Latvian Song and Dance Festival

Every five years the Latvian Song and Dance Festival fills the great open-air stage at Mezaparks, where a choir of tens of thousands sings as one before an audience just as large. Shared with Estonia and Lithuania, this Baltic song festival tradition is inscribed on UNESCO's list of intangible heritage, and for Latvians it is the emotional summit of national life.

What you actually see

• The Mezaparks stage - the huge tiered open-air bandshell built to hold a choir of thousands.
• The closing concert - the massed choir singing the beloved national songs into the night.
• The procession - thousands of singers and dancers in regional costume parading through Riga.
• The grounds year-round - the park and stage are open to walk between festivals.

When to go

For the festival itself, the once-in-five-years early July dates, with tickets booked far ahead; otherwise the grounds and park are a pleasant year-round walk. The next editions fall on the traditional cycle.

Honest expectations

The full festival happens only every five years, so most visitors see the grounds rather than the event - check the cycle before building a trip around it. During the festival, Riga is packed and accommodation is scarce and dear. The park and stage are still worth a stroll on an ordinary day.

Nearby

Mezaparks itself is a leafy villa district with Riga Zoo; the city centre is a tram ride south.