2026 festival archive
VISAGINAS · 21-22 AUGUST 2026
Visagino Country2026
Lithuania's international country music festival in Visaginas
A look back at the 33rd edition: international country music, lakeside concerts and a motor parade through Visaginas. Explore the 2026 line-up, programme and festival history.
- 33rd edition
- Established 1991
- Parko g. 2C
The 2026 festival has concluded. The programme below is retained as an archive; accommodation searches and transport links are for planning a current visit.
At a glance
Visagino Country 2026 quick facts
- Dates
- 21-22 August 2026
- Main concerts
- 18:00 to midnight
- City
- Visaginas
- Main venue
- Parko g. 2C
- Edition
- 33rd festival
- Festival history
- Founded in 1991
- Admission
- Ticketed main programme
- Camping
- Available on festival territory
- Region
- Aukštaitija
The event
About Visagino Country
Visagino Country is an international country music festival held in Visaginas, a planned city surrounded by forest and lakes in eastern Lithuania. The 2026 edition brought artists from Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Finland, Latvia, the United States, Germany, Ireland and Sweden to the main festival territory at Parko g. 2 C.
Its timing was remarkable: the first festival opened in August 1991, just as Lithuania and the Soviet-planned settlement then known as Sniečkus were passing through historic change.
The main concerts ran on Friday and Saturday evening, but the published programme was broader than two stage shows. It began with a Thursday pre-party and included a fair, amusement rides, artist meetings, line dancing, tennis gatherings, an acoustic performance and a motorised country parade. A Sunday church service with country hymns closed the wider programme.
The times and locations below come from the official festival programme for the 2026 edition. They do not confirm a later edition or current offers.
From the festival
Visagino Country 2026 motor parade
The motor parade brought the festival onto the streets of Visaginas. Watch the 2026 procession, filmed by NEWS TTS.
Main stage
Visagino Country 2026 line-up
Both concert nights were scheduled from 18:00 until midnight at Parko g. 2 C.
Friday 21 August
- Kantri viltys Lithuania
- Kate Maple Czech Republic
- Matt Len Lithuania
- Jonis Lithuania
- Larry Peninsula Finland
- NightHawk USA / Germany
Saturday 22 August
- Kantri viltys Lithuania
- Belkin Cajun Band Lithuania
- Andy Starman & Band Latvia
- Virgis Stakėnas Lithuania
- Raising Caine USA
- Gareth Nugent & Ellinor Springstrike Ireland / Sweden
- Closing ceremony Festival stage
Dance programme
The official programme also named Ciongs, Dakota and Kangoo Jumps Utena. The Saturday schedule included public line dancing beside the stage from 17:00 to 18:00.
Day by day
Full Visagino Country 2026 programme
The 2026 events were scheduled at several addresses. The archive preserves each location alongside its programme time.
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19:00
Festival pre-partySAVA Café, Parko g. 16
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From 14:00
Fair and amusement ridesFestival territory, Parko g. 2C
-
16:00
Meet the artistsVisaginas Cultural Centre, Vilties g. 5
-
17:00-18:00
Tennis gathering for guests with a festival ticket or wristbandTennis courts, Parko g. 2A
-
17:15
Motorised country paradeStarting point, Taikos pr. 23
-
18:00-00:00
Main concert programmeFestival territory, Parko g. 2C
-
From 10:00
Fair and amusement ridesFestival territory, Parko g. 2C
-
13:00-13:30
Acoustic concertDomino, Veteranų g. 2
-
14:00-15:00
Country club gatheringFestival territory, Parko g. 2C
-
17:00-18:00
Line dancing by the stageFestival territory, Parko g. 2C
-
17:00-18:00
Tennis gathering for guests with a festival ticket or wristbandTennis courts, Parko g. 2A
-
18:00-00:00
Main concert programmeFestival territory, Parko g. 2C
-
12:00-13:00
Holy Mass and Kantri giesmėsVisaginas St Apostle Paul Church, Santarvės g. 1
Programme source: official Visagino Country 2026 programme.
Admission
Tickets
Bilietai listed Friday and Saturday tickets and a two-day ticket for the 2026 edition. The linked listing concerns that concluded festival, rather than a current ticket offer.
View the 2026 ticket sourceFestival stay
Camping at Visagino Country
The organiser advertised camping on the festival territory in 2026. The public information did not establish particular facilities, pitch sizes or vehicle access. Those details remain unconfirmed in this archive.
For a later edition, confirm permitted equipment, registration, access and facilities with the organiser again. If you need a private bathroom, reliable electricity or a late check-in, compare fixed accommodation in Visaginas. Late-August weather can be changeable.
For a later visit
Accommodation in Visaginas
The 2026 festival travel period was 20-23 August. You can use the accommodation search for a later visit to Visaginas. Select new dates and check cancellation terms, check-in and the actual distance to Parko g. 2C.
Find places to stay nearby
Set dates and guests, then update the map to compare nearby stays. On the booking website, set the room count and each child’s actual age, then review the dates, all guests, location, total price, reviews and booking conditions before paying.
