Latvia Live Events

Jāņi is the most important festival in the Latvian calendar — a midsummer celebration on the night of 23–24 June (St John's Night) that combines ancient pagan solstice traditions with Latvian folk culture. The festival is celebrated across Latvia with bonfires, folk singing, traditional Latvian food (especially Jāņu siers — caraway cheese), beer, and the wearing of oak leaf and flower crowns. The tradition of jumping over the bonfire, searching for the mythical fern flower at midnight, and singing Latvian folk songs (dainas) through the night makes Jāņi one of the most atmospheric and authentic folk festivals in Europe. The best celebrations are in the Latvian countryside, where families gather at farmsteads for all-night festivities.