From November 15 to 18, the traditional Staro Rīga festival will take place in Riga, where residents and guests of Riga will be able to admire a variety of light art objects during the dark hours.
The theme of this year's festival is "Heralds of Dawn." The organizers of the event chose this theme to convey to the public the complex idea that dawn is, in fact, the time after night when the first rays of the sun break through the darkness, illuminating the path for a new day. These rays are said to give the feeling that something will change, as it can no longer remain as it was.
The public will be able to grasp this idea over four days from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM, strolling through the center of Riga along six routes – six "Light Circles." One circle will be in Old Riga, another around the Freedom Monument, the third in Vermanes Garden and the Esplanade, the fourth on Brivibas Street, the fifth on Miera Street, and for the sixth, one will have to cross the Daugava River, as its objects will be located near the Latvian National Library.
By the way, it is suggested to start from the library; otherwise, dawn and night may swap places. However, for those visitors arriving by car to see the glowing objects, the journey will begin with the search for parking, which during the Staro Rīga festival traditionally presents a separate quest. Therefore, we recommend arriving at the "deployment location" by public transport to calmly walk along the festival route, which is adapted for both short strolls and longer walks. Its total length is about six kilometers, and it is designed in such a way that it can be completed in one evening or over several, viewing the light objects in each individual circle of light.
This year’s festival is distinguished by the participation of both domestic and foreign light artists in the creation of objects and installations: from Portugal, Macedonia, the Netherlands, France, Canada, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Romania, and Italy. Collectively, their works will make up a third of the total number of exhibits at this year's festival.
