This year the following participated:

Record number of participants - 38 601;

48 principal conductors and artistic directors, including 17 honorary principal conductors and artistic directors;

394 choirs and 54 vocal ensembles (including ensembles from minority communities), total of 18 464 singers (in comparison – 212 female singers and 791 male singers took part in the 1^st Song Celebration in 1873);

544 dance groups, 13 700 dancers;

55 brass bands;

5 professional orchestras;

As part of the Celebration events 913 master craftspeople from 103 traditional applied arts studios exhibited 2942 pieces of traditional applied art at the Railway History Museum;

120 kokles were played together at the Large Guild and for the first time, a kokle ensemble composed of boys performed;

At the festival ‘Latvia’s Garland’ on July 10 in Vērmanes Garden, 940 representatives from Riga and Latvia’s regional minority groups took part. In total 55 creative groups participated, representing 15 ethnic groups.

Local groups were joined by about 600 participants from 19 other countries (choirs, orchestras, dance groups) – Germany, Norway, Sweden, Ireland, Sicily, Italy, Austria, Netherlands, Rumania.

The Closing Concert saw the largest number of bag-pipe players to date in Latvia – 26;

Participants from regions travelled to Riga in 973 buses, 413 buses transported participants to events at Mežaparks open-air stage and 460 to the Daugava Stadium.

The 2008 Song and Dance Celebration flag was sewn by artist Rudīte Grasberga according to Aigars Ozoliņš’ design, with 103 sewn dots of various sizes that made up the Song and Dance celebration logo. The design reflects a sun, made up from dots of varying sizes, symbolising each of the Celebration participants, who all together created the unique atmosphere and sense of togetherness of the Song and Dance Celebration.

The names of the Song and Dance Celebration participants were published in the catalogue issued by the Latvian National Centre for Traditional and Performing Arts, ‘XXIV Nationwide Latvian Song and XIV Dance Celebration’ – with this list the tradition of introducing the reader to Celebration participants was renewed for the first time since the IX Song Celebration in 1938.

In preparation for the Celebration 12 Artistic Council meetings, headed by Professor Juris Karlsons, took place.

The many concerts had significant titles – “I was born singing, grew up singing” (generation unity in the Song Celebration tradition), “Dancing the times” (unity of time, people and spiritual strength through dance), “From heart to heart” (popular song and Latvian film scene story told through dance about a country boy’s love), “Latvia – Land of the Sun” (the sun as a symbol of unity, adapted traditional sun song cycle), “Dance Celebration - 60” (most vivid Latvian traditional dances as a dedication to the 60^th anniversary of the Dance celebration), “The secrets of Riga’s hills” (journey of a child in Riga), “Room of light” (the light spirit of traditional music), “Homage to the traditional song” (jazz adaptations of traditional songs), “On the hill”, “Love song” (expressions of love through song, from romantic glorifying to fighting).

On July 8, 36 Latvian choirs took part in song wars in the Large Hall of the University of Latvia. The winners of the mixed voice choir group: 1. Kamēr... 2.Austrums 3.Sola 3.Balsis. Female choir group: 1.Spīgo 2.Minjona 3.Sapnis 3.Balta. Male choir group: 1. - 2.Gaudeamus 2.Frachori 3.New Riga male choir.

From January 2008 to Midsummer ‘Choir Wars’ took place on Latvian Radio 1, the final of which was fought between the Riga Latvian Society female choir “Ausma” and the youth choir from Liepāja “Intis”. The choir from Liepāja was declared the winner and gained the right to a 6 hour recording in the Latvian Radio 1 studio.

16 ensembles took part in the kokle competition. The winners of the youngest group (number of players up to 5) - Valmiera Music School Kokle Ensemble, youngest group (number of players 6 and more) - Atbalsis, oldest group (number of players up to 5) - Kārta, oldest group (number of players 6 and more) - Dzītari, vocal instrumental kokle ensemble group – Dzītari.

