders, roller skaters and scooter riders showed off impressive tricks and held masterclasses. Visitors were invited to try the disciplines themselves, with equipment provided by organisers and advice from experienced athletes. A new attraction this year was a fingerboard zone, where mini competitions were held all day. The lineup featured well-known extreme sports athletes Nils Jansons, Artūrs Bogdanovičs, Laura Gulbis and Dāvis Stumbergs, with Einārs Lancmanis hosting the event.
The first day of the Riga Burger Festival also took place as part of the celebration.
