Vilnius’ 700th birthday
Vilnius’ 700th birthday begins
Vilnius birthday programme
Vilnius anniversary event at Cathedral Square
Let’s welcome in the 700th anniversary in Cathedral Square, where we’ll travel through Vilnius’s 700 years and see an impressive show that will make both Vilnius and everyone in Lithuania proud. However, Vilnius’s birthday will last more than one day or even one month! Vilnius will be surprising you with impressive birthday events throughout 2023.
The forever-young city knows how to keep things interesting for everyone – concerts, exhibitions, theatre performances, festivals and adventures await everyone who takes part in the celebration.
Where: Cathedral Square
When: 25 January 2023
Time: 19:30
Talking Images: The Time Portal on the Cathedral Wall
The Time Portal is a journey created by video projections, which was started by Duke Gediminas and is continued by us, generation after generation, writing the answer to his letter – creating, growing and nurturing this city.
The Time Portal, which will open in Cathedral Square on 25 January invites you to watch the unique story of Vilnius being told every day during the jubilee Vilnius Light Festival on a giant screen – the facade of the Cathedral. In the Šventaragis Valley, where the waters of the Neris and Vilnelė rivers converge and the young heart of Vilnius has been beating for 700 years, video projections will help you to see the symbols of a celebrating Vilnius, not only of the past, but of the future as well. The spectacle will delight Vilnius residents and visitors from January 25 to 28.
Date: January 25-28
Time:
January 25, 9:00-11:00 pm
January 26-28, 6:00-11:00 pm
Vilnius Light Festival – a special tradition for the Lithuanian capital’s birthday
Where: Various spaces across Vilnius
When: 25-28 January 2023
Time: 18:00-23:00
During the festive days on 25-28 January, Vilnius will become an open-air modern art gallery. The city’s architectural objects will be transformed by installations in the city’s squares and yards, and the streets will be flooded with bright light.
Vilnius Light Festival will mark the start of other impressive birthday events. Anticipation for the anniversary will begin with a festive week, surprises and fascinating spectacles.
Introducing the first exhibit at the Jubilee Vilnius Light Festival – a laser projection by Italian artist Cristian Rizzuti, entitled Amnesia. It will be located in one of the most mysterious courtyards in Vilnius Old Town. The five-part work is an interpretation of memory – using modern technology, the artist will demonstrate the birth, vitality and pulse of memory and what is ultimately left of it. The visual part of the projection is complemented by a meditative soundtrack by Julián Álvarez.
You can find the full list of light festival objects and a map of where to see them by downloading the free Vilnius Light Festival APP:
Don’t forget to capture the moments and share them with your friends! In anticipation of Vilnius’ anniversary, become a city ambassador – Vilnius’ birthday is the beginning of unique events. It inspires people to discover Vilnius, and for some, to perhaps visit the city for the first time. So spread the word, share the most spectacular moments, experience the joy of celebrating and pass it on to others.