From ice sculptures shimmering in the winter sunshine to boat trips along the Lielupe River shining in the summer sunsets – Jelgava invites you to fall in love with its diverse events and natural landscapes.
Traditionally, the year begins with a creative and interesting event – the International Ice Sculpture Festival, which has been gathering artists from all over the world in Jelgava for more than 20 years, illuminating the city in a fairy tale of ice. In spring, hearts are warmed by ancestral traditions – solstice celebrations and Easter games – but in summer Jelgava blooms magnificently, celebrating its birthday and inviting you to various cultural events. Later, the autumn harvest is fragrant at the markets, and at the end of the year, the city is filled with the sound of Christmas bells and a Christmas tree decorated with lights, which sparkles on Advent Eve. This guide and city event calendar outlines some of the most popular events and invites everyone to experience the course of the year in Jelgava together, surrendering to romance and the spirit of adventure.
Ice Queen Festival
Jelgava turns into a fabulous ice kingdom in the middle of winter – the International Ice Sculpture Festival invites you to delve into the miraculous stories of ice art. Every year the festival has a different story, and dozens of sculptors from all over the world demonstrate their fantasies according to the theme, using more than 80 tonnes of ice. For a few days, Jelgava turns into an open-air gallery, where several dozen ice sculptures shine. During the day, they enchant with exquisite craftsmanship, but at night they light up in rays of colourful light, creating a surreal play of light and shadow. Families will enjoy special programmes for children – exciting games on the ice and the ice rink Pasta Sala, while adults can taste drinks from ice glasses at the ice bar. When darkness falls and the temperature drops, the sculptures come to life – they shine in multi-coloured lights like thousands of small crystals. Walking among the illuminated sculptures with a mug of hot tea in your hands becomes a real winter romance and adventure. The Ice Sculpture Festival in Jelgava has become the most beautiful event of the winter season, which should not be missed – it is an opportunity for every visitor to become a part of a fairy tale and experience how ice flowers bloom in the heart of Jelgava.
Sand Magic
When spring is in full swing, Jelgava once again becomes an art mecca, as the International Sand Sculpture Festival invites you to indulge in the magic and enchantment of sand. Every year the theme of the festival changes, and professional sculptors from many countries create grandiose sculptures from millions of grains of sand – allowing imagination to soar beyond the boundaries of reality. Pasta Sala turns into an open-air exhibition hall, where visitors can wander among impressive sand artworks until late at night. Each of them, several metres high and skilfully crafted down to the smallest detail, tells its own story. In the morning of the festival, children's songs and music sound – an interactive programme is organised for the youngest visitors – creative workshops, concerts and other activities. When the afternoon sun begins to set, the sculptures acquire a golden glow, and in the evening the festival turns into a grand concert under the stars. Famous musicians take to the stage of the open-air concert hall Mītava, making the audience sing until the early hours of the morning. The Sand Sculpture Festival in Jelgava is not just a one-day art event – it is a summer adventure where romance and art meet in grains of sand and tell an age-old story about the infinity of human imagination.
Milk, Bread and Honey Festival
At the end of summer, Jelgava hosts the traditional Milk, Bread and Honey Festival. Hercogs Jēkaba Square and the square behind the Jelgava Culture House become a giant fair – in more than a hundred tents and stands, farmers from all regions of Latvia demonstrate their products; bakers piling pyramids of golden rye bread loaves, beekeepers lining up jars of honey that shimmer in all shades of the sun – from light yellow to dark amber. On-site dairy processors treat visitors with fresh milk, cottage cheese and the latest flavours of ice cream. On the stage in the square, competitions and demonstrations take place throughout the day – records are set, for example, the largest loaf of sourdough bread in Latvia is baked or butter is churned in a giant tub. In the artisan tents, you can see ancient bread-baking tools, beeswax figures, and learn the secrets of cheese-making
Brainstorm open-air concert
Summer in Jelgava is unimaginable without grand concerts under the open sky. After the release of each new music album, the legendary Latvian band from Jelgava – Brainstorm delights the townspeople and guests with a grandiose tour opening concert. Already weeks in advance, a pleasant movement can be felt in the city – hotels are booked, cafes prepare additional tables on the streets, and in the parks, you can see young people with guitars playing Brainstorm songs, creating a festive feeling. On the day of the concert, the meadow opposite the Jelgava Castle gradually fills with people. Many have come from far away, bringing blankets to sit in the hall, and thermoses with refreshing drinks, waiting for the sunset. In the background of the stage, the silhouette of the castle and the landscape of the Lielupe River are visible, as if connecting the band’s message with the soul of the city. As the well-known songs of Brainstorm play, thousands of hands rise in the air, swaying to the rhythm of the music, and a choir of voices sings along with every word. Many have tears of joy and happiness in their eyes, as this moment embodies the feeling of youth and freedom.