On July 8, 25 orchestras took part in the brass band competition and competed in four groups of varying difficulty levels. Winners in the 1^st group: 1.Youth brass band Auseklītis, 2. Fanfara, 3.Jūrmala. 2^nd group: 1.Balvi, 2.Riga 6^th Middle School brass band, 3.Saldus, 3.Madona town culture centre brass band, 3^rd group: 1.Strenči orchestra, 2. Gulbene Music School brass band, 3. Tukums. 4^th group: 1. Salaspils regional council brass band, 2. Koknese parish brass band, 3. Kazdanga parish brass band.

During the concert “Dance Celebration - 60” 27 dances were performed from the ‘golden repertoire’ of dance celebrations;

During the various Song and Dance Celebration concerts 124 new works were performed – compositions and arrangements. Of those: Sacred music concert – 5, Symphonic music concert – 3, three vocal music concerts – 7, Brass band grand concert – 26, Kokle music concert – 3, Closing concert – 8, Opening concert – 11, Traditional music concert – 2, Concert “From heart to heart” – 15, Concert “Homage to the Traditional Song – 28;

30 choirs, 52 dance groups, 9 folklore groups, ethnographic groups and kokle ensembles and 51 individuals took part in the traditional costume review;

During the dance grand performance “Dancing the times” culmination – fire ritual – the following people participated, who are, according to artistic director Māra Ķimele, 48 “keepers of our national strength and council”: Vaira Vīķe–Freiberga, Imants Ziedonis, Māra Zālīte, Imants Kokars, Gido Kokars, Jānis Streičs, Janīna Kursīte, Ēriks Hānbergs, Jānis Stradiņš, Helmī Stalte, Dainis Stalts, Ingrīda Saulīte, Uldis Žagata, Pēteris Vasks, Dzintra Geka, Vilis Ozols, Vera Ozola, Imants Magone, Osvalds Štrauss, Rasma Rozīte, Valdis Celms, Ojārs Rode, Māris Sirmais, Ēriks Ešenvalds, Oļģerts Grāvītis, Anna Žīgure, Dina Kuple, Uldis Dumpis, Velta Līne, Taisa Aruma, Marga Apsīte, Ojārs Grasis, Zigurds Miezītis, Gaida Venta, Uldis Rikmanis, Feodosija Utināne, Baiba Šteina, Olga Freiberga, Audiona Līventāle, Uldis Šteins, Andris Ezeriņš, Daina Štāla, Kornēlija Reisnere, Kārlis Vents, Ilze Mažāne, Dailonis Rudovičs, Ieva Adāviča, Vaira Dundure.

The Celebration closing concert was attended by the President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves and his family, President of Finland Tarja Halonen and spouse Pentti Arajärvi, and the Executive Director of the Office of the UNESCO Director General, Elisabeth Longworth .

259 volunteers and 20 soldiers from the National Armed Forces took part in the Celebration;

During the Celebration the police recorded only individual incidents – a motorcyclist ran into a Celebration participant from the Balvi area and two inebriated bus drivers were arrested;

During the Celebration over 100 medical workers from Riga and other towns were available to render assistance and the same number of first aid specialists from the Latvian Red Cross. In all 2000 Celebration participants and spectators turned to the medical workers for help and 55 were hospitalised (for the majority of which significant tests were carried out), the emergency services were called out to participants 30 times but all in all the situation was very good, concluded the management of the Catastrophe Medicine Centre. Most complaints were for blisters, contusions, sun burn, fainting-fits and two people needed help extracting ticks.

Over the Celebration week 300 000 l of water were distributed to participants.

For the decoration of the stage on Dome Square, where the brass band grand concert, guest group and senior group concerts took place, approximately 2000 cut flowers, 40 flower pots of varying sizes and a countless number of tendrils, garlands and leaves were used.

Funds allocated to Song and Dance celebration events by the Finance and Culture ministries amounted to 2,4 million, income was 1 250 000 Ls (auction of the right to use Celebration trademarks, auction of trading spots, income from tickets), of which 750 000 Ls from the main sponsors, which were channelled into the realisation of the Celebration artistic concept. In addition to that, 1 050 000 Ls were channelled to municipalities for participant catering.

116 000 tickets to Celebration concerts were sold.

