On the last weekend of May, May 30–31, the colorful kites will once again rise into the sky above Klaipėda. The 4th Beach Kite Festival “Winds of the Winds”, funded by the Klaipėda City Municipality, will invite visitors to the Central Beach in Melnragė (formerly the Disabled Beach), next to the café “Kupolas Klaipėda”. Dedicated to togetherness and friendship, the festival will delight visitors not only with an unforgettable visual spectacle, but also with kite-making workshops, various activities, educational programs, and meaningful meetings. And if the wind is not strong enough, it will be provided by the festival’s partner – the international green energy company “Ignitis renewables”.
Kite-making workshops and meaningful encounters
On May 30, the festival will begin with kite-making workshops. From 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, festival guests will traditionally be invited to create their own kites, decorate them with maritime-inspired details, and soon after test them in the sky. Around 800 kites are planned to be made. The workshops will take place inside the festival’s loyal partner venue – “Kupolas Klaipėda” café.
From 12:00 PM, the giant kites will be launched, marking the official opening of the festival. At noon, a massive 52 sq. m kite-flag dedicated to the Year of Social Responsibility will be raised into the sky. The kite was created together with the Klaipėda City Disabled Association, the Klaipėda Senior Citizens Association, and the social services center “Lakštutė”.
From 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, various organizations will invite visitors to educational activities and meetings. “Vaikų linija” (“Child Line”) will encourage participants to “draw” their emotions. Vilnius TECH Maritime Academy will invite the whole family on an educational maritime journey, introducing colorful maritime signal flags and their meanings, while allowing visitors to spell out their own names using the flags. Klaipėda Public Health Bureau will offer wellness activities for both children and adults. The Lithuanian Non-Formal Education Association LINEŠA will organize the creative workshop “Create Your Own Fairytale”. The children’s creativity and entertainment space “Smailer” will invite families to try large French Djeco kites. The Women’s Support Line will inspire emotional awareness and self-discovery.
From 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM, children will be invited to educational activities about wind and renewable energy. The sessions will be led by the “Ignitis renewables” team, introducing children to how wind turbines work, their purpose, and how wind becomes a renewable energy source. The activities will take place in a playful format – children will build small turbine models, observe how they work, complete tasks, and learn why sustainable energy production matters.
From 2:45 PM to 3:00 PM, an instant lottery will offer visitors a chance to win prizes from festival partners and sponsors, including ice-skating tickets from Akropolis Klaipėda, rides on the carousel and observation wheel in Karlskrona Square, a FLOKATI blanket, Biofarmacija gifts, Pica Pub vouchers, festival merchandise, and more. Authors Benas Bėrantas and Vilija Kvieskaitė will also reward five young festival participants with copies of their book “Catch the Wind”.
The festival atmosphere will also be enriched by music performances. On Saturday from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, DJ Mamania will perform.
International guests at the Kite Festival
For several years now, the Klaipėda Kite Festival “Winds of the Winds” has attracted kite enthusiasts from abroad, fulfilling the original idea of turning the event into an international festival that brings together a growing kite-loving community every year. This year, kite enthusiasts from Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, Finland, and Germany will participate. More than 100 giant and uniquely shaped kites are expected to fill the sky throughout both festival days.
“We are Ala and Witek Klimkowski from Poland, and for the past decade we have been passionate kite enthusiasts. This hobby has allowed us to meet wonderful people and travel to festivals in different countries. We make most of our equipment ourselves and currently own dozens of kites. We are very happy to visit the Klaipėda Kite Festival for the second time. We can’t wait to meet everyone and fly our kites together!” said Witek Klimkowski from Poland.
Festival novelty – the Japanese Koinobori tradition
A new feature of this year’s festival is the introduction of the Japanese Koinobori tradition. In cooperation with the Embassy of Japan, Klaipėda City will commemorate the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 40th anniversary of Chiune Sugihara’s passing. Festival visitors will have the opportunity to discover Koinobori – traditional Japanese carp-shaped windsocks displayed during Children’s Day on May 5 in Japan. They symbolize strength, perseverance, and success in life. The tradition originates from the legend of a carp that overcame a strong current and transformed into a dragon.
The second festival day
On May 31, from 1:00 PM, visitors will once again be able to admire the giant kites. The 52 sq. m kite-flag dedicated to the Year of Social Responsibility in Klaipėda will also be raised again. From 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, DJ Staska (Kajus Stasytis) will perform, and from 4:00 PM the giant kites will gradually be lowered, marking the closing of the festival.
The Kite Festival is funded by Klaipėda City Municipality and organized by the public institution “Klaipėdos šventės”. The festival partner is “Ignitis renewables”. The event will be filmed and photographed, and visitor numbers will also be monitored during the festival. The Maltese organization will provide first aid services during the event.
PROGRAM:
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Please note that the program may change due to unfavorable weather conditions.