Riga was celebrating its 810th anniversary for three days filled with songs and dance: August 19 through August 21, all Rigans and guests of the city were offered a lot of events to attend as listeners or spectators, or as participants in street festivals, sports competitions as well as traditional and new events on Daugava Embankment and in Vērmanes Park.

The first day of Riga Festival saw an international aerobatic competition over the Daugava River between Salu Bridge and Southern Bridge that continued two days. For already a third time, Riga Dance Festival took place, featuring traditional dances as well as new choreography.

One of Russia's most popular rock bands, Bi-2 and Diana Arbenina gave a joint concert. The musicians have performed on many occasions in Riga and call the Latvian capital one of their most favourite cities. The first day of the festival concluded with music from bell towers in Riga's Old Town or the "Stars Among Steeples" concert, and the traditional Riga Festival Night Run.

On the second day, the Riga Festival moved to Riga streets and Vērmanes Park. Everyone who loves music was invited to play and sing on the streets and fill Riga with rhythms, voices and sounds.

The square at the Latvian National Opera became the venue for a 24-hour basketball tournament, pitting up teams from residential areas on the right bank of the Daugava against Pardaugava teams.
8,000 people participated in the festival's gala concert "Maestro. Song. Legend" on Mežaparks Stage that was watched by 18,000 people altogether, with a lot of audience participation. The second part of the concert featured performance by the legendary American-Latvian ensemble "Čikāgas piecīši".

On the third day of the festival, Riga became a medieval city once again as the city's streets filled with craftsmen, knights, townspeople, alchemists, magicians and wandering bards.

The central event of the day was the forging of a new Riga Key from a total of 52,763 keys that Rigans and guests of the city had donated for the ceremony. The new key was presented in a special concert-performance " Legend of the Riga Key".

The festival concluded with an impressive fireworks display on the Daugava Embankment.