Returning for its 26th edition with an outstanding line-up and a diverse programme, the Rigas Ritmi Festival once again brings together jazz, classical music, and world rhythms. This year, the festival will take place during 1-3 July and will present unique concerts and exciting new musical collaborations, further strengthening Riga’s position as a major music hub in the region.
Among the festival’s headline artists are Claron McFadden and the Mike del Ferro Trio, who will perform together with the chamber orchestra Sinfonietta Riga. They will present the special programme “Italian Opera Meets Jazz”, combining arias by Puccini and Verdi, Neapolitan songs, and elements of jazz, blues, and Afro-Cuban rhythms to create a rich and multi-layered musical experience. Dutch pianist Mike del Ferro is an internationally acclaimed artist who has collaborated with jazz legends such as Toots Thielemans and Jack DeJohnette. The legendary Italian arias will be performed in Riga by the American opera diva Claron McFadden, who resides in the Netherlands. Her extraordinary soprano voice enables her to seamlessly blend classical music with jazz, and traditional repertoire with contemporary influences. McFadden’s remarkable artistic versatility has earned her both the Amsterdam Arts Prize and leading roles at the prestigious Glyndebourne and Salzburg Festivals. In Riga, the two distinguished artists will perform together with the equally outstanding chamber orchestra Sinfonietta Rīga, conducted by Normunds Šnē.
The festival’s special guest will be one of the rising stars of African music, guitarist Hervé Samb, who will perform alongside Sonny Troupé and jazz legend Reggie Washington. Critics have described Samb’s music as “the perfect synthesis of a music that takes as much from African polyrhythms as urban jazz’s electricity… Sophisticated, epicurean, a gilt-edged jazz.”
Latvia will be represented at the festival by emerging jazz artists: talented bass player Beāte Meirāne and vocalist Gerda Timrota with their bands, who have recently entered the Latvian jazz scene.
The festival’s winter concert series “Art of Riga Jazz” will feature the young American jazz vocalist, a finalist of the Sarah Vaughan Vocal Competition, Ekep Nkwelle, as well as Italian artists Michele Sperandio Sea Quartet, Lithuanian jazz ensemble Dainius Pulauskas Group and Latvian jazz ladies Jussendo and Paula Saija.
The main festival venues are the Chekhov Theatre, Latvian Radio Studio 1, and “Riga Jazz Lounge” at Radisson Blu Latvija Hotel. Concerts at “Riga Jazz Lounge” will be free of charge, while tickets for performances at the Chekhov Theatre are available at Biļešu Paradīze ticket offices.
Free masterclasses with Hervé Samb and Mike del Ferro will take place at Latvian Radio Studio 1, where the artists will share practical knowledge and provide inspiration for both emerging and experienced musicians.
The festival has been awarded the prestigious EFFE LABEL – the quality label of the European Festivals Association – confirming Rigas Ritmi as an important part of the international music scene.
The festival is supported by the Riga City Council, the Latvian State Culture Capital Foundation (SCCF), Balticovo, Rietumu Banka, Latvijas Gāze, Radisson Blu Latvija, Audi, Kaļķu Vārti, Adverts, and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.
Links:
Festival website: www.rigasritmi.lv
Tickets: https://www.bilesuparadize.lv/lv/search?category=48
Photo gallery: https://failiem.lv/u/pyzxrtr43z
European Festivals Association website:
https://www.festivalfinder.eu/find-festival-organisations/rigas-ritmi-festival-2026