Klaipėda Events Calendar: Festivals and Celebrations Month by Month

Klaipėda is a port city, and it parties like one. The year starts with lights and Shrovetide masks in the dark of February, warms up with jazz on Theatre Square and the Midsummer bonfire, peaks with the Sea Festival at the end of July and ends with a Christmas town around Ännchen's fountain. Many of the big celebrations are free and take place a short walk from Bohema – pick your month below.

The calendar

Choose a month to see what is on; the dot marks the current month. Where the 2027 dates have already been announced we give them; otherwise you will find the usual timing and the 2026 dates for reference.

• Stintapūkis, Neringa The smelt festival on the Curonian Spit, between late January and mid-February – in 2026 from 30 January to 1 February. Mostly outdoors around Nida. visitneringa.com
• Palanga Smelt Festival An early-February weekend in Palanga (6–8 February 2026): a fish market on Basanavičiaus Street, smelt fried, smoked and in soup, and an angling contest off the pier. Free.
• Klaipėda Light Festival 18–20 February 2027, evenings in the Old Town and by the sea – the oldest light festival in Lithuania, this time on the theme of fairy tales. klaipedossventes.lt
• Užgavėnės (Shrovetide) Lithuania's carnival: masked devils, witches and goats chase winter away, and the straw effigy Morė is burnt on Theatre Square. Shrove Tuesday falls on 9 February 2027; the city usually celebrates on the nearest weekend. Free.
• Kaziukas Fair The St Casimir's crafts fair fills the Old Town on the last weekend of February or the first of March – some 400 traders and a stage on Theatre Square (28 February – 1 March in 2026). Free. klaipedoskaziukas.lt
• Kino pavasaris in Klaipėda The Vilnius International Film Festival brings its programme to the ArleKinas cinema in the Culture Factory and to Forum Cinemas in March. Tickets at kinopavasaris.lt.
• Klaipėda Music Spring One of Lithuania's longest-running classical festivals, through April at the Klaipėda Concert Hall and in churches (the 51st edition ran 2–25 April 2026). Programme and tickets: koncertusale.lt.
• Museum Night A Saturday evening in May when museums open late and mostly free – in 2026 the Castle Museum and the Clock Museum welcomed visitors until 22:00.
• TheATRIUM The Klaipėda Drama Theatre's international theatre festival, from late May to mid-June, with guest companies from around the world. Tickets at kdt.lt.
• Vėjų vėjai Kite Festival Giant kites from several countries over the central beach in Melnragė on the last weekend of May (30–31 May 2026).
• Hope Run – Klaipėda Marathon A late-May Saturday of marathon, half-marathon and family races through the city (30 May 2026). Registration at viltiesbegimas.lt.
• Joninės (Midsummer) On the evening of 23 June the city gathers on Jono kalnelis, St John's Hill, a short walk from the hotel: a fair, concerts, flower wreaths and the bonfire, lit at around 23:10. 24 June is a public holiday. Free.
• Klaipėda Castle Jazz Festival Held since 1994, usually at the end of June (22–28 June 2026), with the main stage on Theatre Square – free in 2026 – and all-night jam sessions at the Kurpiai jazz club. jazz.lt
• Thomas Mann Festival, Nida 10–17 July 2027: a week of concerts in Nida dedicated to the writer, who spent his summers there, held in Nida's Lutheran church (tickets €15–25 in 2026). mann.lt
• Klaipėda Sea Festival 23–25 July 2027. The city's biggest party since 1934: concerts at the Cruise Ship Terminal, a parade, tall ships, a fountain show on Jono kalnelis and Lithuania's largest summer fair. The main events are free. klaipedossventes.lt
• Nida Jazz Marathon 29–31 July 2027 at the Agila hall in Nida – three days of jazz on the Curonian Spit, a tradition going back to 2001. nidajazz.lt
• Klaipėda's birthday Every 1 August, with a flag-raising at the castle site, a medieval town and an evening concert on Theatre Square. In 2027 the city turns 775, and jubilee events are planned. Free.
• Klaipėda Festival The State Music Theatre's summer festival from mid-August to early September – in 2026 Wagner was staged in an old boathouse by the castle. Tickets at klaipedosmuzikinis.lt.
• Curonian Spit chamber music festival Summer concerts in Nida and Juodkrantė throughout August.
• Voices of the World, Palanga The Pasaulio balsai music festival plays from early August to early September in the Kurhaus, the Amber Museum and Palanga's church.
• PLARTFORMA An international festival of contemporary dance, new circus and physical theatre, from September to early October (9 September – 7 October 2026). Tickets on bilietai.lt.
• Christmas in Klaipėda The tree on Theatre Square is lit on a Saturday at the end of November or early December, and a Christmas market and an ice rink stay until early January (in the 2025 season: 29 November – 6 January). On New Year's Eve fireworks go up at midnight. Free; skating €5 for adults.

