On October 10 and 11, the architecture festival Open House Riga will take place in Riga for the first time, inviting residents and guests of the city to get to know the architecture of Riga free of charge from a new perspective. The festival program includes dozens of buildings of different eras and functions throughout Riga, and currently applications for the festival's architectural tours are open.
Open House is one of the world's largest architectural and urban initiatives, dating back to London in 1992. Currently, the Open House Worldwide network covers more than 60 cities on six continents. In the Baltics, the festival has been held for several years in Vilnius and Tallinn, but since the summer of 2026 Riga has also become part of the official Open House Worldwide network.
The aim of the festival is to promote the interest of the general public in architecture and the urban environment, allowing not only to see buildings from the outside, but also to get to know their interiors and stories together with knowledgeable companions. The programme pays particular attention to places that are closed or only partially accessible to the public on a daily basis.
The first Open House Riga program will reveal the diversity of the city's architecture – from historical heritage and industrial architecture to examples of modernism and modern architecture, reconstructions and new ways to use existing buildings. Visitors will have the opportunity to get to know private houses and architectural offices, cultural and educational buildings, industrial heritage and other architecturally significant objects.
Visitors will be able to see the well-known architect Zaiga Gaile's private house in Ķīpsala, climb the Čiekurkalns water tower, even before the reconstruction of the Riga Philharmonic, learn more about the values of the Riga Congress Centre, visit the construction site of the Riga Wagner House, walk through the Architects' House and other interesting places. The program also includes two finalists of the Latvian Architecture Award 2026 – the TZMO office building and logistics centre and the art museum «Zuzeum».
Tours will be held in Latvian and English. Everyone is welcome to attend the festival – city residents and guests, families, students, architecture and design professionals.
Visiting Open House Riga is free of charge, but the number of places on the tours is limited, so pre-registration is required. The full festival program, excursion times and application are available on the festival's website openhouseriga.com. News and satellite events can also be followed on the festival's social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
The festival «Open House Rīga» is organized by the team of the associations «Tandems» and «Reuse Atelier». The festival is supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation and Riga City Council. The festival partners are the Danish Cultural Institute and the creative industries communication platform FOLD.