This summer, on August 14 and 15, in the park next to the Latvian National Opera and Ballet, the Riga Birthday pop-up restaurant “Open a Window to Riga!” will take place – one of the most colourful events of Riga’s 825th anniversary year. In the area around Opera Square, Riga’s restaurants, bars, music, the “Vecrīga” cake, and special surprises from the Latvian National Opera and Ballet will come together.
This year, Riga is celebrating its 825th birthday. A special place in the festive program will be given to the Riga Birthday pop-up restaurant “Open a Window to Riga!”, which will take place on August 14 and 15 in the park next to the Latvian National Opera and Ballet. The area around Opera Square will be transformed into an elegant open-air festive restaurant. It will be a place to enjoy the offerings of Riga’s best restaurants, music, architecture, and the atmosphere of a summer evening by one of the city’s most beautiful historic buildings. The Riga Birthday festive restaurant is part of the broader Riga 825th birthday program, which will take place on August 14 and 15 in the centre of Riga, Old Riga, 11 November Embankment, and elsewhere in the city.
“Riga is a city best discovered in person – walking through its streets, talking, listening to music and, of course, enjoying its flavours. Gastronomic culture is one of Riga’s calling cards, and the Riga 825th birthday festive restaurant is a beautiful way to experience it all in one place. Next to the Latvian National Opera and Ballet, visitors will be greeted by a variety of delicious dishes, a festive atmosphere, and a special story about the “Vecrīga” cake – a dessert that, for many, has become a symbolic taste of Riga. I invite locals and city guests to open their window to Riga and celebrate the city’s birthday together,”
says Freds Bikovs, Director of the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency.
The Riga Birthday restaurant has already been a beloved tradition in the city for several years. This time, the event's slogan and motif are “Open a Window to Riga!” It invites people to see the city from a new perspective – through taste, sound, light, architecture, and togetherness. In this concept, the window symbolises openness, freedom, and a new view. It lets light, fresh air, and the city's breath into the room. In this event, Riga reveals itself as a living, elegant, and hospitable city where culture, gastronomy, and people meet.
The event program over two days near the building of the Latvian National Opera and Ballet:
- On August 14, from 17.00, the festive restaurant will open with a musical program featuring DJ Monsta and Ieva Šablovska, the classical string quartet “Sponte”, the electronic music duo “ELPO”, and DJ Rolling Dynamite, with the evening concluding at 22.00 with Rihards Zaļupe’s musical journey.
- On August 15, throughout the day, visitors will be welcomed by Riga’s restaurants and bars, a musical program, the “Vecrīga” cake in several interpretations, activities, and special surprises from the Latvian National Opera and Ballet. In the course of the evening, as the lights are turned on, the area around Opera Square will transform into a summer birthday party venue – with conversations, music, lights, and the city’s architecture in the background. Visitors will be treated to special offers by such restaurants as “Osta”, wine bar “Garāža”, “B bārs”, “Ferma”, “Trīs pavāru restorāns”, “Entresol” and others. The selection of restaurants highlights Riga’s gastronomic diversity, quality, and hospitality culture. Visitors will be able to leisurely enjoy a meal at tables and enjoy an offering created especially for the celebrations. Alongside the restaurants, there will also be bar offerings in separate tents in the event area. A deposit cup system will be used, promoting a more organised and environmentally friendly course of the festivities.
- Meanwhile, the musical accompaniment on this day from 17.00 will be provided by the artists: Vadims Dmitrijevs & Jānis Pastars JAZZ DUO, DJ JAZZY MARKY, Toms Rudzinskis JAZZ TRIO, and from 22.00 the group “Jaunība” will perform. The event will be hosted by actor Igors Šelegovskis.
- A unique surprise for visitors on August 15 will also be prepared by the Latvian National Opera and Ballet. From 12.00 to 17.00, a costume and props market will take place at the box offices, where it will be possible to purchase various costumes, costume details, accessories, and props created for productions of the Latvian National Opera and Ballet. Many of them are unique, one-of-a-kind items that were once used in opera and ballet productions.
A special role in the event will also be given to the “Vecrīga” cake – a symbolic Riga dessert that runs throughout the year's gastronomic offerings. With a new breath, it returned to the city already this spring at the Riga Taste Festival. Visitors to the Riga Birthday festive restaurant will be able to taste the “Vecrīga” cake in several interpretations and, using a special map, find out where in the city it can be tasted during the celebrations. Interactive activities are also planned to introduce the story of this dessert and its place in Riga’s gastronomic identity.
More information about the Riga celebration program is available HERE