Cultural sector workers to march in Riga over pay concerns
On Tuesday, participants of the “Kultūra (iz)dzīvo” campaign will march in Riga to urge decision-makers to draw up a long-term plan for cultural workers' pay. A concert by Latvian professional music ensembles will take place at the Riga Congress Centre in the evening.
A march by participants of the “Kultūra (iz)dzīvo” (“Culture Survives/Lives”) campaign will start in Riga at 14:30 on Tuesday. Its aim is to draw attention to low pay in the cultural sector and to call on decision-makers to prepare a long-term plan for cultural workers' salaries. Campaign organiser representative Agnese Rozentāle told the news agency LETA.
The march
Participants will gather at 14:00 near the Latvian National Opera and Ballet. The march begins half an hour later and ends at 15:30 by the Latvian National Museum of Art.
The organisers point out that in the second quarter of 2026 the average gross wage was 1,395 euros in cultural heritage institutions and 1,365 euros in the performing arts, compared with an average of 1,926 euros in the public sector. In their view, persistently low pay encourages experienced specialists to leave the sector and Latvia, while making it harder to attract young professionals. The whole of society will feel the consequences in the quality, diversity and accessibility of cultural offerings.
Concert at the Riga Congress Centre
At 19:00 this evening the Riga Congress Centre will host the campaign's concert, featuring Latvian professional music ensembles. It is also meant as a call to start a conversation with the new Saeima, Latvia's parliament, about a long-term pay plan. Performers will include the State Choir “Latvija”, the Latvian Radio Big Band, the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, an ensemble of musicians from the Kremerata Baltica chamber orchestra and “Sinfonietta Rīga”. The programme features music by Pēteris Butāns, Emīls Dārziņš, Imants Kalniņš, Arturs Maskats, Raimonds Pauls, Gundars Pone, Carl Orff and Astor Piazzolla.
All seats in the hall are booked, but the concert will be broadcast live by LTV7, Latvijas Radio 3 Klasika and the Lsm.lv portal. Voluntary donations towards technical and artistic costs can be made on the LNSO website or by QR code on the evening of the concert. The concert is organised by the association “Laiks kultūrai” and the Latvian Association of Professional Music Ensembles.
Traffic changes
Riga City Council says short-term traffic restrictions and public transport changes are possible in the city centre during the march. From 14:30 to 15:30, “Rīgas satiksme”, the city's public transport company, will organise and regulate traffic as needed. Road users are asked to expect changes and follow traffic controllers' instructions.
