On 21 June 2026, from 4:00 a.m. until midnight, the Turaida Museum Reserve will host its annual Midsummer Day celebration under the theme “Over the Hill” (“Pār kalniņu”), inviting visitors to experience the summer solstice through traditional rituals, nature, music, crafts, and communal festivities—from dawn ceremonies to evening dancing.
Programm
AWAKENING THE SUN | |
| 4.30 – 6.00 | Sun Awakening Ritual on Jāņkalns Hill with the folklore group Delve and the ethnographic kokle ensemble Saules meitas (“Daughters of the Sun”). |
| 6.00 – 7.00 | Morning atmosphere concert in the apple orchard by kokle musician Laima Jansone. |
7.00 - 7 .30 10.20 - 10.50 17.00 - 17.30 | Educational walk through the Midsummer flower meadow with ethnographer Indra Čekstere. |
| 7.00 – 10.00 | Breakfast time. Bring your own picnic basket or purchase breakfast bread at the café and enjoy a leisurely morning. |
MIDSUMMER DAY INSPIRATION WORKSHOPS | |
| 10.00 – 10.30 | Morning long calls and traditional multipart Midsummer songs with the traditional music group Banga. |
| 10.00 – 18.00 | Airing the Dowry Chest – a special one-day exhibition of linen towels from the museum collection in the apple orchard. |
| 10.00 – 14.00 | Kokle-making workshop with master craftsman Pēteris Jansons. |
| 11:00 – 13.00 | Midsummer cheese-making workshop with Anda Skuja, craftswoman and leader of the folklore group Senleja. |
| 12.00 – 17.00 | Workshop on sauna whisks, herbal teas, and wreath-making with craftswoman Santa Matveja. |
| 12.00, 13.00, 14.00 un 15.00 | Hay Doll Workshop and Theatre with Margita Poriete. |
| 10.00 – 17.00 | Performances and activities with the folklore groups Malībieš, Mare, Spruksti, Vīteri, Budēļi, Tarkšķi, Zeidi, and the middle-generation folk dance ensemble SAIME (vadītāja Baiba Kravčenoka). |
| 10.00 – 20.00 | Midsummer Greetings to the World! Special activity – send a Turaida Midsummer postcard with your greeting anywhere in the world free of charge. |
MIDSUMMER MARKET AT DAINU HILL | |
| 10.00 – 18.00 | Linen dresses, knitwear, traditional clothing, metal, leather, and amber jewelry, works by potters, basket weavers, and wood craftsmen, as well as traditional Midsummer cheeses, wood-fired bread, and other delicacies. Visitors will also have the opportunity to try their hand at making copper jewelry and herbal carpets. |
EVENING CELEBRATION | |
| 18.00–19.30 | Traditional Midsummer greetings and songs with the Midsummer Mother and Midsummer Father, together with the folklore group Ore. |
| 19.30 - 20.30 | Playful and mischievous Midsummer songs with the folklore group Mālis. |
FAREWELL TO THE SUN IN THE SONG GARDEN | |
| 21.00 -22.00 | Decorating the bonfire and sunset fire ritual with the folklore group Senleja. |
| 22.20–24.00 | Concert by the folk music group Iļģi followed by social folk dancing with the Riga Folk Dance Club (Rīgas Danču Klubs). |
Practical Information
Admission Tickets
Admission to the event is included with a regular Turaida Museum Reserve entrance ticket according to the current price list.
Tickets can be purchased in advance through Biļešu Paradīze ticket offices and online:
https://www.bilesuparadize.lv/lv/event/167026
Re-entry
With a purchased ticket, visitors may attend the event throughout the day from 9:00 a.m. until midnight.
If you leave the museum reserve grounds and wish to return later, your ticket can be exchanged for a wristband upon presentation of the original admission ticket.
Accommodation
Camping at Dainas
Camping Dainas, located approximately one kilometre from the museum reserve, offers:
- Tent pitches
- Picnic areas
- Toilets and showers
The festival grounds can easily be reached on foot from the campsite.
Special offer for Midsummer event visitors:
Overnight stay: €5 per person
Children under 7 years: free of charge
Contact telephone: +371 20111152
Information about other accommodations in the Sigulda region:
https://tourism.sigulda.lv/planot/naksnosana/
Public Transportation
Additional public transport services will operate on the Sigulda–Turaida–Sigulda route during the event.
Sunday, June 21
4:00 Sigulda AO - Turaida
7:30 Turaida - Sigulda AO
20:30 Sigulda AO - Turaida
Monday, June 22
00:20 Turaida - Sigulda AO
Parking
Regular parking facilities will be available near the entrance to the museum reserve, and additional parking areas will also be provided during the event.
