Festival

On 23–25 June 2016, the seventeenth Kilkim Žaibu once again thundered through Varniai, beside Lake Lūkstas. The event formed part of the programme for Telšiai’s year as Lithuanian Capital of Culture, while the Rasos (Midsummer), Fire and Lightning evenings brought together ancient traditions and heavy music. Metal legends Venom, performing in the Baltic region for the first time, were the festival’s main guests. Their energy dispelled any doubts about whether these longstanding veterans could still surprise an audience.

The large open area beside the lake gave the festival more room. Performers praised the stage sound, lighting, pyrotechnics and crew support. The living history programme offered battles, contests, presentations of tribal dress and dancing that continued until dawn. During an exceptionally hot Midsummer, many sought shade beneath the trees and relief in the lake by day, returning to the stage after dark.

The festival attracted a particularly large audience, with visitors from abroad making up almost half of it. The friendly atmosphere and the smooth work of a small team made this one of our strongest editions to date. However, incidents of theft reminded us that we would need to devote even more attention to security and the protection of visitors’ belongings in the future.