Yaga Gathering
| Yaga Gathering | |
|---|---|
 Yaga Gathering 2013 | |
| Genre | techno, electronic music, Experimental music, Psychedelic music, Psychedelic trance, chill-out music, ambient, dub techno |
| Dates | July/August |
| Locations | Spengla Lake, Varėna, Lithuania |
| Coordinates | 54°20′14.80″N 24°46′31.60″E / 54.3374444°N 24.7754444°E[1] |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Website | yaga |
Yaga Gathering is a participatory transformational festival hosted in a clearing in Ežeraitis Forest, at the edge of Spengla Lake in the Varėna District of southern Lithuania.[2][3] The festival is known of having no corporate sponsors,[4][5][6] while having more participatory and community-driven ethos. Yaga festival is part of European Festival Association Network. [7]
History
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Initially, Yaga Gathering was called Shambala Festival—named for the mythical hidden kingdom of Shambhala. [8] The first event took place from 18 to 20 July 2003; it was small (250 attendees). Organisers produced a second festival in 2005, and the third festival in 2006. In 2007 the festival was renamed as Yaga Gathering. [9] Despite the growht to approach 5000 participants in 2024-2025 [6] the site of the festival has remained in Ežeraitis Forest which in is about 60 kilometres (37 mi) south of Vilnius.[5]
Most of the festival infrastructure is built using biodegradable materials.[10] and it has been referred as one of the major experimental grounds for Liethuanian post-folklore electronic music. [9]
Contemporary (2020-)
Recent post-pandemic editions of Yaga Gathering (2024–2025) have attracted approximately 5,000 attendees. [6] DJs and live bands from nearby countries perform across four music stages: the Valley Stage, the Pinegrove Stage, the Duskwood Stage, and the Outmost Stage [11]. From its content, the festival has aimed to extend its outreach from psytrance to wider artistic approaches and feature participatory art installations, open-air cinema, the Discovery Stage for lectures and presentations, a healing area offering yoga and meditation sessions, a handicraft workshop area, and host a designated children’s area. [10]
A feature in Wonderland Magazine describes Yaga Gathering as a countercultural festival held in the forests of Lithuania, combining trance music with spiritual and healing practices. The article notes that the event has grown from a small gathering into an international festival while maintaining its independence from corporate sponsorship and its emphasis on community and personal transformation.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ "Location: How to Get There § Maps". Yaga.lt. Retrieved 2017-07-06.
- ↑ Advisor, Resident. "Yaga Gathering 2018: Shapeshifting". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
{{cite web}}:|last1=has generic name (help) - ↑ "Yaga Gathering 2017". Last.fm. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
- ↑ Lenktyte, Deimante (5 July 2016). "10 reasons why you have to experience Yaga Gathering 2016". BhindTheLyrics. Archived from the original on 2018-05-17. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
- 1 2 Harold, Mark Adam (21 September 2015). "'Send helicopters': Yaga Festival 2015 review". Music Export Fund MXF. Archived from the original on 2017-03-15. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
- 1 2 3 4 Staff, Wonderland (2025-07-28). "Trance And Trees: A Trip to Yaga Gathering". Wonderland. Retrieved 2026-04-25.
- ↑ "Yaga Gathering 2025 - European Festivals Association". www.festivalfinder.eu. Retrieved 2026-04-25.
- ↑ Winkelman, Michael (2012-07-01). "Shamanism in Cross-Cultural Perspective". International Journal of Transpersonal Studies. 31 (2): 47–62. doi:10.24972/ijts.2012.31.2.47. ISSN 1321-0122.
- 1 2 Gelažiūtė-Pranevičienė, Eglė (2021-06-01). "Shifts in Authenticity: Electronic Dance Music as Environment for Contemporary Folklore Forms". Tautosakos darbai. 61: 122–140. doi:10.51554/td.21.61.05. ISSN 2783-6827.
- 1 2 Trefor, Cai. "Yaga Gathering 2020, Lithuania, 6-10 August". Under the Radar.
- ↑ Troup, Wil (2025-09-02). "Yaga Gathering: Drenched In Komorebi". Ransom Note. Retrieved 2026-04-25.
External links
