The year 2025 was a defining moment for Lithuanian culture — when our creativity resonated across continents. From Venice to Tokyo, Paris to Washington, Lithuanian artists proved that our culture is not just our heritage but a living, evolving force. Even Čiurlionis’s music travelled beyond Earth, symbolising the limitless imagination of a our nation.
Theatre – Our Stories on Global Stages
Lithuanian theatre shone brightly in 2025. The Romaeuropa Festival in Rome presented Hold on to Your Voice: Lithuanian Women Playwrights, featuring works by Birutė Kapustinskaitė, Gabrielė Labanauskaitė, and Virginija Rimkaitė. Oskaras Koršunovas’s powerful Othello captivated audiences at the Transylvania International Theatre Festival, while the Lithuanian National Drama Theatre celebrated its 85th season with a world tour from Taipei to Antwerp — reaffirming its place among Europe’s most vibrant stages.
Film – From the Baltic to the World
Lithuanian cinema continued its international success. Vytautas Katkus’s The Visitor won Best Director at Karlovy Vary, while Laurynas Bareiša’s Sisters triumphed at Locarno, earning two major awards and becoming Lithuania’s Oscar submission. Producer Klementina Remeikaitė was named among Europe’s most promising young talents. Lithuania also took the spotlight as Country of Focus at the Tampere Film Festival, and the Curonian Spit was added to the European Film Heritage List — proof that Lithuanian cinema now holds a firm place on Europe’s cultural map.
Music – Lithuania Strikes a Global Chord
Lithuanian musicians resonated across the world’s grand stages. Conductor Giedrė Šlekytė made her debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, performing an all-Beethoven program that critics described as “a defining moment for a new generation of European conductors.” Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, who in 2025 became the first woman to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic’s subscription concerts, together with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, presented the project “Čiurlionis Code II”, whose concert, broadcast on the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon Stage+ platform, became a remarkable achievement for Lithuanian culture.
Lithuania also celebrated success at Eurovision, where Katarsis reached the grand final, and the Kaunas folklore festival Atataria lamzdžiai evolved into a global platform for traditional music. Violinist Rokas Diržys won dual honours at the Jascha Heifetz International Competition, while the Lithuanian Symphonic Wind Orchestra released an acclaimed album distributed worldwide.
Dance – Movement that Inspires
Lithuanian dance continued to shine. Bachtrack hailed the National Opera and Ballet Theatre’s Giselle as “a season highlight”, while Jurgita Dronina’s appointment as Artistic Director drew international applause. Breakdancer Dominika “Nicka” Banevič earned bronze at the World Games, ballroom duo Tomas Rimkus and Nerija Šurblytė claimed silver at the WDSF World Championship, and Lithuanian troupes impressed at dance festivals in Tampere and Reykjavík.
Visual Arts – A Contemporary Pulse
Lithuanian visual artists continued to leave their mark. Painter Mantas Valentukonis reached the Young Painter Prize Baltic Top 25, and photographer Artūras Valiauga received Japan’s prestigious Higashikawa Award. Seven Lithuanian artists represented the country at New York’s Performa Biennale, while the Lithuanian Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale earned global coverage in ArchDaily. The National Museum of Lithuania won the Europa Nostra Award for its project Ukrainian Culture Has No Means to Defend Itself, and the Lithuanian National Museum of Art was shortlisted for the European Museum Academy Award — milestones of solidarity and innovation.
Architecture – Innovation with Identity
Lithuania’s architects earned global respect in 2025. The upcoming National Concert Hall Tautos Namai was a finalist at the MIPIM Awards, the Klaipėda State Musical Theatre’s interior by MAMA Architects won Italy’s A’ Design Award, and Gintaras Balčytis’s Archi/Tree/tecture Pavilion at the Venice Biennale showcased Lithuania’s creativity in sustainable design.
Literature – Words Without Borders
Lithuanian literature reached new readers worldwide. Twenty-five authors were translated into 19 languages, including Japanese, German, and Korean. Kotryna Zylė’s Beloved Bones was shortlisted for the EU Prize for Literature, and poets Egidija Čiricaitė, Greta Ambrazaitė, and Dominykas Norkūnas performed alongside British writers at the European Poetry Festival in London — proving that Lithuanian poetry speaks a universal language.
Lithuania’s Cultural Season in France – A Triumph of Creativity
The Lithuanian Cultural Season in France became a spectacular showcase: over 650 events in 80 cities drew nearly one million visitors. From the exhibition Walls Are Nocturnal Animals at Palais de Tokyo to performances by Eglė Švedkauskaitė, Agnietė Lisčinskaitė, and Dovydas Strimaitis at Théâtre de la Ville, France discovered the bold, contemporary face of Lithuanian art. The Lithuanian Embassy also opened its historic halls to the public, featuring Čiurlionis’s legacy and music — a beautiful symbol of cultural dialogue.
Sun & Sea – A Contemporary Masterpiece Endures
The world-renowned Lithuanian opera-performance Sun & Sea by Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė, Vaiva Grainytė, and Lina Lapelytė continued to shine internationally in 2025. Having already won the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale, the piece was recently acquired by the Hartwig Art Foundation and will enter the Dutch national art collection (Rijkscollectie) — a rare honour that cements its status as one of the defining artworks of the 21st century. Frieze magazine also listed Sun & Sea among the century’s most significant art works, recognising its global impact and timeless relevance.
2025 confirmed Lithuania’s place as a country of bold ideas and boundless creativity. Our artists, writers, and visionaries don’t just participate in the world’s culture — they help shape it. With imagination that knows no borders, Lithuania continues to be a nation the world listens to, learns from, and celebrates.
