Vilnius Coolcation: Pleasant Weather, Culture Nights, and Summer Flavors

Vilnius summer begins with a lively note, as the musicians fill the streets during the Street Music Day. The music continues for the entire season with festivals like As Young As Vilnius, Midsummer Vilnius, and the St. Christopher Summer Festival. With long, bright and pleasant summer days in the Northern Hemisphere, cultural events often stretch late into the evening, like Museum Night and Culture Night. May also marks the start of Vilnius' gastronomy season, celebrated with the colorful and quirky Vilnius Pink Soup Fest.

Coolcation is a growing travel trend, with tourists seeking cooler, less crowded destinations. In late spring and summer, Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, comes alive with an active cultural scene and pleasant weather. In addition to cultural events, Vilnius offers special experiences for everyone, from a full gastro immersion to unique city adventures. 

For thrill-seekers, the Vilnius TV Tower now offers the 360°Air attraction – an adrenaline-filled experience where visitors can walk along a glass-floored observation deck 160 meters above the ground. 

Those seeking a more relaxed side of Vilnius – and a chance to mingle with locals in lively streetside cafes and restaurants – can join the city's gastronomy season kickoff, which offers everything from creative street food to Michelin-starred dining. To deepen the local experience, visitors can also take advantage of the free Meet a Local program, which pairs them with residents eager to share their favorite spots and hidden gems.

Finally, for couples seeking a romantic escape, May marks the start of terrace and park season. This year, a new terrace at the Church of the Ascension (Misionierių bažnyčia) joins beloved summer terraces like the Bernardinai courtyard and the Terrace of the Palace of the Grand Dukes and the terraces along the Neris River.

After experiencing the most exciting hidden spots of Vilnius, visitors can participate in many cultural and musical events of this season. Please find the list below.

Street Music Day (17 May 2025)

Street Music Day, held on May 17, is an event for all music lovers. Both amateurs and professionals take up spots throughout the city’s Old Town to offer concert of various genres and styles – from metal to folk music. It is an open-air festival to celebrate the music’s power to inspire the community spirit. The theme of the nineteenth Street Music Day is Dress Rehearsal – the organisers are inviting musicians to show the process of how their music is created. With more than 6000 musicians, spectators are bound to find the style for everyone’s taste. Traditionally, the day finishes with in a drum march with the festival audience joining in.

Museum Night (18 May 2025)

Launched in 2005 in France, this event quickly became popular in many countries, including Lithuania. During the Museum Night, Vilnius museums are free to visit for everyone, just on one condition – that the visit happens in the evening or at night. The museums also host outdoor activities, such as exhibitions, workshops, and storytelling sessions. For example, the museum House of Histories is inviting to dig deeper into conspiracy theories. The Former Detention House museum is presenting an exhibition on the main survival strategies during the Soviet Times, and the Bastion of the Vilnius Defence Walls Museum is inviting visitors to explore its underground chambers, where five exhibits will come to life. These special exhibits have been transformed into touchable 3D replicas that preserve the key features of the original artefacts, while audio narratives reveal their stories and the mysteries of the past centuries.

Vilnius Pink Soup Fest (31 May 2025)
The start of the summer season in Vilnius is synonymous  with Vilnius Pink Soup Fest. This annual festival, which celebrates Lithuania’s famous cold pink soup, šaltibarščiai, will take place on May 31st at Tymas Market, in the center of the city. Visitors will be able to taste different versions of the soup and take part in many fun activities – like going on a 50-meter slide down the Bastion Hill, a costume contest inspired by the soup, and a race for the waiters. A new addition will be the Pink Parade, where people will walk through the city streets, dressed in pink.

Culture Night (13 June 2025)
Continuing the night-time event programme, Vilnius will host Culture Night event on June 13th. The city enjoys long summer nights, during which various venues across Vilnius – museums, galleries, churches, and theaters – open their doors to the public, for free. Last year’s event featured a variety of musical performances, scattered throughout many squares of Vilnius. 

Midsummer Vilnius (14 July - 25 July 2025)
The festival Midsummer Vilnius is a summer music event that aims to reach the heart of the city through wide variety of music genres and artists. This year marks a special milestone for Midsummer Vilnius, as the festival celebrates its 10th anniversary with the theme Eternal Love for the Stage. To honour the occasion, organizers have prepared an exceptional lineup, including a performance by Mercury Prize winner Benjamin Clementine, a passionate duet by opera star Violeta Urmana and Italian tenor Alfredo Nigro, and a one-night-only revival of the acclaimed international project, FINK Orchestra. The festival will take place in the Grand Courtyard of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania.

Festival As Young As Vilnius (25 July 2025)
Vingis Park will be hosting the annual music festival As Young As Vilnius, dedicated to mark Vilnius birthday This event will showcase a wide range of live music, appealing to a broad audience, with performances from classical orchestras to contemporary pop and rock artists. It will take place on July 25, which is St. Christopher’s Day – a celebration honouring Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travellers and the city of Vilnius.

St. Christopher Summer Festival (July-August 2025)
St. Christopher is honoured through the city’s largest summer music festival, which has been held annually since 1995 and recognized with the EFFE label for international quality (2017–2021). This festival runs for two months during the summer. Most of the concerts are taking place outdoors, in parks, or in historic buildings of the Old Town, offering audiences a diverse program of classical, world, and cross-genre music that travelled from various countries.This year, the festival goers will be able to hear diverse music: from Chopin to tango and flamenco, from nocturnal jazz to the Huelgas Ensemble: Medieval Voices, and from soul to Afro-Brazilian rhythms.

Vilnius City Fiesta (September 2025)
Traditionally, the autumn in Vilnius starts with a real city fiesta. It will take place on the first weekend of September in the city center. The fiesta usually includes sports events, fairs, concerts, exhibitions, and food stalls throughout the city’s streets, open spaces, and venues. With this celebration, the city comes alive once again before the colder season begins.