Autumn in Riga

EuroBasket 2025 - European Basketball Championship for men

The FIBA EuroBasket is the flagship European basketball tournament organized by the International Basketball Federation’s European division. First held in 1935, EuroBasket is the most prestigious basketball competition on the continent.

The upcoming FIBA EuroBasket 2025 will be the 42nd edition of the tournament and will take place from August 27 to September 14, 2025, across Cyprus, Finland, Poland, and Latvia.

Latvia will host one of the four group stages, while Riga will serve as the official venue for the knockout stage, featuring the top 16 teams in the championship, from September 6 to 14.

Get ready for world-class basketball action and a celebration of European sportsmanship in the heart of the Baltics!

Experience the White Night

The Culture Forum White Night (September 6) is the most magical and eventful night of the year. Throughout the night, countless events take place simultaneously in Riga – concerts, cinema, performances, video installations – in various locations across the city. The contemporary culture forum White Night 2025 will be held for the 20th time this year.

The theme of the 20th anniversary year is “Clear Springs.” This year, White Night invites visitors to find peace, knowledge, and energy in the springs discovered, created, and interpreted by the artists and authors of White Night.
Water hidden in the Earth’s crust can emerge as a refreshing spring that heals. It can rise as mist embracing the surrounding world or turn into an icy bridge connecting unreachable shores. In this especially significant year, White Night encourages everyone to be brave and to approach those sources we fear or usually avoid in everyday life.

This year as well, White Night invites you to stay awake from the night of September 6 to 7 and enjoy cultural events across several neighborhoods: Āgenskalns, Old Town, City Centre, Andrejsala, Skanste, Avoti, Grīziņkalns, Teika, Sarkandaugava, and Latgale. The 2025 White Night program will take place in venues such as the Culture and Folk Art Centre Mazā Ģilde, the courtyard of the Latvian Puppet Theatre, the Latvian National Museum of Art, concert hall Ave Sol, St. James’s Cathedral, Bergs Bazaar, cinema K. Suns, the creative quarter Veldze, Sporta 2 quarter, Aristīds Courtyard, Grīziņdārzs, Riga Contemporary Art Space, Riga Cathedral Garden, Bastejkalns, Dome Square, and many other locations.

White Night / Baltā Nakts 2025 — Saturday, 6 September (plus select works from 5–7 Sept)

Theme: Clear Springs (Dzidrie avoti) — a call to seek calm, energy, and inspiration from sources both familiar and hidden. Free access; events across Riga central and neighbourhood districts.

- Major installations & environmental art

Museum of the Moon (Mēness muzejs) (5–7 Sept, 12:00–23:00) — Luke Jerram’s detailed, illuminated moon replica floats over the city canal opposite the National Theatre, offering immersive lunar views. Accessible to mobility-impaired visitors.

Helios (5–7 Sept, 12:00–23:00) — A new large-scale light installation set in the open air atop Bastejkalns hill, exploring solar imagery and perception. Accessible to mobility-impaired visitors.

- Interactive & performance art

Species Shifter / Vol. 1 ANALOGS (15:00–02:00 at Hanzas ielā 22) — An evolving multimedia performance and interactive installation exploring transformation and analog/digital identities.

“Kartupeļpalma Baltajā naktī” (16:30–02:00 at Sporta 2 quarter) — A playful site-specific art event (title translates roughly “Potato Palm at White Night”) engaging audience with tactile urban landscaping and surprise interventions.

Dzirdēt jūru runājam (17:00–23:00 at ISSP Gallery Berga Bazaar) — A sound-art installation channeling the voice of the sea via recordings, poetry, and sculptural objects.

Mirklis steigā (20:00–23:00 at Latvijas Kultūras koledža) — A suite of micro-performances reflecting on the contemporary rush and inability to truly experience the moment.

Virsgaismā: iekšējā robeža (18:00–02:00 at St. James Cathedral) — Site-responsive audiovisual/installation work exploring inner boundaries and thresholds of perception within sacred architecture.

- Music & theatre highlights

Concerto grosso un Godzilla Rīgā (19:00–20:20 at VEF Culture Palace) — A creative juxtaposition of Baroque concerto grosso with playful reinterpretation of pop-culture “Godzilla” themes.

Concert programme “DIVOTNE” (19:00–23:00 at Latvian Puppet Theatre yard) — Live music concert in an open-air setting, promising eclectic melodic surprises.

“Pie horizonta” (19:00–20:00 at eS14 community centre) — Chamber performance featuring clarinet, cello, piano and vocal improvisation by Mairita Coņeva and collaborators, evoking transitional light and space.

- Exhibitions, readings & film

Itālijas gaisma: no Fatori līdz Morandi (18:00–22:00 at National Art Museum) — Art exhibition tracing Italian light and colour traditions from Fattori to Morandi.

Pilsētas naktī – exhibition evening (18:00–23:00 at RAA cultural space) — Night-time arts showcase highlighting urban-night themes in photography, illustration, and mixed media.