Romance on the Water
The landscape of Jelgava is unimaginable without water – the Lielupe and Driksa rivers encircle the heart of the city, forming the picturesque Pasta Island and Pilsala. It is on the waters that a special romance flourishes in Jelgava, and water tourism here offers adventures for every taste. You can take a boat trip along the Driksa and Lielupe rivers to see the panorama of Jelgava from the water – the majestic castle, picturesque promenades and green banks. Several recreational boats ply the rivers of Jelgava every season: the Relax boat with large panoramic windows, the motor yacht Džerri, which offers private trips, and the recreational boat Mītava, which can be rented for both entertainment and excursions. Evening trips on these boats are especially popular with lovers – with the sunset in the background and a glass of sparkling drink in hand, gliding along the calm waters, you can enjoy the reflections of the city lights in the river and leisurely conversations.
The waters of the Lielupe also attract lovers of active recreation. Boat and water bike rentals are available in Jelgava. At the Jelgava Yacht Club, as well as at the Driksa River and Pasta Island piers, you can rent catamarans and rowboats to swim around the islands. The opportunity to travel at night is especially romantic – at the rental point you can get a catamaran equipped with lights so that night-time Jelgava can be seen from the water with its lights and reflections of the bridges. SUP board lovers in Jelgava are not forgotten either – SUP boards can be rented at both piers.
A special offer is the romantic evening trips of Jelgavas laivas and Ozollaivas. These are special canoes equipped with warm LED lighting – lamps both inside and outside the boat. At dusk, a flotilla of these canoes, illuminated in the colours of the sunset, floats down the Drikas, creating a scene like something from a fairy tale – the boats, shining in the dark, reflect the river surface in golden and pink tones. At dusk, boats gliding down the Drikas with lovingly lit lanterns allow you to see Jelgava in a dreamy form. During the trip, the guide quietly tells legends about the spirits of the Mītava rivers, who, as they say, live in the depths of the Lielupe and protect boaters. When the boats float into the Drikas, a wonderful panoramic view opens up – Jelgava Castle on one bank and the tower of the Holy Trinity Church on the other, with the iridescent bridge of light between them.
The waters of Jelgava also offer adventures for those looking for something more unusual, for example, near the city on the Iecava River, you can try transparent boats, which offer a view not only of the surroundings, but also of the underwater world. It is an unprecedented adventure – as if the boat were flying through the water, allowing you to see the river from every angle. The bravest can try the BBQ Party boat Migo City – a round electric boat with a grill and a parasol. Together with friends or alone, you can slowly drift along the Lielupe, grilling kebabs right in the middle of the boat. Those who have at least once enjoyed the joys of water tourism in Jelgava will agree that the waters here hold a special peace and romance.
Don’t delay visiting Jelgava
Jelgava is a romantic destination, where every season and every event brings special emotions and adventures. From the glow of ice sculptures on a winter night to the sunset of sand art on a summer evening – the city invites every traveller to indulge in the magic of the holidays and the charm of nature. Jelgava residents proudly cherish their traditions: in spring they awaken the city with songs and laughter on swings, in summer they celebrate history and creativity in grandiose celebrations, in autumn they share the earth’s bounty, and in winter they are able to warm hearts with moments full of light and love. Every event in Jelgava is created with true warmth of heart, addressing both locals and city guests as friends.
