{"id":5471,"date":"2026-09-02T09:22:06","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T07:22:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pankultura.lt\/news\/panevezys-523rd-birthday-this-year-just-like-us\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T09:22:06","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T07:22:06","slug":"panevezys-523rd-birthday-this-year-just-like-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pankultura.lt\/en\/news\/panevezys-523rd-birthday-this-year-just-like-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Panev\u0117\u017eys’ 523rd birthday this year \u2013 JUST LIKE US!"},"content":{"rendered":"

From September 11 to 13, Panev\u0117\u017eys 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\u2014the city parade. This year\u2019s celebration \u201cPanev\u0117\u017eys. JUST LIKE US!\u201d will take place across Laisv\u0117s Square, Senvag\u0117, the area around the Panev\u0117\u017eys Cultural Center, the city\u2019s galleries, museums, and other venues, with the focus on what shapes the city every day\u2014its people.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This year\u2019s birthday theme, \u201cPanev\u0117\u017eys. JUST LIKE US!\u201d invites you to see Panev\u0117\u017eys through the eyes of the people who live, create, work, grow, and meet there. That\u2019s 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\u2019s activities, while still others might just stop by the fair and end up staying much longer than they planned.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen planning this year\u2019s birthday celebration, we really wanted it to be about all of us\u2014different, 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\u2019s precisely these moments that make up a true city festival. For three days, Panev\u0117\u017eys will be full of music, art, movement, encounters, and people\u2014just as we are,\u201d says Judita Ka\u010dinskait\u0117, director of the Panev\u0117\u017eys Cultural Center.<\/p>\n

Friday \u2013 To the Beat of Youth<\/strong><\/p>\n

On September 11, you won\u2019t have to wait long for the evening\u2014the city\u2019s birthday celebrations will begin during the day. Theater installations, exhibitions, and a festive fair will gradually fill the city center; a children\u2019s entertainment area will be set up near the Panev\u0117\u017eys Cultural Center; and the musical project \u201cSkambantys balkonai\u201d will take place in Laisv\u0117s Square, and right there you\u2019ll also be able to see the dance performance \u201cAs Long as We\u2019re Here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first day of the birthday celebrations will offer plenty of action for young people. As evening approaches, participants in the \u201c523 Rhythm: Panev\u0117\u017eys Runs with a DJ\u201d 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 Laisv\u0117s Square, the band \u201cLaikas,\u201d Free Finga, Furytto, and OG Version will perform one after another. DJ SIMO | Simona Burbait\u0117 will wrap up the first day of the birthday celebrations.<\/p>\n

Senvag\u0117 will also have its own program. Here, you\u2019ll be able to take a recreational boat tour on the Nev\u0117\u017eis River, try out the tech expedition \u201cTomorrow Begins Here,\u201d stroll along the interactive art trail \u201cThe Art of Being Yourself,\u201d check out the swing alley \u201cEasy. Just Like Us,\u201d stop by the \u201cSenvag\u0117 Sails\u201d space, or listen to music in the amphitheater.<\/p>\n

Saturday\u2014the big birthday<\/strong><\/p>\n

On September 12, Panev\u0117\u017eys 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.<\/p>\n

Freedom Square will host an active urban space featuring youth, creative, educational, and interactive activities, including the \u201cGreat Tango Festival,\u201d a performance by artist Monika Dirsyt\u0117 titled \u201cTo Be or Not to Be,\u201d and the one-woman show \u201cMyriop.\u201d In Senvag\u0117, visitors can look forward to a family tech expedition, \u201cSenvag\u0117 Sails,\u201d watercolor workshops, and, in the amphitheater, the dance performance \u201cThe Sea\u201d by the Kaunas Dance Theater \u201cAura\u201d and \u201cAnother World\u201d by the Baltic Ballet Theater.<\/p>\n

At 5 p.m., it will be time for one of the highlights of the birthday celebration\u2014a festive parade will wind its way through the city streets. Every year, it brings together Panev\u0117\u017eys\u2019 institutions, organizations, communities, groups, and businesses, filling the city center with color, music, movement, and thousands of people celebrating.<\/p>\n

After the parade, all attention will turn to the main stage in Freedom Square. The mayor will greet the residents of Panev\u0117\u017eys, the band \u201cDagamba\u201d will perform on stage, the Panev\u0117\u017eys basketball team \u201cLietkabelis\u201d will be introduced, and the evening\u2019s concert program will continue with \u201cLemon Joy,\u201d Aist\u0117 and Kastytis Kerbedis.<\/p>\n

And even then, the birthday celebrations won’t be over yet\u2014at midnight in Senvag\u0117, a surprise will await to mark Panev\u0117\u017eys’s 523rd birthday.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, it\u2019s worth checking out more than just the main stages. Near the Panev\u0117\u017eys Cultural Center, children can enjoy performances and entertainment, while the city\u2019s galleries and museums will invite visitors to exhibitions, tours, and free access to their displays. The 22nd National Short Film Festival \u201cI + CITY = CINEMA 2026\u201d will take place at the \u201cStasys Museum,\u201d and various locations throughout the city will host plenty of sports, military equipment displays, and educational activities.<\/p>\n

Sunday\u2014another full day of birthday celebrations<\/strong><\/p>\n

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 Senvag\u0117, and those who wish can take a sightseeing cruise on the Nev\u0117\u017eis River. The festive fair will continue to bustle, children\u2019s activities will be available, and the city\u2019s museums and galleries will be open to visitors.<\/p>\n

There will be plenty of action at Laisv\u0117s Square as well. The Panev\u0117\u017eys 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 \u201cEuropean Cup 2026\u201d international strongman competition will demonstrate their strength, while motorsports fans on Pali\u016bni\u0161kio Street can look forward to Stage 5 of the Lithuanian Auto Slalom Championship.<\/p>\n

So Sunday won\u2019t be a \u201cfarewell\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

Three days, the entire city center, and countless opportunities to meet up. From September 11\u201313, Panev\u0117\u017eys 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, Panev\u0117\u017eys is JUST LIKE US!<\/p>\n

<\/strong>You can find the full program for Panev\u0117\u017eys\u2019 523rd birthday at paneveziogimtadienis.lt<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From September 11 to 13, Panev\u0117\u017eys 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\u2014the city parade.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5472,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":{"organizatorius":"","galerija":"","":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pankultura.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pankultura.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pankultura.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pankultura.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pankultura.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5471"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pankultura.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5471\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pankultura.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pankultura.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pankultura.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pankultura.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}