The Sea Festival: Klaipėda's biggest weekend

The first Sea Day was held on 11–12 August 1934; President Antanas Smetona opened it and some 60,000 people came. Today the Jūros šventė takes place on the last weekend of July and the organisers count around half a million visitors: about a hundred events over three days, concerts in front of the tall ships at the Cruise Ship Terminal, a fair that fills the streets and, after dark, a fountain and firework show on Jono kalnelis.

• The parade sets off on Friday evening and ends at the Cruise Ship Terminal; expect streets along its route to close for a couple of hours.
• Getting around: in recent years taxis and ride-hailing cars could not enter the festival area for all three days – plan to walk. Bohema is within walking distance of the main zones.
• Book early: the Sea Festival is the busiest weekend of the year, and in 2027 the city's 775th birthday follows a week later.

The 2027 summer at a glance

1. 23 June Midsummer bonfire on Jono kalnelis.
2. 10–17 July Thomas Mann Festival in Nida.
3. 23–25 July Klaipėda Sea Festival.
4. 29–31 July Nida Jazz Marathon.
5. 1 August Klaipėda's 775th birthday.

Note that The Tall Ships Races will not call at Klaipėda in 2027 or 2028 – the city last hosted the fleet in 2024.

Winter: lights, masks and a Christmas town

Klaipėda is at its cosiest from late November, when Theatre Square becomes a Christmas town with wooden stalls, a skating rink and a tall spruce – each year the city asks residents to donate a living tree at least ten metres high. In February the dark evenings belong to the Light Festival, and Užgavėnės turns the square into a carnival of masks before the Morė effigy goes up in flames. For a winter stay, see also our guide to rainy days and winter in Klaipėda.

Where to find what's on and buy tickets

• KlaipėdON – the city's tourist office keeps an events calendar at klaipedon.lt; you can also ask at Turgaus g. 7.
• bilietai.lt and kakava.lt – the two main ticket sites; filter by Klaipėda.
• Klaipėda Concert Hall – classical and jazz concerts: koncertusale.lt.
• Klaipėda State Music Theatre – opera, operetta and musicals: klaipedosmuzikinis.lt.
• Klaipėda Drama Theatre – in the historic theatre on Theatre Square: kdt.lt.
• Švyturys Arena – the big concerts, shows and basketball: svyturioarena.lt.

Watch out for unofficial websites offering “official programmes” for the Sea Festival with different dates – the organiser's site is klaipedossventes.lt.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Klaipėda Sea Festival in 2027?

From 23 to 25 July 2027, Friday to Sunday, as announced by the organisers in October 2026. It is traditionally held on the last weekend of July.

Is the Sea Festival free?

Yes, the main events – concerts, the parade, the fair and the evening shows – are free. Some smaller events may have their own tickets.

Do I need to book accommodation early for the Sea Festival?

Yes. It is the busiest weekend of the year in Klaipėda, and in 2027 the city's 775th birthday on 1 August and the Nida Jazz Marathon fall in the following week.

When is the Christmas tree lit in Klaipėda?

Usually on a Saturday at the end of November or in early December, on Theatre Square – in 2025 it was on 29 November. The 2026 date had not been announced at the time of writing.

Is the Castle Jazz Festival free?

The main-stage concerts on Theatre Square were free in 2026; club concerts and jam sessions may be ticketed. The 2027 dates have not been announced yet.

Will the Tall Ships Races come to Klaipėda again soon?

Not in 2027 or 2028: the 2027 races visit Bordeaux, A Coruña and Sines, and the 2028 races Kiel, Turku, Tallinn and Szczecin. Klaipėda last hosted them in 2024.

Further reading

• Klaipėda Concert Hall: music and art in western Lithuania
• Nida and the Curonian Spit: a day trip from Klaipėda
• Things to do in Klaipėda

In the middle of the celebrations

Theatre Square, Jono kalnelis and the castle site are all about ten minutes' walk from Bohema, so on festival nights you can walk home instead of hunting for a taxi. For the busiest weekends, book your room well in advance.

Sources: Klaipėdos šventės – Sea Festival 2027 dates, Christmas in Klaipėda, Klaipėda Castle Jazz Festival, Thomas Mann Festival, Nida Jazz Marathon, Klaipėda State Music Theatre, Klaipėda Ethnoculture Centre, Sail Training International. Dates checked in October 2026. Photos: Zivvviliuks, Zivvviliuks (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.