XXVII Nationwide Latvian Song and XVII Dance Festival

From June 30 to July 10, the XXVII Nationwide Latvian Song and XVII Dance Festival will fill the capital Rīga with celebrations, music and dance.
According to official figures, a total of 40,560 participants will participate in the 2023 XXVII General Latvian Song and XVII Dance Festival. Please note that is the number of participants, not the number of attendees or spectators.
Among that number are 454 choirs (15,870 members) and 695 dance groups (16,879 members).The Song and Dance Festival tradition is regarded as one of the backbones of Latvian statehood and identity. The first true festival took place in 1873 – more than 30 years before Latvia achieved independence – and involved 1,000 singers. However, the roots of the festival go back even further, to events such as the Daugava River Music Festival that took place in 1836, and of course further back still into Latvian folklore.