Vilnius Turns Pink for Three Days as Vilnius Pink Soup Fest
Returns Bigger than ever
Vilnius Pink Soup Fest has started, turning the city completely pink – from a river parade to a giant pink slide for three whole days. Even longer than last year, the weekend is expected to bring 100,000 visitors together for synchronized pink lunches, costumes competitions, and city-wide celebrations centered around Lithuania’s iconic cold beetroot soup.
Vilnius officially turned pink this weekend as the Vilnius Pink Soup Fest – a celebration inspired by Lithuania’s iconic cold beetroot soup, šaltibarščiai– expanded into a three-day celebration for the first time.
Bridges, chimneys, a river parade, and even a giant 50-metre-long pink slide transformed the cityscape into one giant celebration. Visitors are able to try international interpretations of the classic dish, join a record-breaking synchronized lunch, and choose their favorite pink soup-inspired costume, transforming Lithuania’s capital into a playful start to the summer season.
Now taking place for the fourth time, the festival has grown into one of Vilnius’ most recognizable international events. In a city shaped by Nordic summer patterns, with long and pleasantly warm days, it signals the start of the summer while reflecting Vilnius’ thriving gastronomical scene, culinary creativity and hospitality.
“What makes the festival exciting for us is seeing how it keeps evolving into new forms every year. Today, one of the biggest new additions is the Pink Soup Parade on the Neris River, but just as impressive is the creativity coming from participants themselves. International visitors coming from far away in elaborate costumes continue to surprise us, just as local partners that are experimenting and transforming šaltibarščiai into everything from pink burgers and beetroot udon to kefir-based desserts and cocktails,” says Eglė Girdzijauskaitė, Head of Communications at “Go Vilnius”, the city’s official tourism and business development agency.
One of the central moments of the opening program was the “Pink Break” – a synchronized lunch held across the city, where residents, businesses, and visitors paused at the same time to enjoy bowls of bright pink soup in offices, parks, terraces, and public spaces.
Connor Holmes Pink Soup Fest Costume © Connor Holmes
The festival’s costume contest has become an essential part of Vilnius Pink Soup Fest, with enthusiasts participating in the festivities dressed in elaborate pink outfits, soup-inspired costumes, and creative interpretations of šaltibarščiai. City residents and guests will be able to encounter enthusiasts competing for the best pink costume in the evening, dressed as eggs, beetroots, while others will take a more creative approach and transform into the pink soup in various forms.
“I first came across the Vilnius Pink Soup Fest online and thought it was completely ridiculous in the best possible way. Before I knew it, I was building a suit of pink knight armour, carrying a spoon instead of a sword, and decorating my shield with eggs, dill and potatoes. At that point, coming here – to Vilnius, and seeing all this craziness myself felt like the next logical step,” says Connor Holmes, UK participant in the online Vilnius Pink Soup Fest costume contest.
A four-storey tall 13-meter slide. Near the White Bridge, the iconic pink slide returns taller than ever – rising to the height of a four-storey building becoming a memorable attraction. Those looking for an adrenaline rush were able to slide down the 50-meter long and 13-meter tall slide, while others could pose at the most photogenic spot of the festival.
Neris River: a parade on water. One of this year’s main highlights is the festival’s first-ever Pink Soup Parade on the Neris river. A pink procession of around 50 different watercraft travelled down the river, including pink-painted boats, kayaks, motorboats, and other vessels. Music, flags, and costumes filled the river, while thousands of spectators followed the parade along the embankment, and watched as the river became one of the busiest and most unusual stages in the city.
3.3 tonnes of kefir are ready to be consumed. Across the city, the scale of the festival is reflected in 355 mapped locations offering šaltibarščiai-themed food, activities and events.During the weekend, city residents and guests will consume thousands of portions of the cold soups,” as 400 free portions of cold soup were already distributed in the Railway Station during the “Pink Break”, followed by another 1,000 portions ahead of today’s Pink Parade. In total 3.3 tonnes of kefir were supplied to participating vendors, who used it all to prepare the festival’s signature soup. The numbers simply confirm what people can already feel across the city – šaltibarščiai has completely taken over Vilnius.
Public transport has also turned pink. Across the city, transport is also taken over by pink. The specially branded Pink Soup Train and Pink Bus are bringing visitors to the temporarily renamed “Pink Railway Station.” Vilnius Airport also joined the celebrations and this weekend is welcoming travelers as “Vilnius Pinkternational Beetport.” The playful Pink Train connection will continue operating throughout the summer.
With over 100,000 participants at the festival, organizers are estimating that hotel occupancy for this weekend in Vilnius is at 98%, with only a few rooms left outside the city center.
The program will continue throughout the weekend with concerts in the Town Hall, nightlife events at Halės Market, food experiences and an all-consuming pink energy in Vilnius.
ABOUT GO VILNIUS
Go Vilnius is the official tourism and business development agency of the City of Vilnius. The agency provides visitors, investors, and businesses with all the essential information about the Lithuanian capital.