Dramaturģijas lasījumi “Veldzējošie vārdi” (18:00–23:00 at Dirty Deal Teatro) — Dramatic text readings focused on healing, spoken aloud in intimate performance context.

Fragments from Home – Fragmenti no mājām (19:30–23:30 at Museum “Latvieši pasaulē”) — Poetry performance reflecting on diaspora experiences and emotional homecomings.

VIDEOGRĀFIJA XX (20:00–01:00 at Kino K.Suns) — The 20th edition of an international audiovisual concert series blending experimental video and sound under the White Night umbrella.

“Kino Diskotēka: Klusie Atvari” (19:00–23:30 on Raiņa boulevard) — Outdoor silent film disco where participants wear headphones for collective but individual experience of curated films and music.

- Immersive sound & nightlife

Skaņu meža Baltā nakts 2025 (20:00–02:00 at Ave Sol concert hall) — A “sound forest” festival featuring experimental, ambient, and improvisational music across eight performances in a former church-turned-hall. Free entry.

Dzejas diskotēka “Rituāls” (20:00–02:00 at bar “1983”) — A vibrant fusion of live poetry readings and club beats, turning verse into dancefloor ritual.

Kinofilma “Gaismas atmiņas” (21:00–01:00 at Splendid Palace yard) — Outdoor screening of cinematic short-film work themed around light memories and urban nocturnes.

“Ummis un lobēlija” (22:00–02:00 at Andrejosta) — A late-night audiovisual installation or sound-performance in a portside setting, blending abstract visuals with ambient score.

The International Festival of New Theatre “Homo Novus”

The International Festival of New Theatre “Homo Novus” has, for three decades, transformed Riga into a laboratory of experiments and discoveries in contemporary performing arts. This year festival will be held from 03.09 - 14.09. It is the largest event of its kind in Latvia and one of the most important in the Baltics, where emerging and established artists meet to explore, through performances, discussions, and creative experiments, what truly matters in today’s society and the world.

Since 1995, the festival has presented more than 400 guest performances and produced dozens of new works, proving that independent theatre can be both daring and indispensable.

For its 30th anniversary, Homo Novus poses a question: what is the role of art and culture in a time when everything feels fragile and uncertain? Here, insecurity is not an obstacle but a precondition for change; fear becomes a driving force, and resistance turns into fertile ground for new ideas and movements, even when attempts are made to suppress them.

Highlights & Key Events

Homo Novus Anniversary Parade (6 Sept)
A celebratory theatrical procession starting from the New Theatre Institute, weaving through Riga and ending at the National Opera. Along the way: surprise performative stops, scenography by Monika Korpa, and an electroacoustic finale by Alejas.

The Tooth of Time and the Peelers of Silence (family performance)
A quirky, imaginative show at the Opera attic where opera cleaners take center stage, transforming everyday props gnawed by “time” into a poetic space for all ages.

Ummis and Lobelia (experimental music-theatre)
A visual-poetic performance exploring nature’s fragility versus civilization’s pressures, inspired by wetlands and natural environments.

The Making of Pinocchio (immersive theatre)
A hybrid live-film performance by UK duo Cade & MacAskill, exploring identity and truth through the Pinocchio tale. Includes a behind-the-scenes digital edition.

SYN.Tropia (Portugal)
A tactile, wordless dance experience combining sculptural soundscapes and choreography for sensory immersion.

Sandscapes by Ueli Hirzel
A solo acrobatic performance honoring a circus life through powerful presence and minimal text.

Fun Fact (Slovenia + Estonia)
A witty, improvisational quiz-performance that questions the making of national memory and shared identity.

Peatland Justice Workshops & Expedition to Lake Ummis
On-site ecological performances and field excursions that invite reflection on wetlands, environmental justice, and our relationship with nature.

Big Green Networking + Un-Conference
Interdisciplinary gathering weaving arts, activism, and ecology—connecting artists, researchers, and thinkers around the theme of soil in urban and environmental contexts.

European dance offerings
Including Blue Carousel (Norway), Twoness, Silhouette Letters, Play with Power, and Megastructure—contemporary movement selected for Aerowaves showcases. Held across Riga, Valmiera, and Daugavpils.

“Mothers – A Song for Wartime” by Marta Górnicka (Poland)
A powerful ensemble performance built from testimonies of war-affected women across Ukraine, Poland, and Belarus.

Site-specific & urban interventions
Locative performances like The Path of Imanta, an artistic exploration of Riga’s Imanta district, and Reconstruction scenography installations by students of the Art Academy.

Survival Kit 16

From August 30 to September 28, 2025, Riga will once again host the contemporary art festival Survival Kit, organized for the sixteenth time by the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art. This year, for the first time, the festival will not take place in abandoned buildings, but in the new creative quarter “Grīziņdārzs” – the revitalized former factory site of Rīgas adītājs in the Grīziņkalns neighbourhood.

