Cēsis Art Festival is one of Cēsis' popular cultural events. The festival has also become an important sign of Latvian culture and is known in Europe as well.
The program of the festival includes a diverse variety of artistic activities – visual art exhibitions, classical music concerts, along with a variety of performances, discussions, films, theater and opera performances.
The festival takes place in important and interesting cultural and historical buildings and urban areas – Cēsis Castle Park, the Old Brewery, Vidzemes regional concert hall "Cēsis" and St. John's Church.
Every year the festival program marks a thematic direction – the art of Nordic countries, opposites of classical and contemporary arts, gastronomy - each time surprise performances from various artists are made for visitors' enjoyment.
Participants of Cēsis Art Festival are recognized authorities of their fields of art, among whom you will see the American avant-garde film artist Jonas Mekas, the internationally famous group "Instrumenti", opera diva Inese Galante, conductor Kaspars Birdie, Latvian Radio Choir, accordionist Ksenija Sidorova and many other Latvian and foreign artists.