On the evening of June 23, Riga's Daugava Embankment became a place for genuine Līgo! Midsummer Night celebrations, featuring garlands, long tables and large bonfires. Altogether, more than 30,000 people participated in the celebrations in downtown Riga.

A number of traditional events were taking place all over the city for one week before the Līgo! night, including the highly-popular Midsummer Fair on Dome Square in Riga's Old Town.

Everyone was invited to the 24-hour celebrations on 11.novembra krastmala Street on June 23: to sing, to dance and to have a good time together with their families, friends and some of the most popular theatre actors of Latvia. On the shortest night of the year, people participating in the Midsummer Night celebrations on the Daugava Embankment could hear music of all kinds and to sing along and dance to Latvian schlager music. The most beautiful traditions of the Līgo! night were narrated in five plays staged for the event.

Another Midsummer Night event in downtown Riga, near Dzegužkalns hill, was also well-attended. After the large Līgo! bonfire was lit, Ilga Reizniece and the popular folk band “Iļģi” taught the participants a number of lesser-known Līgo! songs, the revellers also had a chance to learn the traditional Latvian dances and put their dancing skills through their paces to old and new songs played at the Līgo! party until dawn.

Eiženija Aldermane, one of the organisers of the Līgo! celebrations in Riga centre, thanks all the people who came for Midsummer Night celebrations on 11.novembra krastmala Street and Dzegužkalns hill as well as elsewhere in Riga. "I thank you for living, singing and dancing through the night. I do believe that the magical rituals performed in Riga will make our lives much better."

See you in Riga again for the next Midsummer Night celebrations, and let's celebrate Līgo! together!