From September 11 to 13, Panevėžys will celebrate its 523rd birthday. For three days, the city center will come alive with music, art, theater, technology, sports, family entertainment, a festive fair, and one of the most anticipated birthday traditions—the city parade. This year’s celebration “Panevėžys. JUST LIKE US!” will take place across Laisvės Square, Senvagė, the area around the Panevėžys Cultural Center, the city’s galleries, museums, and other venues, with the focus on what shapes the city every day—its people.
This year’s birthday theme, “Panevėžys. JUST LIKE US!” invites you to see Panevėžys through the eyes of the people who live, create, work, grow, and meet there. That’s why the birthday program is unique, diverse, and full of options. Some will come to the city to see their favorite performer, others for art, sports, or children’s activities, while still others might just stop by the fair and end up staying much longer than they planned.
“When planning this year’s birthday celebration, we really wanted it to be about all of us—different, yet living in the same city. We wanted people to come not just for a concert or a single event, but to allow themselves to stay in the city longer, take a stroll, stumble upon an unexpected performance, run into acquaintances, and try out activities they might not have planned. It seems to me that it’s precisely these moments that make up a true city festival. For three days, Panevėžys will be full of music, art, movement, encounters, and people—just as we are,” says Judita Kačinskaitė, director of the Panevėžys Cultural Center.
Friday – To the Beat of Youth
On September 11, you won’t have to wait long for the evening—the city’s birthday celebrations will begin during the day. Theater installations, exhibitions, and a festive fair will gradually fill the city center; a children’s entertainment area will be set up near the Panevėžys Cultural Center; and the musical project “Skambantys balkonai” will take place in Laisvės Square, and right there you’ll also be able to see the dance performance “As Long as We’re Here.”
The first day of the birthday celebrations will offer plenty of action for young people. As evening approaches, participants in the “523 Rhythm: Panevėžys Runs with a DJ” will cross the finish line at City Hall, where a DJ party and a foam show will await them, while on the main stage in Laisvės Square, the band “Laikas,” Free Finga, Furytto, and OG Version will perform one after another. DJ SIMO | Simona Burbaitė will wrap up the first day of the birthday celebrations.
Senvagė will also have its own program. Here, you’ll be able to take a recreational boat tour on the Nevėžis River, try out the tech expedition “Tomorrow Begins Here,” stroll along the interactive art trail “The Art of Being Yourself,” check out the swing alley “Easy. Just Like Us,” stop by the “Senvagė Sails” space, or listen to music in the amphitheater.
Saturday—the big birthday
On September 12, Panevėžys will celebrate from morning until midnight. The day will begin with a solemn flag-raising ceremony, and starting at noon, various parts of the city will come to life simultaneously.
Freedom Square will host an active urban space featuring youth, creative, educational, and interactive activities, including the “Great Tango Festival,” a performance by artist Monika Dirsytė titled “To Be or Not to Be,” and the one-woman show “Myriop.” In Senvagė, visitors can look forward to a family tech expedition, “Senvagė Sails,” watercolor workshops, and, in the amphitheater, the dance performance “The Sea” by the Kaunas Dance Theater “Aura” and “Another World” by the Baltic Ballet Theater.
At 5 p.m., it will be time for one of the highlights of the birthday celebration—a festive parade will wind its way through the city streets. Every year, it brings together Panevėžys’ institutions, organizations, communities, groups, and businesses, filling the city center with color, music, movement, and thousands of people celebrating.
After the parade, all attention will turn to the main stage in Freedom Square. The mayor will greet the residents of Panevėžys, the band “Dagamba” will perform on stage, the Panevėžys basketball team “Lietkabelis” will be introduced, and the evening’s concert program will continue with “Lemon Joy,” Aistė and Kastytis Kerbedis.
And even then, the birthday celebrations won’t be over yet—at midnight in Senvagė, a surprise will await to mark Panevėžys’s 523rd birthday.
On Saturday, it’s worth checking out more than just the main stages. Near the Panevėžys Cultural Center, children can enjoy performances and entertainment, while the city’s galleries and museums will invite visitors to exhibitions, tours, and free access to their displays. The 22nd National Short Film Festival “I + CITY = CINEMA 2026” will take place at the “Stasys Museum,” and various locations throughout the city will host plenty of sports, military equipment displays, and educational activities.
Sunday—another full day of birthday celebrations
On September 13, the festivities will remain in the city center. A Mass will be celebrated at Christ the King Cathedral for the city and its people; a swing alley will be set up in Senvagė, and those who wish can take a sightseeing cruise on the Nevėžis River. The festive fair will continue to bustle, children’s activities will be available, and the city’s museums and galleries will be open to visitors.
There will be plenty of action at Laisvės Square as well. The Panevėžys City Weightlifting Museum will be presented here, along with exhibition boxing training sessions and weightlifting competitions; there will also be a soccer village and a simultaneous chess exhibition. Near City Hall, participants in the “European Cup 2026” international strongman competition will demonstrate their strength, while motorsports fans on Paliūniškio Street can look forward to Stage 5 of the Lithuanian Auto Slalom Championship.
So Sunday won’t be a “farewell” to the festival, but rather another opportunity to get together in the city and enjoy what you may not have had time to experience during the first two days of the festival.
Three days, the entire city center, and countless opportunities to meet up. From September 11–13, Panevėžys invites you not just to watch its birthday from afar, but to come, explore, try new things, meet people, and celebrate together. Because this year, Panevėžys is JUST LIKE US!
You can find the full program for Panevėžys’ 523rd birthday at paneveziogimtadienis.lt.
