Events in Lithuania: What's On Now and What's Ahead

Official Calendars to Check First

How to Use Live Calendars Effectively

• Check event pages shortly before travel for final timing and location updates.
• Cross-check transport options for late evening endings or out-of-center venues.
• For busy weekends — Vilnius Days, the marathon, the Christmas market — shortlist a backup event in case your first choice sells out.
• Save organizer pages directly for ticket and policy updates.

What's on right now, and what is still ahead in 2026

This page was re-checked on August 31, 2026; the Kaunas tree-lighting date was added on October 10, 2026, and on October 16, 2026 the September events that have already taken place were marked as past. Lithuania's summer festival season closed on August 30 — Pažaislis and the Christopher Summer Festival both ended that day. Dates come from organizers and official city portals; reconfirm each one before you book flights or a hotel.

Already happened: September 2026 (kept for next year's planning)

• Vilnius Days (Vilniaus dienos), September 4–6, 2026 — already took place. The capital's biggest festival, in its 34th edition: three days of music, art, literature, sport and food spread across the city center, from Cathedral Square out to the White Bridge. Free admission throughout; for 2027, book accommodation ahead if you want to be in the city that weekend. Program at vilniausdienos.lt. Note the name — it was long known as Sostinės dienos and is now billed as Vilniaus dienos.
• LOFTAS Fest, Vilnius, September 11–12, 2026 — already took place. Two-day urban music festival at the Loftas venue in the Naujamiestis district.
• Vilnius Marathon, September 13, 2026 — already took place. It brings Old Town road closures and tight accommodation on race Sunday.

Autumn 2026: theater, jazz and film

• Sirenos — Vilnius International Theatre Festival, September 23 – October 10, 2026 — the 2026 edition has finished. Contemporary theater staged across Vilnius venues, in an international program plus a Lithuanian showcase. Go Vilnius listed the run as September 23 – October 10, 2026, while the festival's own calendar showed performances through October 8. The 2027 dates will appear on sirenos.lt.
• Kaunas International Film Festival — status unconfirmed, do not book around it. Kaunas's art-house festival ran each autumn, typically from late September into October, with satellite screenings in Vilnius, Klaipėda, Šiauliai and Panevėžys. We checked on August 31, 2026: the festival's own domain kinofestivalis.lt now returns “410 Gone”, its surviving mirror is frozen on the 2019 edition, and we found no organizer announcement of a 2024, 2025 or 2026 edition. Treat it as dormant until Kaunas IN (kaunasin.lt) or the organizers say otherwise. For a confirmed Kaunas film fixture, use Scanorama in November instead.
• Vilnius Jazz, October 14–18, 2026. The 39th edition of Lithuania's avant-garde and improvised-music festival, listed on the official Vilnius event portal.
• Scanorama European Film Forum, November 5–22, 2026. The country's biggest European film event, and one of the few festivals with published dates this far out — November 5–22 is the festival's own figure on scanorama.lt. It screens in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Panevėžys, Šiauliai, Marijampolė, Visaginas, Vilkaviškis and Gargždai, so you do not have to be in the capital. A good indoor, low-cost option in the darkest month of the year.
• Vilnius Gastronomy Week, November 9–15, 2026. Set menus at city restaurants; book tables rather than walking in.

Sources: Go Vilnius — Vilnius's biggest events of 2026 · vilnius-events.lt — official city event portal · sirenos.lt. Reconfirm dates with the organizer.

Christmas markets in Lithuania, winter 2026–2027

Vilnius Christmas Market 2026: November 28 – December 27

Vilnius switches on its Christmas tree in Cathedral Square (Katedros aikštė) on Saturday, November 28, 2026 at 19:00, and the Christmas market runs in the same square from November 28 to December 27, 2026. Those are the dates published by vilnius-events.lt, the official city event portal. Recent seasons have used roughly 48 wooden huts selling mulled wine, gingerbread, amber, linen and wooden toys, with a carousel and an ice rink elsewhere in the center.

One thing to get right: the market huts and the tree do not share a closing date. In the most recent seasons the huts have shut in the last days of December while the tree stayed lit into early January. The 2026–27 closing date for the tree itself had not been published when we checked on August 31, 2026, so if you are traveling specifically to see the tree in January, confirm on govilnius.lt or kaledossostineje.lt first.

