Demand for Song and Dance Festival tickets exceeds supply 100 times

RIGA - The demand for tickets to this summer's Song and Dance Festival exceeded the supply 100 times, Latvian National Center for Culture Director Dace Melbarde pointed out during the Song and Dance Festival Council's session yesterday.

91.5 percent of tickets have already been sold. Only 8.5 percent of tickets remain available.

Ticket sales indicate that people are most interested in Song and Dance Festival events expressing the notion of national identity, namely - the festival's closing concert at the Mezaparks Open-Air Stage and the grand dance performance at the Daugava Stadium. However, these venues are not suited for so many enthusiasts, emphasized Melbarde.

The Mezaparks Open-Air Stage can seat up to 20,000 spectators. The number of seats at the Daugava Stadium is much smaller. For example, Tallinn's Song Festival Grounds have room for 100,000 spectators.

If the Mezaparks Open-Air Stage is not expanded by 2018, when the next Song and Dance Festival will be held and when the country will celebrate its 100th anniversary, ticket sales will cause more speculations than this year due to more people being interested in the Song and Dance Festival, said Melbarde.