The concert “For My Homeland” on July 11, 2026, at the Mežaparks Grand Bandstand will be a special sing-along event, bringing together thousands of singers and spectators from Latvia and around the world. The concert will feature more than 200 choirs with over 6,000 singers, as well as beloved soloists and actors.
At the heart of the program are Raimonds Pauls’ melodies, known and loved by many, which the audience will also be able to sing along to during the concert. The Mežaparks stage will resonate with songs such as “Rozes gars”, “Svētvakars”, “Pērļu zvejnieks”, “Manai dzimtenei”, “Es nāku no mazas tautas”, “Sanāciet, sadziediet”, and others. In total, more than 30 compositions will be performed, uniting listeners of different generations and creating a sense of belonging.
The concert will feature Edgars Ošleja, Aleksandrs Antoņenko, Uģis Roze, Rūta Dūduma, Andris Ērglis, Inga Šļubovska, Annija Putniņa, Juris Jope, Mārtiņš Šmaukstelis, Asnāte and Aurēlija Rancānes, as well as actors Andris Bērziņš, Juris Hiršs, and Beāte Megija Baranovska. A special atmosphere will be created by the opportunity for the audience not only to listen but also to actively participate – by singing along with the choirs and soloists.
Following the concert, there will be a night of communal singing featuring songs previously selected by the singers and the audience.
The song “Manai dzimtenei” (For My Homeland) was created in 1972 by poet Jānis Peters and composer Raimonds Pauls as a dedication to the centenary of the Latvian Song and Dance Festival. Initially, it was performed in concerts across Latvia by the soloists of the ensemble “Modo,” Nora Bumbiere and Viktors Lapčenoks. The song achieved great success, and at the invitation of conductor Imants Kokars, it was rearranged for choir and included in the repertoire of the centenary Song Festival. However, the mood of Jānis Peters’ then-ambiguous poetic lines and the power of Raimonds Pauls’ melody seemed dangerously rebellious to the cultural leaders of the existing regime, leading to the song being excluded from the 1973 gada Dziesmu svētkos atskaņojamo dziesmu saraksta.
The song “Manai dzimtenei” was performed for the first time at the Song Festival in 1977 under the direction of chief conductor Jānis Dūmiņš, and since then, the song has been sung at the conclusion of all Song Festival concerts, becoming an unstated symbol of national self-awareness. However, even after the restoration of independence, when Soviet censorship was no longer in effect, the content and popularity of the song “Manai dzimtenei” were still problematic for some. It was also not performed in 1993, 2003, and 2013. gada Dziesmu svētkos, radot neizpratni un sarūgtinājumu daudzu tūkstošu dziedātāju un klausītāju sirdīs.
At this festival, “For My Homeland” will be performed, and other songs by the Maestro will also be featured.
Artistic Director Jānis Ķirsis states: “In the song festival ‘For My Homeland,’ we will honor the Maestro and his music, which has become a reflection of our identity over time. I am truly happy to be involved in the creation of this celebration, and I invite every lover of the Maestro’s music to join the mass choir to create a special festival together!”
Concert director Dita Lūriņa: “Even those unfamiliar with musical notation will recognize his touch on the keys. It is a vibrant, surging energy that never stops, never rests, always pushing forward; no victory is a reason to halt.”
Be a part of a historic event! Purchase your ticket to the Raimonds Pauls Song Festival and experience an emotional and diverse mass choir performance.
Become part of a nationwide choir of 12,000 singers and pay tribute to Maestro Raimonds Pauls for his outstanding musical contribution to the Latvian nation.
We welcome your interest and are prepared to provide comprehensive information and support to media representatives.
Godātie koncerta „Manai dzimtenei” apmeklētāji!
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Ja pasākuma laikā esat kaut ko nozaudējuši, lūdzu, sūtiet informāciju uz e‑pasta adresi birojs@manaidzimtenei.lv, norādot:
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Ar cieņu —
koncerta „Manai dzimtenei” rīkotāji