For the first time in the history of the Song and Dance Celebration:

The 2008 Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration is the first one since the tradition was included in the UNESCO list of Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mankind;

Two of the most well-known Lithuanian and Estonian songs “Where the woods green” (Kur giria žaliuoja) and “For the music” (Muusikale) were sung at the Opening Concert as a dedication from Latvia’s joint choir to the 90^th anniversaries of the independence of Lithuania and Estonia and as a testimony to the inclusion of the Song and Dance Celebration traditions of all three Baltic States in the UNESCO list of masterpieces. The songs were conducted by Alo Ritsing from Estonia and Vitautas Miškinis from Lithuania;

For the first time, at the Opening Concert, choir groups from all generations were represented – from children to senior citizens.

Song Celebration participants – vocal ensembles;

Largest number of participants and longest Celebration procession that lasted 7 hours;

After the Closing Concert communal singing was organised, which lasted up until 6:00 in the morning;

For the first time at the Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration the brass band grand concert lasted 11 hours;

One day was dedicated to amateur theatre in Vērmanes Garden;

For the first time the minority community festival ‘Latvia’s Garland’ lasted a whole day in Vērmanes Garden;

A craft fair took place in Vērmanes Garden for the entire week;

Largest ever support from the private sector – ¼ of the entire Celebration budget, amounting to 1 million Ls from Latvijas Krājbanka, Aldaris, Latvijas Mobilais Telefons. Support also from Statoil, Nissan Motorcentrs, Merks, Latvijas dzelzceļš, Lango.

Interactive Song and Dance Celebration:

A giant screen in Dome Square transmitted the main Celebration concerts, Latvian TV programmes about the history of the Song and Dance Celebration and recordings from previous Celebrations;

Web-site www.dziesmusvetki2008.lv:

From July 3-13 the Song Celebration web-site was visited 136,417 times from 89 countries and territories. On average there were 12,401 visits a day. The maximum number of visits was reached on July 7 with 18 610 hits. Number of visits per country – top ten:

1. Latvia 122,858
   2. USA 2,518
   3. Great Britain1,773
   4. Germany 1,548
   5. Russia 995
   6. Sweden 697
   7. Canada 654
   8. Ireland 519
   9. Australia 489
   10. Finland 486

Total country and territory list: Latvia, USA, Great Britain, Germany, Russia, Sweden, Canada, Ireland, Australia, Finland, Norway, Estonia, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Lithuania, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Israel, Spain, Luxemburg, Poland, Brazil, Japan, Czech Republic, Greece, Island, Hungary, Portugal, Turkey, Bulgaria, Chile, Belorussia, Cyprus, South Africa, New Zealand, Venezuela, Mexico, Georgia, Egypt, Morocco, Moldavia, Rumania, Argentina, Serbia, China, Singapore, India, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Croatia, Pakistan, Thailand, South Korea, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Yemen, Uzbekistan, Vatican, Malta, United Arab Emirates, Autonomous territory of Palestine, Libya, Algeria, Jordan, Guatemala, Ivory Coast, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Peru, Nepal, Syria, Slovakia, Andorra, Syria, Columbia, Indonesia, Lichtenstein, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Monaco, Costa Rica, Kirgizstan.

Internet live transmissions with stereo sound quality www.dziesmusvetki2008.lv :

Live emissions were watched over the internet by 6503 people in 56 countries, of which the top ten:

1. Latvia

2. USA

3. Great Britain

4. Germany

5. Ireland

6. Sweden

7. Canada

8. Norway

9. Czech Republic

10. Australia

Web-site interactive maps:

Song Celebration participant accommodation map looked at 165,109 times;
Song Celebration event map with events looked at 188,449 times.

3,290 freely downloadable photographs by Song and Dance Celebration photographers Aivars Liepiņš and Ilmārs Znotiņš have been placed on the web-site and up to July 13 they had been looked at a total of 556,215 times. On just July 13, the photo gallery was looked at 150 580 times.

Handwritten letters sent to Latvian TV within the framework of the campaign ‘My Song Celebration Story’ were published on the web-site. The authors of the letters shared their experiences of how the Song Celebration has affected their destinies and of interesting incidents that have taken place during Celebrations.