The high season in Kaunas officially opens in May, the month chosen to celebrate the city’s birthday. The beautiful town born out of the love of the Nemunas and the Neris rivers, full of layers of history and UNESCO-protected modernist architecture, lush nature, bicycles, fountains, festivals, art, and culture, is turning 616 this year!
It is no coincidence that May is also home to the European Neighbours’ Day. It is a perfect time to skip work and visit with those living nearby. So, if not on May, then at any other time during the summer, Kaunas looks forward to welcoming visitors from neighbouring countries and announcing a summer programme perfect for weekend getaways.
Birthday Agenda
The Courtyard Festival is one of Kaunas’ most delightful contemporary traditions, first held almost ten years ago. It celebrates European Neighbours’ Day by transforming the main pedestrian boulevard, Laisvės Alėja, into one long dining room for one evening. Everyone brings their own tables, cooks their own food, and enjoys company, plus cultural activities right next to the tables. It never rains! This year’s Courtyard Festival will be celebrated 24 May as a prelude to the city’s 616th birthday.
The birthday will take place over the weekend of 24-26 May. The surroundings of the 14th-century Kaunas Castle will be transformed into a historic Hanseatic city with markets and workshops. Participants will be greeted by medieval music and even will be able to learn the dances of the period. Various activities and education will be offered to young visitors in colourful tents. After dark, the world-famous British DJ Sigala will announce the summer season with a spectacular laser show accompanied by various Lithuanian musicians.
On 25 May, the birthday agenda will also feature events dedicated to the two largest rivers. The Nemunas and the Neris will be floated by DIY boats and kayaks, and cultural stations will be set up on the banks, open to all. On Sunday, 26 May, the community of the very photogenic V. Putvinskio Street in the centre of the city will celebrate neighbourhood and togetherness by organising a party right there on the street.
More Parties Later This Summer
The Pažaislis Music Festival, a summer-long classical music festival visiting the most stunning locations, starts on 31 May. The 29th edition of the festival will feature significant concerts in the impressive Baroque monastery on the shores of the Kaunas Lagoon.
Electronic music fans from all over Europe will flood Kaunas on 5-9 June for the Audra festival, which not only features the best DJs but also offers spectacular industrial spaces. In fact, on 8 May, the festival’s day party will take place in Oak Grove – a forest park almost in the centre of Kaunas.
A unique musical detail of the summer of 2024 is the Song Festival, a UNESCO-protected tradition. This year will mark the 100th edition of this festival. The main concerts will occur in Vilnius, while the opening ceremony will occur in Kaunas, where the national tradition began in 1924.
Arena and stadium concert lovers have long included Kaunas in their holiday itineraries. The likes of Dua Lipa and Robbie Williams know that Žalgiris Arena is second to none in the region. On 9 June, Sting will confirm this.
Ed Sheeran will perform at the recently renovated century-old Darius and Girėnas Stadium at the end of summer. A few tickets remain for the extra show of the +-=÷× 2024 Tour on 4 August.
Contemporary performing arts are an essential ingredient for a good summer in Kaunas. On 30 May, the international contemporary circus festival Cirkuliacija kicks off, and every year, it surprises with sensitive performances by emerging artists from around the world. The international performing arts festival ConTempo will bring the most exciting artists and their premiere works to Kaunas and the Kaunas district on 5-11 August.
Summer continues into autumn – at least in the events calendar. The city will open the unique science promotion museum of exceptional architecture Science Island and start preparing for the Fluxus Festival. The highlight of this event will be the climb up Parodos Hill, which will be closed to traffic but open for dress-up enthusiasts.
Later in the autumn, in October, Kaunas will host the International Photography and Media Art Festival, a CityTelling Festival, and a blues music festival, Kaunas Blues. But that’s after the leaves have turned yellow – in the meantime, pack shorts, light dresses and sunglasses in your suitcase.
Once you mark a Kaunas weekend in your calendar, don’t forget to schedule exploring the Kaunas Fortress, visiting the Kaunas Zoo, Atomic Bunker, the Art Deco and Amsterdam School Museums, and many more. Find out more at visit.kaunas.lt.