Your map choice is remembered for 180 days
The accommodation map loads only when you choose to allow Stay22.
Travel planning
Getting to Visaginas
By train
Use LTG Link for current railway times and any service notices. Do not assume the final evening train will leave after the concert ends.
Check LTG Link timetablesBy bus
Visaginas Municipality maintains a page linking current bus and train timetable services. Check the named operator and date before relying on a connection.
Municipal transport linksBy car
A car can suit a group or a longer Aukštaitija trip. The 2026 main venue was at Parko g. 2C. For a later visit, check the then-current access rules and local directions.
Addresses
Festival locations in Visaginas
Beyond the stage
What else to do in Visaginas
Visaginas can also be explored beyond the historical festival programme. Leave time for daytime rest when planning a later concert visit.
Lake Visaginas
Use the lakeside paths or beach area for an easy daytime break. Follow current local water-safety notices.
Architecture and public art
Walk the curved residential districts and courtyards to understand the city's planned layout and public artworks.
Visaginas City Museum
Add local context on the city's development and communities. Check current opening hours before your visit.
Nuclear-energy heritage
Visitor experiences connected with the Ignalina plant are controlled and may require advance booking. They are not walk-in festival attractions.
Culture and change
A wind of change: Visagino Country since 1991
Visagino Country began in August 1991, at a remarkable moment in the history of both Lithuania and Visaginas. Lithuania had restored its independence the previous year, the Soviet system was breaking apart, and the settlement then known as Sniečkus was about to enter a very different period of its history.
The organiser's account makes the timing unusually concrete. The first festival was due to open on 23 August, during the uncertainty surrounding the Moscow coup attempt. Permission was signed only on the evening of 22 August, after days when the organisers did not know whether the event could proceed.
In that setting, country music carried a meaning beyond the music itself. An international festival built around a genre strongly associated with the wider Western world was an unusual sight in a young city created around a Soviet nuclear power project.
Visagino Country can therefore be seen as part of a wind of change in Visaginas. It opened a cultural window outward at the same moment that the political and social world around the city was changing dramatically.
The festival did not create those changes, but it became one of their visible cultural expressions. Musicians and visitors from Lithuania and abroad came to a city whose identity had previously been closely tied to the nuclear project. Over time, the festival itself became part of the identity of Visaginas.
Thirty-five years later, that contrast is still one of the things that makes the festival interesting. Country, folk and Americana are performed beside a Lithuanian lake in a city whose streets, architecture, languages and history tell a very different story from Nashville or Texas.
The 2026 event marked 35 years since the festival tradition began in 1991 and was the 33rd edition of Visagino Country.
Historical context: the organiser's account of the first festival, Visaginas Municipality's city history and Seimas: August 1991 coup discussion (PDF).
Before you go
Practical festival tips
Recheck the programme
For a later edition, open that edition’s current official programme before travel. The 2026 times, artists and places do not automatically apply.
Save the addresses
The programme uses several venues, not only the main festival territory. Save the correct address for each activity.
Prepare for the evening
The 2026 concerts were scheduled until midnight. Take an extra warm layer and check the official weather forecast shortly before a later visit.
Book a realistic stay
Check walking distance and check-in arrangements. A low price is less useful if the property is difficult to reach after midnight.
Keep tickets accessible
Download or save the ticket confirmation before arrival rather than depending on a mobile connection at the gate.
Respect controlled sites
Nuclear-energy visitor experiences have separate identity, security and booking requirements. Confirm them directly.
Current outlook
Weather in Visaginas
Use the current official forecast when deciding what to carry.
Questions
Visagino Country 2026 FAQ
When was Visagino Country 2026?
The main concert evenings were Friday 21 August and Saturday 22 August 2026. The published wider programme began on Thursday 20 August and included a church event on Sunday 23 August.
Where was the 2026 main venue?
The main concerts and festival territory were at Parko g. 2C in Visaginas. Other programme items were listed at the additional addresses preserved in this archive.
When were the main concerts scheduled?
The official 2026 programme scheduled the main concerts from 18:00 until midnight on both Friday and Saturday.
Was camping advertised for 2026?
The organiser advertised camping on the festival territory in 2026, without detailed registration, access or facility conditions. Confirm those arrangements with the organiser for a later edition.
Which tickets were listed for 2026?
Bilietai listed Friday and Saturday tickets and a two-day ticket. The historical source does not confirm current prices or availability.
How should I plan a later concert return journey?
Do not assume a train runs after midnight. Check your exact date with LTG Link and arrange accommodation or another return if needed. The 2026 programme is historical context only.
Festival information
Official information sources
- Official festival programme in English
- Official festival accommodation information
- Bilietai ticket series
- Visaginas Municipality event listing
- Official 35-year festival anniversary note
- Official account of the first festival in August 1991
- Visaginas Municipality city history
- Lithuanian Parliament: restoration of independence
- Lithuanian Parliament: August 1991 historical context
- Visaginas Municipality transport links