Kaunas Christmas Market 2026: Town Hall Square, from November 27

Kaunas has made a habit of opening Lithuania's festive season before Vilnius — in 2025 the Kaunas tree was lit on November 22 in Town Hall Square (Rotušės aikštė), several days ahead of the capital. For 2026 the city municipality announced in early September that the tree will be lit on Friday, November 27, 2026 at 18:00 in Town Hall Square — the evening before Vilnius — with the Town Hall Square market, children's workshops and an open-air ice rink running through the holidays. Confirm the programme on kaunasin.lt, the city's official tourism site, before you fix your travel dates.

Vilnius and Kaunas are an easy train ride apart, so one winter weekend can cover both markets — check current timetables and fares at ltglink.lt (rail) or autobusubilietai.lt (coach).

Early 2027 dates worth holding

• Užgavėnės — Tuesday, February 9, 2027. Lithuania's Shrove Tuesday: masked processions, the burning of the Morė effigy, and pancakes. The date moves every year, because it always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday — which is March 28 in 2027, unusually early. Since 2026 Užgavėnės has been an official non-working day in Lithuania, so expect proper town-square celebrations. Best seen at the Open-Air Museum of Lithuania in Rumšiškės or in smaller towns; Vilnius runs a smaller public version.
• Kaziuko mugė / St Casimir's Fair, Vilnius — first weekend of March 2027. The 2027 dates had not been published when we checked on August 31, 2026. The fair is pegged to St Casimir's day, March 4, and runs Friday to Sunday — in 2026 it ran March 6–8. 2027 is a landmark edition: 200 years since Vilnius merchants won the right to hold a three-day market on Cathedral Square, which is treated as the start of the modern fair. Confirm at kaziukomuge.lt.
• Kino pavasaris / Vilnius International Film Festival, March 2027. Lithuania's largest film festival, running roughly two weeks each March since 1995. 2027 dates are announced at kinopavasaris.lt.
• Kaunas Jazz, April 2027. A spring festival, not a summer one — a common planning mistake. The 2026 edition's main-stage concerts were April 24, 25 and 26 at the National Kaunas Drama Theatre. 2027 dates at kaunasjazz.lt.

The 2026 summer season, for reference

Kept here in past tense so you can judge what the equivalent week looks like in 2027. Every event below has finished.

• Sting — “STING 3.0” tour, Vilnius: one open-air show on June 23, 2026, at Kalnų parkas. The seventeen-time Grammy winner played a single Vilnius date, on Joninės eve — not a multi-night run. Sting's own tour listing gives the venue as “Park Of The Hill, Vilnius”, which is Kalnų parkas.
• Joninės / Midsummer (Rasos), June 23–24, 2026. Lithuania's most atmospheric folk celebration — wreath weaving, bonfires, the search for the mythical blooming fern. Fixed to June 23–24 every year. Best experienced in smaller towns or at the Open-Air Museum in Rumšiškės.
• Pažaislis Music Festival, Kaunas — 31st edition, June 6 – August 30, 2026. Classical, jazz, world music and crossover sets, centered on the Italian Baroque courtyard of Pažaislis Monastery.
• Christopher Summer Festival, Vilnius, June 30 – August 30, 2026. Two months of classical and crossover concerts in Vilnius churches, indoor concert halls, parks and, in recent editions, on a boat moored on the Neris.
• Water Music Festival, June – August 2026. 69 free concerts across Varėna, Molėtai, Visaginas, Ignalina, Utena, Zarasai and Nemenčinė.
• Klaipėda Sea Festival (Jūros šventė), July 24–26, 2026. Three-day port celebration with regattas, tall ships, naval parades and concerts. Book Klaipėda stays well in advance for the 2027 edition.

Two festivals we no longer list as annual fixtures. Devilstone (Anykščiai) is discontinued: after 13 summers, the organizers announced in October 2023 that the July 2023 edition was the last one. Galapagai (Zarasai) is unconfirmed: the 2024 edition was cancelled and postponed, and we could not verify an organizer announcement of a 2025 or 2026 edition on August 31, 2026 — check galapagai.lt before planning a trip around it.

Major recurring events to know

These come back every year. Use them to shape a future trip; use the calendars further down for whatever is on this week.

Water Music Festival (June–August)

A free open-air summer music festival staged across smaller Lithuanian towns — the organizer's own programming is songwriter, acoustic and alternative rather than classical. The 2026 season ran 69 free concerts in Varėna, Molėtai, Visaginas, Ignalina, Utena, Zarasai and Nemenčinė, and it closed in August; the next season runs June to August 2027. No tickets, no registration. See our dedicated Water Music Festival guide for routes and stay picks.

