On October 10 and 11, the Latvian capital will host the Open House Riga festival for the first time. For two days, around 40 buildings and spaces will be opened to visitors, many of which are usually not accessible to the general public. All tours will be free, but the number of spots is limited.
Residents and guests of Riga will be invited to peek inside famous architectural landmarks, private homes, offices, historical buildings, and monuments of industrial heritage. The program also includes educational and cultural institutions, as well as examples of modern urban architecture.
The main idea of the festival is to show the city from an unusual perspective. Participants will not only be able to view interesting buildings from the street but also enter them, learn their history, and see spaces that usually remain behind closed doors.
The Open House movement originated in London in 1992 and has since evolved into one of the largest international initiatives dedicated to architecture and the urban environment. Today, the Open House Worldwide network encompasses over 60 cities across six continents. Riga joined this network in the summer of 2026.
The organizers note that the first Open House Riga program combines both historical and modern architecture. This allows visitors to see how the city has changed and what architectural solutions shape it today.
For each building participating in the festival, five to ten tours are planned. Each tour can accommodate approximately 10 to 20 people at a time.
Visiting the sites and participating in the tours are free. However, due to limited capacity, the organizers recommend registering in advance—reservations are already open, and spots for the most interesting sites are filling up quickly.
A detailed program, a list of available buildings, and registration are published on the official Open House Riga website.
Thus, for one weekend, Riga will literally allow visitors to look behind the facades of the city—into places that are normally inaccessible. Those wishing to see the most unusual sites should not delay registration: the number of participants for each tour is strictly limited.
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