Cesvaine City Festival 2025

At the end of July, Cesvaine blossoms with festive splendor as the city becomes a home to creative events, heartfelt encounters, and ancient traditions. The Cesvaine festival is a time when the historical environment merges with contemporary culture, creating a unique festive atmosphere that everyone can feel, see, and hear. During these days, the city becomes a meeting place for artists, songwriters, families, friends, and all those who hold Cesvaine dear.

The festivities will begin with the art plein air “Cesvaine 2025,” passionately led for many years by art studio director Ērika Dogana. This tradition gathers artists from all over Latvia, who find inspiration in the cityscape for works later exhibited in the open-air gallery “Artists’ Street.”

Especially anticipated is the classical music concert “In the Embrace of the Sun,” featuring Cesvaine native Emma Bandeniece and her musician friends. The concert will resonate in the atmosphere of Cesvaine Castle, blending music, light, and a soulful mood.

An integral part of the Cesvaine festival is respect for local values. This year, we are proud of the contributions from the hunters’ and anglers’ club “Cesvaine” – the manor stables will host an exhibition of hunting trophies obtained in the Vidzeme region, where visitors can learn about forest life and the hunting culture, cultivated with responsibility and respect for nature.

This year, the heart of the festival is filled with the songwriter festival “Troubadour” – a sincere, soulful, and truly lively event. Acoustic music, poetry, and stories will resonate in the “Two Towers” salon concert garden, creating a special atmosphere of closeness. It is a moment where the song reveals its truest form – between silence, words, and people who listen with their hearts. 

The climax of the festival is Saturday, July 26, when the entire day is filled with events – from morning festive market, creative activities for both young and old, open-air exhibitions, motorcycle parade, concerts, to a manor tour. At the end of the evening, we invite everyone to gather in the courtyard of Cesvaine Castle, where the bands “Ducele” and “Lādezers” will take the stage. The energy of live music and Latvian togetherness will create an unforgettable festive evening.

On Sunday, July 27, the festival concludes with cemetery celebrations at Ķinderi Cemetery, remembering ancestors and strengthening family ties. Afterwards, we invite you to the closing concert of the songwriter festival “Troubadour” at Cesvaine Castle and the traditional theatrical performance in Kraukļi. The amateur theater “Cesvaine” invites you to the musical play “Parish Bazaar” – a play by Ādolfs Alunāns directed by Ilze Kraukle.

The Cesvaine festival is a story about a place where traditions live and creativity flourishes, where people meet, share joy, and celebrate togetherness. Welcome to Cesvaine – where the past meets the present, and everyone can become part of this heartfelt, splendid festival story!

Information prepared and submitted by Kristīne Aumele, Head of the Cultural Center of Madona Municipality Cesvaine Association Administration.