The 16th Latvian Song and Dance Festival organizing committee will host the festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan in July of 2026. The festival will span five days and about 4,000 guests and participants are expected to attend. The event will include choir concerts, dance, gatherings, art, and other cultural events that showcase Latvian traditions. Maira Bundža is one of the organizers of the festival.
“It’s the 16th, but not like the year 16,” Bundža says. “Latvian Song Festivals started a long time ago in Latvia. In 1873 was the big first general song festival. It came out of German traditions and other ethnic groups in Europe. They continued having song festivals in Latvia all through these years.”
Latvians continued holding the song festivals even during World War II, as refugees in the Displaced Persons camps in Germany during the Soviet occupation, Bundža says. The festivals have been held across the United States and Canada, wherever there are larger Latvian communities, as well as in Latvia, including during the years of Soviet occupation.
“And then when they came to America, they continued the tradition,” she says. “The first song festival in America was held in Chicago in 1953. There has been one, on the average, every five years ever since.”
This 16th Latvian Song and Dance Festival is expected to have guests from all across the United States, Canada, and Latvia. The main choir will consist of more than 400 singers, while the dance troupe count is expected to be near 750 dancers. A special spiritual choir performance is planned in one of Grand Rapids' oldest churches. The festival will also include a parade in downtown Grand Rapids, theater performance, art exhibits, balls, fraternity and sorority gatherings, a writers’ reading, and opportunities to connect with friends. Most events will be held at the Amway Grand Hotel, DeVos Hall, St. Cecelia Church, the Civic Theater, and at the Van Andel Arena.
The Festival is open to the general public from July 1 through July 5. Some events will be ticketed through Ticketmaster while others will be free. Visit the Festival website for information on all events and to purchase tickets.
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