Our festivals
Music that connects eras, artists and audiences.
Collegium Musicum Riga concert hall is more than a venue for concerts and cultural events. It is also a creative platform for international music festivals, artistic collaborations and new concert traditions.
Our festivals are rooted in a desire to introduce audiences to outstanding musical heritage, offer diverse concert programmes and create a lively dialogue between historical music and today's listeners.
A special place in our work is held by the Riga Early Music Festival and the Collegium Early Music Christmas Festival. Each year, they enrich Riga's cultural life, bringing together professional musicians, international guest artists and audiences of different generations.
Riga Early Music Festival
Riga Early Music Festival
The Riga Early Music Festival, also known as the Riga Historical Music and Dance Festival, is an international cultural event dedicated to exploring Europe's musical heritage and historically informed performance practice. The festival has been held since 2007.
The programme brings together music of the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical periods, historical instruments and their copies, as well as contemporary artistic interpretations. The festival presents concerts by internationally renowned early music ensembles and programmes created by Latvia's professional musicians, with a special focus on lesser-known works and the diversity of historical repertoire.
Concerts take place in Riga's historic churches, concert halls and heritage venues, allowing audiences to experience music in an architectural and acoustic setting suited to it.
The festival has been awarded the EFFE Label 2026-2027, recognising its artistic quality and significance in Europe's festival culture.
Collegium Early Music Christmas Festival
Collegium Early Music Christmas Festival
The Christmas Festival is a musical tradition created by the Collegium Musicum Riga concert hall, inviting audiences in December to experience the special atmosphere of Advent and Christmas. Christmas concert series have taken place for several years in a row, but a new tradition began in the winter season of 2026: the Collegium Early Music Christmas Festival.
The festival programme brings together sacred Baroque music, classical masterpieces, works by Latvian composers and traditional Christmas carols. Alongside concerts by professional musicians, shared music-making and sing-along events play an important role, allowing audiences to become active participants in the musical experience.
Festival concerts take place both in the intimate Collegium Musicum Riga concert hall in Old Riga and in Riga's churches, offering a varied musical experience, from intimate chamber music evenings to large-scale vocal and instrumental performances.
The Christmas Festival is our invitation to meet through music during the darkest time of the year, discovering music's ability to unite people and create a festive atmosphere.
Vivat Curlandia! - an early music festival in the historic cultural landscape of Kurzeme and Zemgale
Our professional work and experience in organising festivals extend beyond Riga. A significant part of it is the international early music festival Vivat Curlandia!, which has been held in Bauska Municipality since 2016.
The festival began in collaboration with Bauska Castle and has grown over the years into a major early music event in Latvia, bringing together outstanding Latvian and international artists.
Its concerts take place at Bauska Castle, in historic churches and in other cultural venues in Bauska Municipality, with a special focus on the interplay between historical music, architecture and cultural heritage.
Vivat Curlandia! has also been awarded the EFFE Label 2026-2027.
Musical traditions that continue to grow
All our festivals share the belief that outstanding music is not only a heritage from the past. It is a living art that can speak to, surprise and inspire audiences today.
When creating festival programmes, we aim to bring together artistic quality, historical authenticity, international collaboration and access to music for a wider audience.
Discover our festivals and be part of musical events where history meets today!