Lithuania is a nation in Europe that is aiming to become the go-to destination for a quick getaway. To achieve this, they have adopted different methods such as offering its visitors an additional night’s stay for free. Aside from being known for its flourishing and diverse nature, Lithuania’s biggest cities stand out for their unusual and sometimes bizarre galleries, museums, breath-taking street art, and prominent festivals.
Here is a list compiled by Lithuania Travel – the nation’s national tourism development agency – noting the top five cultural events both in the capital, Vilnius, and the other biggest Lithuanian cities.
- MO Museum: Designed by the architectural wunderkind Daniel Libeskind, the MO Museum is Vilnius’ latest jewel of architecture. The award-winning structure stands out for its unique interior and exterior design. For example, the museum’s central staircase – a popular selfie-taking site for Instagrammers – has been modelled after the helix-shaped structure of DNA. With a heavy focus on contemporary art, this autumn museum is hosting a photography exhibition, called “Celebrate for Change”, which looks deeper into the concept of celebration and how it frees the celebrating individuals from the usual norms of behaviour and social roles. Artistic photography will be complemented by documentary material on different subcultures: from hippies to current youth movements.
- Open Gallery: A collaborative project initiated by LOFTAS – one of the city’s most active creative spaces – the Open Gallery’s mission is to motivate the public’s appreciation of art by placing paintings, sculptures and performances in various unassuming public places. Connecting talented Lithuanian and foreign artists, it has developed into a widely acclaimed international open-air gallery of street art, sculptures and installations. With its artworks dispersed across the city it provides countless opportunities for taking pictures for social media.
- AURA International Dance Festival: Kaunas was awarded the title of the European Capital of Culture for 2022 and while the whole city is bustling in preparation for next year’s events, there is a lot to see here. For example, the International Dance Festival held from 30th September to 3rd October is an annual tradition that enriches the cultural life of Lithuania during the autumn. Focusing on contemporary dance, it encourages new formats and forms of expression through choreography performed by dancers from Lithuania and across the world. This year it invites the audience to an impressive festival’s opening in a legendary interwar cinema theatre, various night performances and pulsating dance show “L-E-V” created by the famous Israeli choreography star Sharon Eyal and designer of multimedia events Gai Behar.
- Film Festivals: Human Rights Film Festival “Inconvenient Films” – held on October 13-31 – is an annual documentary film festival that occurs across several cities and towns within Lithuania. The festival aims to inspect different perspectives on human rights issues across the world through documentary films accompanied by debates with filmmakers, experts, activists, and the audience. For those visiting Lithuania in November, the European Film Forum “Scanorama” provides an opportunity to delve into a wide selection of critically acclaimed European films, cinema classics, and best-pics from other continents.
- International Festival of Arts “PLArTFORMA”: The annual art festival “PLArTFORMA” – held in Klaipeda from 17th September to 1st October – presents a unique opportunity to experience the port town through art. As an interdisciplinary festival, it includes performance art, physical theatre, new opera, visual arts and even contemporary circus. This year’s theme of the festival – ”reloading” – explores the current liminal state of the world between the pandemic and the post-pandemic realities.
For more information about destinations and activities in Lithuania, click here.
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