Staro Rīga: Riga's Autumn Light Festival
For a few nights each November, Riga's Old Town, parks, and canal become an outdoor light art gallery — free, after dark, and timed right alongside Latvia's national holidays.
Quick Answer
Staro Rīga is Riga's light art festival — illuminated installations placed across the Old Town, Riga Castle grounds, city parks, and the canal for several evenings in November. It's free, outdoors, and best seen on foot after dark. Confirm exact dates with official Riga tourism sources closer to your trip, since the festival calendar is set on a year-by-year basis.
Book an evening Old Town walking tour →What Staro Rīga Actually Is
Staro Rīga ("Riga Shines") turns the city's medieval architecture into a canvas: projections on facades, sculptural light installations in parks, and lit-up reflections along the City Canal. It's a genuinely different way to see Old Town landmarks you'd otherwise only see by day — the Dome Cathedral, Riga Castle, and the canal park loop are recurring focal points.
Because it's an outdoor public event with no gate or ticket, there's no "wrong" way to see it — most visitors simply walk the Old Town and canal-side parks after sunset (which, in November, is well before 5pm) and follow the crowds and light toward each installation.
Why November Is a Genuinely Good Time to Visit
Two national commemorations bookend the month and lean into the same theme. On November 11 (Lāčplēsis Day), a torchlight procession moves through Old Town to the Freedom Monument. On November 18 (Independence Day), residents line windowsills across the city with candles — a striking, low-key sight that costs nothing to see and needs no planning beyond being in town.
Combined with Staro Rīga, it makes November one of the better shoulder-season windows to visit: cheap flights and hotels, thin crowds, and more going on after dark than the calendar would suggest at a glance.
Practical Tips
- Dress for genuine cold — November evenings in Riga hover a few degrees above freezing, and you'll be standing around outdoors after dark.
- Base yourself in Old Town or the Quiet Centre so the installations are a walk, not a taxi ride, from your hotel.
- Bring a phone or camera with decent low-light performance — this is one of the more photogenic weeks of the year in the city.
- Book Old Town restaurants ahead on the festival's peak nights; tables fill up as locals come out to walk the route too.
Coming later than early November? See our Riga Christmas Market guide for what follows once the festival ends, or our month-by-month guide for the full seasonal picture. See our full events calendar for the rest of the year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Staro Rīga?
Staro Rīga ("Riga Shines") is Riga's light art festival, when illuminated installations and projections go up across the Old Town, parks, and the City Canal for several evenings each November. It's free to walk around and see.
When does the Riga light festival happen?
It runs for several nights in November, though the exact edition dates are set closer to the season — check the official Riga tourism or city council announcement before building a trip around it specifically.
Is Staro Rīga free?
Yes. The installations are outdoors and open to the public with no ticket required — you simply walk the route in the evening after dark.
What else happens in Riga in November?
November 11 (Lāčplēsis Day) sees a torchlight procession to the Freedom Monument, and November 18 (Latvia's Independence Day) fills Old Town windowsills with candles across the city. Both add to the light theme even outside the festival itself.
Planning a November trip?
Last updated: July 2026. Festival dates and installation locations are confirmed by Riga's city tourism office closer to each edition — verify before booking non-refundable travel around it.