The Magic of Nature’s Elements at the Midsummer Festival in Šiauliai

On June 23, 2025, from 7:00 p.m. until midnight, Šiauliai will host the most magical celebration of the year – Joninės (Midsummer Festival). This year, participants will be invited to immerse themselves in the magic of the four elements of nature – Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. Various thematic courtyards will be set up in different parts of the city, where visitors will encounter reflections of Lithuanian traditions, crafts, educational activities, music, dance, and unexpected rituals. The highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the large-scale chamotte sculpture plein air “Pillars of the Sun” and a spectacular fire ritual – the burning of the sculptures.

Organizer – Šiauliai City Municipality. Event organizer – Šiauliai Cultural Center. Admission is free.

Joninės marks the threshold between the longest day and the shortest night, when nature reaches its full maturity and humans seek connection with its forces. Also known as Rasos or Kupolės, the festival embodies ancient Baltic traditions – gathering herbs, weaving wreaths, fire rituals, and water divinations. It was believed that on this night, nature reveals its secrets, and humans could touch the invisible.

“Nature’s elements – Earth, Water, Air, and Fire – are not just magical companions of the Midsummer night, but also symbols linking ancient traditions with the sensory world of today’s people. The highlights of this year’s festival are designed to ensure this encounter with nature is an experience, not just a spectacle,” says Deimantė Bačiulė, Director of Šiauliai Cultural Center.

This year’s festival will blend traditional activities with new experiences: craft workshops, mead tasting, herb divinations, folk dancing, live music, games, the unveiling of chamotte sculptures, and many more joyful activities. Each themed courtyard will offer its own energy, color, scent, and sensory world, inviting participants on an experiential journey through the elements of nature – and rewarding them with a symbolic souvenir. From 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on June 23, visitors will be able to pick up a special map – the experiential journey card – in any of the five courtyards. After visiting each elemental courtyard and collecting all the stamps, participants will be invited to the Music Courtyard to receive a commemorative gift. These courtyards will serve as gateways to the elements, and together they will form a cohesive whole, culminating in a ritual of light, warmth, and unity on the shore of Lake Talkša.

In Zubovai Park, the Water Element Courtyard will envelop visitors in a mystical atmosphere filled with soft sounds, clay crafting, ancient divinations, and meditative presence. There will also be a photo exhibition titled “Ethnocultural Connections in Lithuanian and Ukrainian Lives.” Nearby, in the square by the Šiauliai City Municipality, the Earth Element Courtyard will offer a sensory experience featuring traditional crafts, the scent of bread, and the sounds of folk music.

The other two vibrant elements – Air and Fire – will embody motion, light, and the power of flame. In Povilas Višinskis Square, the Air Element Courtyard will come alive with dance, educational activities, and community bonding. Folk dances will be performed by Šiauliai Cultural Center’s ensembles: Kalatinis (artistic directors Indrė Šerpytienė and Evaldas Račkauskas), Šėvulis (artistic director Greta Šveikauskaitė), and Vajaunas (artistic director Romualdas Laugalis). In the Fire Element Courtyard at the yard of Vilnius University Šiauliai Academy, visitors will find fortune-tellers, an herb market, blacksmith workshops, and the magic of amber dust. Organizers hope that these courtyards will offer a genuine connection to ancestral roots and the material world.

As the sun sets, all the elements will merge into one – music. Starting at 8:30 p.m., the rhythm of the festival will beat in the Sundial Square, where the Music Courtyard will be set up. A special concert will feature masters of Lithuanian folk music and contemporary interpretations – the band Sutaras and performers Rasa Serra and Petunija. This space will become the heart of the festival, where sound, dance, and the spirit of a summer night will intertwine. A food and beverage zone will also be available, inviting everyone to savor the moment.

The festival will reach its climax as night embraces the city. At 11:30 p.m., a procession will depart from the Sundial Square along a path of light, heading toward the shores of Lake Talkša. There, a symbolic ritual of light and fire will take place, featuring the unveiling of large-scale fired chamotte sculptures. The artists – Irena and Vilius Šliuželiai (Lithuania), Petras Rakštikas (Lithuania), Benas Aldakauskas (Lithuania), Živilė Bardzilauskaitė (Lithuania), Domilė Ragauskaitė (Germany), and Ilze Emse (Latvia) – will present the creative results of the workshop held since June 13: four sculptures titled Water, Earth, Air, and Fire. These artworks will not only mark the longest day of the year but also symbolize the bond between nature’s elements and human creativity.

The ritual of light and fire will be united with sound in a performance by the artist Girių Dvasios. Organizers hope that this farewell to the longest day and greeting of the shortest night will become a magically meaningful and memorable event – strengthening our connection with nature, the city, and one another.

Photos by Rolandas Parafinavičius, Liubov Yarmoshenko, and Evgenija Levin.

For more information, contact Aušra Brijūnienė, Head of the Amateur Art Department, Šiauliai Cultural Center
Mob. +370 655 25 527, Email: ausra.brijuniene@siauliukc.lt