Residents and international visitors gathered on the banks of the Daugava for the inaugural Fantadroms Riga International Kite Festival, transforming the Latvian capital’s waterfront into a spectacular open-air stage filled with monumental flying sculptures, kite art, sport and cultural performances.
Held at Riga Passenger Port (Eksporta iela 3A, Ziemeļu rajons, Rīga, LV-1010, Latvia), Fantadroms brought some of the world’s leading kite artists to the heart of the Latvian capital. In a setting rarely seen for an event of its kind in Europe, the festival took place just minutes from Riga’s UNESCO-listed historic centre, turning the sky above the Daugava River into a temporary aerial art installation. “Seeing thousands of people stop and look up showed us that the idea really resonated,” says Zane Feifa, organizer of Fantadroms. “For one day, a familiar part of Riga became something completely different. That is what we wanted Fantadroms to be – an experience that brings people together and lets them see the city from a new perspective.”
“International visibility is also built through bold ideas that create experiences people remember and want to return to,” says Fredis Bikovs, Director of the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency. “Fantadroms showed that Riga can take an international festival concept and make it distinctly its own, using the city itself as part of the experience. These are the kinds of events that help Riga stand out and create new traditions with international potential.”
A rare kite festival in the heart of a European capital
Unlike most major kite festivals, which take place on beaches or in large open areas outside cities, Fantadroms was staged directly in the centre of Riga. The broad Daugava River provides a natural corridor of wind and open sky through the capital, while the Passenger Port location places the festival within walking distance of Old Riga and directly beside the city’s cruise terminal.
The inaugural festival welcomed internationally recognised kite artists and masters from across Europe, Australia and China, representing traditions ranging from precisely engineered single-line kites to monumental flying sculptures and contemporary kite design. Among the participating artists was British kite artist and designer Carl Robertshaw, a five-time world champion in sport kite flying whose career has also included creative collaborations with internationally renowned artists including Björk, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Peter Gabriel and other artists.
He was joined by Robert Brasington from Australia, Sara and Karl Longbottom from the United Kingdom, Bert Maetens from Belgium, Jan and Jolanda van Leeuwen and Albert and Natalie Trinks from the Netherlands, Daniela and Gerhard Zitzmann from Austria, Alicja Szalska and Szymon Krawczyk from Poland, and Wang Yongxun from China.
More than kites
Beyond the aerial installations, Fantadroms brought kiteboarding demonstrations to the Daugava, hands-on kite-making workshops and activities for families, with sailing boats and yachts adding to the waterfront atmosphere. A special highlight was a live performance by acclaimed American artist Bridget Polk, creating her gravity-defying stone sculptures using balance alone.
More information:
https://www.rigakites.lv
