International Folk Contest-Festival “Saulės žiedas” every year becomes a place where the music, songs, dances, and traditions of different cultures meet. This year, for its 10th anniversary, Šiauliai will once again resonate with the diversity of folklore, inviting everyone to immerse themselves in a vibrant celebration of national traditions.
In 2025, the festival will host groups from 12 countries: Azerbaijan, Estonia, Hungary, North Macedonia, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, and Ukraine. Šiauliai will welcome 12 international groups, as well as 32 folk ensembles and 8 solo performers from various regions of Lithuania.
Each visiting ensemble represents the cultural heritage of its own country. From Azerbaijan comes Vatan Music Group, presenting the colors of music, songs, and dances from the Caucasus region. Estonia will be represented by the duo Paulina & Miia, exploring their country’s vocal and instrumental traditions. The Hungarian folklore ensemble Kincső Folk Dance Ensemble from Budapest has been educating new generations of folk dancers and presenting the Carpathian Basin’s dance heritage for more than four decades. North Macedonia’s Oteks Folk ensemble is one of Ohrid’s brightest cultural symbols, preserving centuries-old dances, costumes, and melodies. Latvia will be represented by ensembles Are and Kokle, while Poland will send one of its oldest student folklore ensembles, Krakus, which last year celebrated its 75th anniversary. Portugal will be represented by Grupo Folclórico de Faro, founded back in the 1930s, presenting the authentic traditions of southern Portugal’s Algarve region. From Serbia comes the large ensemble Smederevo, which unites a community of 400 members, from children to veterans. Slovakia’s folk group Lipovec will showcase dances and music from the regions of Zemplín, Šariš, Gemer, and Malohont. The Ukrainian ensemble Kralytsia, from the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts, will present songs and customs from Ukraine’s ethnographic regions. From Spain, Danzas Burgalesas Justo Del Río will arrive in Šiauliai, preserving the dances and music of the Burgos region.
In addition to international guests, a large group of Lithuanian folklore performers will shape Saulės žiedas, including well-known ensembles such as Salduvė, Labingis, Davila, Vieversėlis, Šatrija, Linkava, Tatula, Žiedupė, Radvija, Alsūnė, Trys kartos, Jūrupė, Kor’s, Kapelyta mažulyta, Viešia, and many others. Solo performers will also take part, including Loreta Sungailienė, Damilė and Lukas Bagdonavičiai, Alvaidas Bernotas, Darius Daknys, Vytautas Pilibavičius, and others.
During the festival, Šiauliai will become the capital of multicultural folklore music: there will be competition performances, concerts, educational activities, dance workshops, traditional crafts fairs, and special evening gatherings uniting performers and audiences in a shared celebration of folklore.
We invite you to experience this colorful and vibrant folklore celebration and to explore the treasures of different cultures!
