Riga aims for status of Northern European cultural metropolis

RIGA - A number of significant contemporary art, cultural and musical events are scheduled to take place in Riga this year, LETA was told at the municipal press office.

The overarching goal of these events is to bring Riga closer to the status of Northern European cultural metropolis, as well as to transform Riga's Contemporary Art Space into the capital city's central contemporary art exhibition space.

At a meeting of the municipal committee for culture this week, five new cultural events were announced that are being developed in the municipality in collaboration with private producers, with the emphasis on contemporary art, culture and the export potential of non-academic music.

The new cultural events are Riga Art Week 2025, Riga Music Week 2025 and Riga Contemporary - an international contemporary art fair in Riga in cooperation with the international gallery association NADA.

These projects are being promoted through a new municipal cooperation support platform managed by the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency.

The committee also endorsed the development project for the Riga Contemporary Art Space, which from 2025 is planned to be developed as an international cultural center with the ambition of becoming the city's central venue for art exhibitions in Riga.

The final decision on support for these projects is still to be taken by Riga City Council.