15 June marks the first Palanga Wind Festival

15 June marks the first Palanga Wind Festival, an unconventional summer festival inviting citizens and guests of the resort to feel the wind in a different way. The one-day programme will combine wind sports, music and entertainment: from kitesurfing, sailing lessons and a regatta to an extreme jump off the bridge and an evening festival concert with DJ Jovani. The event is organised by Palangos Investicijų Valdymas in cooperation with Pilietinė Medija. The festival focuses on wind as a natural phenomenon, a sport resource and a symbol of clean energy. An international green energy company Ignitis Renewables will invite the participants to catch the wind.

“We wanted the festival to be more than just a stage, a programme and the audience. Our goal is to create a feeling that the entire city is living the festival with activities in J. Basanavičiaus Street, in the water and in the air. We want people not just attend the event but explore. They can walk freely around Palanga in summer without pressure, as it should be,” says Edmundas Jakilaitis, one of the festival’s founders and Head of Pilietinė Medija.

A stage above the bridge

The festival will take place in the entire city centre of Palanga with action at the sea, in the air and in the city. A kitesurfing zone will be located near the Palanga bridge. It will include professional shows and trainings with intructors for anyone curious about the sport. The beach will have introductory wind sports lessons: beginners will have an opportunity to try standing on a surfboard, and children will be able to sail the tiny sailboats called Optimist. There will be a regatta in the sea and a water trampoline park for the whole family to enjoy. Paragliders will be flying in the air and rollerbladers will be on the ground entertaining the spectators.

One of the highlights of the festival is the jump from the Palanga Bridge by a world-class kiteboarder Nick Jacobsen. Never seen in Palanga, this jump will not only be a spectacular highlight, but also an unofficial symbol of the festival. In the evening the celebration will move to a special stage installed above the sea, where DJ Jovani and other famous performers will perform. One of the most popular DJs in Lithuania will turn up the mood with lights, music and summer vibes.

An opportunity to experience the wind

In addition to entertainment and performances, an educational space about renewable energy will be available in Palanga. J. Basanavičiaus Street will host an educational zone, where the green energy company Ignitis Renewables will invite you to learn about the wind through standard experiences, which is play, move, test. Interactive activities will remain after the wind festival as the mobile educational platform #EnergySmartSTART will be open in Palanga until 13 July. It is one of Ignitis Renewables' mobile initiatives that helps people experience the energy sector from up close. The educational platform is open to everyone, both those who know more about it and those who stop on their way to the beach.

Visitors will be invited to pedal an electricity-generating bicycle, try on virtual reality goggles that place you on top of a wind turbine and meet the people who work on energy solutions every day. The education platform is suited for all age groups, from children to adults. Here, energy will feel close, interesting and understandable to everyone.

“The wind in Lithuania has always been close to us – by the seaside, in childhood memories, in everyday life. Now we are beginning to see it differently, not just as a natural phenomenon, but as one of the most important sources of clean energy that can enhance our future. As a renewable energy company, it is important for us not only to develop new projects, but also to change attitudes, to show that the wind can be close, interesting and alive. This festival is an invitation to feel the wind in a different way than we usually do. Because through interesting experiences often comes a clearer understanding, and that's where the real change starts, so let's catch the wind,” invites Paulius Kalmantas, Communication Partner at Ignitis Renewables.

Palanga updates its look

In the last couple of years, Palanga has been changing with changes visible both in city infrastructure and in the air. The city's spaces have become brighter, more open and cosier. The Wind Festival is one of the first events to reflect this in a new light and with a different mood. It is not just a festival, it is also an opportunity to see Palanga as it is today: modern, open and exploring.

The recently renovated lighting on J. Basanavičiaus Street and the bridge also contributes to the new look of the city. The light poles are not only adapted to natural conditions, but also are more environmentally friendly. They reduce visual pollution, and most of their parts are made from recycled aluminium. The Palanga Wind Festival will be a symbolic presentation of the new look, the beginning of a sustainable, bright and modern city.

“In recent years, Palanga has changed a lot, both physically and in terms of its mood. It is very important to us that this city grows not only as a resort, but also as a community. We are delighted to unveil the new lighting of J. Basanavičiaus Street and the bridge together with the Wind Festival. It makes a beautiful opening to the city's summer. This festival is a very apt reflection of what Palanga is now – free, open and fresh,” says Šarūnas Vaitkus, Mayor of Palanga.

More about festival you can find here.