Liepāja Figures Out How to Make Riga's Residents Hate Their Lives Even More

From March 18-21, Liepāja will once again prove why we are Latvia's cultural capital, while Riga is still trying to figure out whether the Daugava is a river or just a bigger ditch.

"Illuminated Liepāja" this year comes with the slogan "Conscious Moderation," which means - we look at beautiful lights, but think about how not to destroy the planet. As local philosopher Jānis from Karosta market says: "Well look, the lights are beautiful, but the electricity bill is no joke either." The city center and canal will transform into a gigantic light show, where even our trams will look like spaceships.

This year for the first time there will be a laser performance - that's what Riga tried to do with their Light Festival, but they only managed to make it look like an old projector demonstration. Our sea inhabitants - those mysterious silhouettes - will be interactive, which means we can finally talk to someone who understands our seaside soul.

Best of all - cafes will have special wind cakes. Yes, we know wind isn't our only special feature, but cakes with Karosta fortress flavor or tram bitterness probably wouldn't be as popular. Free guided tours will also be available, because who can tell our city's story better than locals who see every day how Liepāja triumphs over any other Latvian city.