During the third week of Advent, Riga will host a charity concert "Come Alongside for Christmas" in Torņakalns, an opportunity to make your own Christmas tree ornament at a creative workshop at the Riga Porcelain Museum, as well as enjoy concerts at Town Hall Square, Ave Sol Concert Hall, Iļģuciems Culture Centre and elsewhere.
Charity concert at Torņakalns Church, creative workshop at the Porcelain Museum, concert at Ave Sol Concert Hall
On 11 December at 19.00 The annual charity concert "Come Alongside for Christmas" will take place at Riga Luther Torņakalns Church, featuring performers from the integrative arts festival "Come Alongside!" winners of the "Come Alongside!" the mixed choir and outstanding Latvian stage artists: Ilona Bagele, Daniils Bulajevs, Intars Busulis, Rihards Zaļupe, Kārlis Kazāks, Paula Saija, Renāte Zviedre, Annija Putniņa, Aleksandra Špicberga, Kristīne Pāže and the band "Sudden Lights". The musical sound of the concert will be enhanced by the Jāzeps Mediņš Riga 1st Music School Boys' Choir. Before the concert, there will be a Christmas Charity Market where visitors can buy Christmas gifts made by children and young people with special needs for a donation. Tickets to the concert are available in the outlets of ‘Biļešu paradīze’.
As every Sunday of Advent, also on the Third Sunday of Advent from 12.45 to 16.00 a Christmas garden will be open at the Riga Luther Church in Torņakalns, while at 16.00 a concert "Silence and Light" will take place at the Torņakalns Church, with the VEF Culture Palace Choir "Jasmīnas" and soloists performing.
On 12 December, Riga residents and visitors are invited to participate in the festive workshop "Christmas Tree Decoration" at the Riga Porcelain Museum at 12.00-13.30 and 15.00-16.30. The workshop will allow you to make one porcelain souvenir or openwork decoration using porcelain moulds. The finished work will be available at the museum in two weeks' time. Families with children 10 years old and older, youth, seniors, as well as people with reduced mobility are especially welcome to participate at the workshop individually or in groups up to 10 persons. Participation at the workshop should be booked in advance by calling +371 26406354 from Tuesday to Saturday, at 12.00–17.30.
Meanwhile, on 13 December at 17.00, the concert “Light. Birth" will feature the Emīls Dārziņš Mixed Choir (artistic director Rihards Lapiņš, conductor Jēkabs Krists Kalniņš). Entry in this concert is free of charge.
Concerts in Town Hall Square, ‘Wooden Riga’, Tallinas Street Quarter Concert Hall
Folk music lovers can go to ‘Wooden Rīga’, 12 Krāsotāju Street, at 15.00 on the Third Advent, where the chamber choir "Vidus" and guitarist Āris Ozols will perform at the concert "In the Brightness of Light Thoughts". "Christmas Cantata" by composer Kārlis Lācis and other works by Latvian composers will be performed.
At 15.00, the senior choir "Amadeus" will perform in the concert series "Silent Transmission" at the Hangar Concert Hall in the Tallinas Street Quarter.
Families with children are invited to Town Hall Square, where from 15.00 to 15.45 the musicians of the “Sunny Groove Dixie” will perform Christmas melodies in the concert "Cone Chikie". The elves will have prepared a special gift for the little ones in the audience – a little cone called Chikki, which can be taken home and used as a Christmas tree ornament to remind them of the warm festive feeling of the concert and the miracle they experienced together.
Concerts at St. John's Church, "Small Guild", "Ave Sol" Concert Hall
The Advent concert "The Language of the Heart on a Winter Evening" will take place at 17.00 at the Culture Centre "Iļģuciems", with Biruta Ozoliņa, Vigo Račevskis and Ernests Medenis. Free invitations are available at “Biļešu paradīze” box offices.
At 18.00 at Riga St. John’s Church a concert "Christmas Oratorio" by the Riga Chamber Choir "Ave Sol" will take place. The programme will also feature soprano Agate Grīnhofa, mezzo-soprano Kristīne Freimane, alto Kamila Siliņa, tenor Mārtiņš Zvīgulis and bass Artūrs Švarcbahs. Andris Veismanis at the conductor's stand.
At the same time, the concert "With a Snowclad Wing" will take place in the "Colours of the Seasons 2025" series at the “Ave Sol” Concert Hall, featuring the “Assembly Singers” vocal jazz group, the “Salve” Mixed Choir, the Art Academy of Latvia Mixed Choir "Senais kalns" and instrumentalists.
At 18.00, at the Palace of Culture "Ziemeļblāzma", Riga residents are invited to the concert "Winter" with Mirage Jazz Orchestra, Ieva Kerēvica and the mixed choir "Norise". It will feature the best winter-themed jazz compositions by Gunārs Rozenbergs, Raimonds Pauls and Alvilas Altmanis, as well as new works by Madars Kalniņš. Free invitations are available at outlets of “Biļešu paradīze”. Rihards Lībietis and Gints Smukais will participate in the Third Advent concert held at 19.00 in the Culture and Folk Art Centre “Small Guild”. Tickets will be available at bilesuparadize.lv and at the KTMC "Small Guild". On Monday, December 15, at 19.00, the concert performance "The Old Man's Mitten" will take place in the "Small Guild" with the participation of the children and youth vocal ensemble "Kolibri" and an instrumental group.
The annual Old Town Christmas Market at Doma Square also runs from 28 November until 4 January 2026.
Information was prepared by Ineta Miglāne, Project Coordinator, External Communication Division of the Communications Department of the Riga City Council, e-mail: ineta.miglane@riga.lv.