Stuart Wood1,500 people attended LAIVĀ, a ‘floating festival’ in Latvia which saw visitors watching live music performances from kayaks and small boats.
The festival took place on 8 August at the Jugla Lake, on the shore of the Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum. Laivā in Latvian means ‘in a boat’, as well as being a play on ‘live’. It featured a floating bar, and was also streamed to viewers online.
The festival was organised by Latvian classical crossover band DAGAMBA, with performances from Laima Jansone, a virtuoso of modern kokle (Latvia’s national string instrument), and ethno music group Tautumeitas.
Staging and lighting was supplied by Company NA, with sound provided by KM Sound and staff from the Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum.
Musicians from organisers and performers DAGAMBA commented: “This was a very special evening for DAGAMBA. We have founded our own festival and performed a show for an audience in boats. This evening turns the next page in our band’s history.”
A selection of pictures from the event can be viewed below. Pictures are credited to Lauris Viksne.