The exhibition, curated by the art collective Slavs and Tatars together with Polish curator Michał Grzegorzek, is titled “House of See-More”. Its concept is inspired by the mythical bird Simurgh, which in many Eurasian cultures symbolizes rebirth and liberation. If the eagle embodies power, empires, and domination, then the Simurgh blazes with fire, is non-binary, and does not belong to just one world – it invites us to reflect on borders, identity, and belonging at a time when divisions are increasingly palpable.

The exhibition brings together 23 artists and thinkers from different countries. Their works explore ideas of community, freedom, and collective strength, drawing on winged creatures in literature and folklore – from Aristophanes’ The Birds to the Latvian folk cycle The Birds’ Wedding.

Highlights include:

Filipka Rutkowska uses textiles and theatricality to revive the history of the space.

Ola Vasiljeva explores themes of abundance and scarcity in both 1980s Baltics and today.

Oksana Shachko’s icons confront society’s fear of the female body.

Bekhbaatar Enkhtur creates a feathered creature from wax, Sufi elixir remnants, and honey, evoking fleeting but alluring pleasures.

Luīze Nežberte’s columns embody the woman as an institution – a symbol of resilience and stability in a world where the ground beneath our feet feels ever less secure.

Overall, “House of See-More” invites visitors into a space where diverse voices and cultures meet, searching for a healing balance between division and unity, between the personal and the collective.

EXHIBITION OPENING HOURS
August 30 – September 28, 2025
Zemitāna Street 9, Creative City “Grīziņdārzs”, Riga

Mon–Wed: closed
Thu–Sun: 12:00–20:00

TICKETS

General admission: €8

Students (with ID) and seniors: €5

Families (with “3+ Family Card”): €5

Free entry for preschool children, school pupils (with ID), art academy students (with ID), people with disabilities and their companions.

Tickets available on site at Zemitāna Street 9, Grīziņdārzs, at the information centre. Payment by cash or via the Mobilly app.

MEDIATOR TOURS
Art mediators are available in the exhibition on Thursday and Friday evenings (from 16:00), as well as on Saturdays and Sundays.

For guided tours, please register on site, call +371 26352653, or email: info@lcca.lv

Riga IFF

The Riga International Film Festival (RIGA IFF) will transform the capital into a true celebration of cinema from October 16 to 26. Over the course of ten days and more than 100 screenings, audiences will experience bold and fresh films from Europe and around the world, each revealing the unique vision of its author. The festival is not only a showcase of outstanding works, but also a meeting place with filmmakers themselves – through special talks, masterclasses, and public events that invite a wider audience to take part.

This year’s theme, “SEE. SHIFT. BECOME.”, calls on viewers to embrace cinema as a journey – from the very first frame to the moment when what we’ve seen has already changed and transformed us.

Riga Restaurant week

From October 27, the capital will host Riga Restaurant Week – Autumn edition, a two-week celebration of food and flavor. Restaurants across the city will open their doors to all gourmets and food lovers ready to embark on a delicious culinary adventure. These are festive days both for refined connoisseurs and for those who simply enjoy the pleasures of life. During this time, everyone is invited to experiment, discover, and savor three-course menus at Riga’s restaurants for especially friendly prices.

More information coming soon.

A visit to the galleries and museums

When the October rain is raging outside the window, the warm interiors of galleries and museums encourage you to come inside and experience art at your leisure. Learn about or revisit the most fascinating art venues and galleries in Riga, for example, Zuzeum, Kim? Or you can set aside some time to explore the fascinating and instructive museums here - Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga Art Nouveau Centre, RSU Anatomy Museum and many more!.

Opera and ballet

Rain, wind, and sudden bursts of golden sunshine – if autumn in Riga had a soundtrack, it would be as dramatic as Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. It’s no wonder, then, that Riga’s cultural calendar is filled with dazzling opera and ballet performances. Casanova, Dracula, La Traviata, and Nabucco – these are just a few highlights from the rich programme of the Latvian National Opera and Ballet. To find out more about the upcoming performances, visit our events section.

See the city from above

The red roofs of Old Riga, the luxurious Art Nouveau houses of the Quiet Center and autumn-colored parks in the middle of everything - in autumn, Riga's splendor is best appreciated from above. Fortunately, there is no shortage of viewpoints in Riga - go to the terrace of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, the tower of St. Peter's Basilica or the Skyline bar on the top floor of the Radisson Blu Hotel Latvija.

Take a walk in the city parks

Enjoy how the colorful leaves rustle under your feet while taking a walk in Riga's parks. Catch postcard-worthy views at Vērmanes garden park, where the fountain has been recently restored, Bastejkalns and the nearby Kronvalda Park, and little further into Viesturdārzs, whose entrance is adorned by the grandiose Alexander Gate. Likewise, there is no lack of green spots on the left side of the Daugava - in Pārdaugava. Cast a romantic circle around the Māra pond and along the winding paths of Arkādijas Park.