The fourth day of the international folk contest-festival “The Flower of the Sun” is in full swing in Šiauliai, enriching the city with the rhythm of living cultural traditions. From early morning, the major fair of traditional crafts, folk art and cuisine bustled along Vilniaus Street boulevard and Varpo Street, where visitors could explore the works of artisans, purchase handmade goods, and taste authentic dishes.
At the Šiauliai Culture Centre, the international folklore contest took place, showcasing the talents of instrumental folk music ensembles, solo instrumentalists, traditional singing ensembles, and solo vocalists who revealed the beauty and subtlety of folk melodies.
In the afternoon, locals and visitors gathered near the café “Arkos,” where concerts-dance workshops were held. Ensembles from Azerbaijan, Serbia, and Lithuania delighted the audience. Meanwhile, participants from Slovakia, Portugal, Hungary, and North Macedonia performed in the concert on the „Sun Terrace“. Resurrection Square (Prisikėlimo a.) came alive with the joint dance of “The Flower of the Sun”, uniting festival participants and spectators in a joyful celebration.
The evening culminated with the festival concert and the awarding of the competition winners.
In the instrumental folk music category, first place was awarded to the Vatan music group from Azerbaijan, second place went to the folklore ensemble “Grupo folclórico de Faro” from Portugal, and third place was awarded to the folkl ensemble “Viešia” from Lithuania.
In the instrumental solo category, the best performance and first place went to Ruslan Zarbaliyev from Azerbaijan, second place was awarded to Kateryna Sidelnykova from Ukraine, and third place went to Patricia Izquierdo González from Spain.
In the ensambles of traditional singing category, the first-place winners were the folklore ensemble “Kralysta,” second place was awarded to the folkl ensemble “Labingis,” and third place went to the ensembles “Krakus” from Poland and “Lipovec” from Slovakia.
In the folk song solo category, the first-place winner was Anastasiia Serdiuk from Ukraine, second place went to Sofiia Meleshenko, also from Ukraine, and third place was awarded to Amabélio Pereira from Portugal.
We congratulate all the winners of the contest and sincerely thank every participant who brought to life the living cultures of nations through their songs, dances, and traditions, and filled the city with light and color.