Pažaislis Music Festival (June–August, Kaunas)

Classical, jazz, world and crossover music in the Italian Baroque setting of Pažaislis Monastery near Kaunas — one of the country's headline classical events. The 31st edition ran June 6 to August 30, 2026. Book tickets early; the monastery courtyard is intimate and seats are limited.

Vilnius Christmas Market (late November to late December)

Held in Cathedral Square (Katedros aikštė), with the tree at its center. For the 2026 season the market runs November 28 to December 27 — see the Christmas section above for the tree-lighting time and the Kaunas dates. Combine it with a sauna or a kibinai tasting in nearby Trakai for a full winter weekend.

Užgavėnės (movable — usually February, occasionally early March)

Lithuania's Shrove Tuesday tradition, with masked processions, the burning of the Morė effigy and a great deal of pancake-eating. The date follows Easter: it always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, which put it on February 17 in 2026 and puts it on February 9 in 2027. Best experienced in smaller towns or at the Open-Air Museum of Lithuania in Rumšiškės; Vilnius has a smaller public version.

Kaziuko mugė / Saint Casimir's Fair (first weekend of March)

A huge craft fair spread across Vilnius Old Town, with roots traced to 1604. Scale, in the organizers' own 2026 figures: more than 1,500 vendors, of which roughly 900 were artisans and makers and about 600 food producers. Expect folk art, wooden toys, traditional bread, honey and linen. Worth building a weekend around even if you only have one day in the city.

Sea Festival (Jūros šventė) — Klaipėda, late July

A three-day port-city festival with regattas, tall ships, concerts and naval parades; the 2026 edition ran July 24–26. The biggest summer event on the Lithuanian coast — book Klaipėda accommodation well in advance.

Kaunas Jazz (April, Kaunas)

Worth stating plainly because it is often mis-scheduled by travel sites: Kaunas Jazz is a spring festival. In 2026 its main-stage concerts were April 24, 25 and 26 at the National Kaunas Drama Theatre on Laisvės alėja, with the wider program running to April 27.

What's on today: how to check before you go out

No travel page can be a live listings feed, and any page that claims to be one is out of date by the time you read it — including this one, which is re-verified periodically rather than hourly. For today and this week, go straight to the sources the cities themselves maintain:

• vilnius-events.lt — the official Vilnius event portal, filterable by date. This is the one to open for “what is on in Vilnius today” or this weekend
• govilnius.lt — the Vilnius tourism board's own site: seasonal roundups, museums, exhibitions and visitor practicalities
• kaunasin.lt — Kaunas events, including modernist architecture tours (the old visit.kaunas.lt address now forwards here)
• klaipedatravel.lt — Klaipėda and coast events, including the Curonian Spit
• lithuania.travel — national tourism portal with country-wide event highlights
• bilietai.lt and Tiketa — the two main ticketing platforms; search by city plus date
• Facebook Events — many concerts and pop-ups appear there first, especially in smaller towns

For Water Music specifically, the official channel is watermusic.lt — confirm dates and venues there before booking transport.

Practical tips for event-led trips

• Book accommodation before transport for the big weekends. Vilnius rooms tighten first around Vilnius Days, the Vilnius Marathon and the Christmas market weekends; Klaipėda tightens around the Sea Festival. We do not publish a price-rise percentage because we have no operator data to support one — compare live rates rather than trusting a rule of thumb.
• Keep one flexible day. Outdoor concerts can move indoors in bad weather, which is normal from September onward; a buffer day saves the trip.
• Combine festivals with day trips. Trakai or the Curonian Spit pair naturally with multi-day Vilnius or Klaipėda visits.
• For late-night events, check the actual last departure rather than assuming. On the busy Vilnius–Kaunas corridor, evening coaches run late, but smaller routes finish much earlier. Look up your specific route's last service at autobusubilietai.lt (coach) or ltglink.lt (rail) before you commit to a night event in another city.
• Carry some cash for small markets. Big events and the main Christmas market huts take cards; small craft markets and rural concerts often do not.
• Winter markets are outdoors and Baltic. For the Vilnius and Kaunas Christmas markets in late November and December, plan for near-freezing evenings and short daylight — the markets look their best after dark, which arrives before 16:30.

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