Parking fees can be paid:
- At the Turaida Museum Reserve ticket office
- Through the Mobilly mobile app
Visitors are encouraged to download the Mobilly app in advance to make parking payment quicker and more convenient on the day of the event.
Rules for event visitors
A full set of visitor regulations applies during the event, including restrictions on weapons, pyrotechnics, intoxicating substances, drones, sound-amplifying devices, political demonstrations, and other items or activities that may disrupt the event or endanger visitors. Re-entry procedures, child supervision requirements, and responsibilities regarding personal property are also in effect. Visitors should review the complete safety rules before attending.
1. By purchasing an event ticket and entering the museum reserve grounds, the visitor is deemed to have read these rules and agreed to comply with them.
2. By purchasing a ticket and being present on the grounds during the event, the visitor agrees that they may be photographed and filmed, and that their image may be used in films, photographs, audiovisual recordings, and other materials. All rights to such materials and their use belong to the event organizer.
3. Any commercial activity within the museum reserve grounds is prohibited without prior written approval from the organizer.
4. Only persons holding valid tickets will be admitted to the event within the museum reserve grounds. Visitors must keep their tickets with them at all times during the event. Failure to present a ticket upon request may result in removal from the grounds.
5. A visitor may be denied entry to the museum reserve grounds if, in the organizer’s opinion, the visitor is under the excessive influence of alcohol or other intoxicating substances.
6. Re-entry to the museum reserve grounds during the event is permitted only with a wristband received upon exiting the grounds and upon presentation of the previously purchased admission ticket.
7. A visitor may be denied entry to the museum reserve grounds or removed from the grounds without any compensation if they refuse to leave outside the grounds any prohibited items listed in Section 8, refuse inspection of their personal belongings, or if, in the reasonable opinion of event security personnel, the visitor’s behavior:
7.1. Creates a risk to their own health and safety or that of other visitors;
7.2. Interferes with other visitors’ ability to attend and enjoy the event without disturbance;
7.3. May damage the property of the museum reserve or the organizer;
7.4. Violates these or any other rules applicable during the event.
8. During the event, the following items are prohibited from being brought into the museum reserve grounds:
8.1. Weapons of any kind and self-defense devices;
8.2. Smoke flares, pyrotechnics, and any items that imitate explosions;
8.3. Flammable, explosive, poisonous, toxic, or strongly odorous substances;
8.4. Easily combustible items or materials;
8.5. Narcotic and psychotropic substances;
8.6. Horns, whistles, drums, and other sound-amplifying devices;
8.7. Clothing or clothing elements displaying symbols of the Russian Federation or Belarus that may provoke disturbances or disorder at the event;
8.8. Bicycles, scooters, micro-mobility devices, and similar equipment;
8.9. Flying objects (including radio-controlled devices, drones, and other unmanned objects);
8.10. Any other object that, in the organizer’s opinion, may pose a danger or disturbance to other visitors or to the event.
9. During the event, it is prohibited to display symbols, banners, or placards, or to engage in chants, slogans, gestures, or other conduct that incites social, racial, religious, national, or international hatred, or that promotes social, racial, religious, national, or international superiority.
10. Any political activities or demonstrations are prohibited within the museum reserve grounds.
11. In accordance with applicable laws and regulations, a child under the age of 16 may not be present in a public place during nighttime hours (from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.) unless accompanied by a parent, guardian, foster parent, head of a child-care institution, or another authorized adult. Security personnel will verify accompanying adults when visitors enter the grounds.
12. Parents assume full responsibility for their children and their safety.
13. The organizer accepts no responsibility for the quality of food, beverages, other goods sold, or services provided within the museum reserve grounds. Full responsibility rests with the respective seller or service provider.
14. Visitors acknowledge that the sound amplification equipment used during the event may place additional strain on hearing and that lighting effects may be used during the evening concert.
15. Valuable items found on the grounds will be handed over to security and, after the event, transferred to the organizer. Visitors may contact the organizer after the event to arrange collection of their property. Unclaimed items such as clothing, bags, and similar belongings for which no owner can be identified may be disposed of.
Visitor Responsibilities
16.1. Comply with these rules;
16.2. If an evacuation announcement is made, leave the concert area via the nearest evacuation route, following posted instructions or directions from security personnel;
16.3. Immediately report suspicious objects, signs of fire or smoke, violations of the law, and any other safety hazards to the organizers or security staff;
16.4. Visitors are solely responsible for their personal property while on the museum reserve grounds. The organizer accepts no liability for property that is lost, stolen, or damaged during the event. Any items left at entrances/exits or with security personnel remain the sole responsibility of the visitor;
16.5. Animals are not permitted at the concert.
Email: info@tmr.gov.lv
Phone: +371 26542116 (project manager Ieva Malceniece)
