Three days after the festival – enough time for the audience and participants to recover, but not enough for the organisers to realise the severity of the feast’s aftermath. The event’s territory is still being cleaned up, mail is flooding, services are being counted, reports are being written. The 23rd KŽ will only be over after several months for the organisers, only then will the preparations for the 24th begin. How and where it will take place will only be known after the dust settles after this year’s storm.
LOCATION
After the excess dampness of last year, everything seemed better to us this year. We’ve tamed the location, prepared for the worst-case scenarios. A. Smetona’s manor museum territory was clean, cozy,
looked-after. The territory had also shown its pros: it has larger a capacity than the previous one and allows for expanding and evolving. The event’s location is really growing on us.
UKMERGĖ
We’re visiting the hospitable Ukmergė for the second time and can confirm that we no longer feel as alien in this land as in the beginning. Sincere thanks to Ukmergė’s government, officials, the culture department, and the museum staff. We feel your support and admire your determination to reach for more cultural variety in the town. Thank you for the warm and professional cooperation.
MUSICAL PROGRAMME
The most solid programme in the festival’s history: names of world-wide fame, special requests, highest-level technical services, genre variety – all of it has been achieved. We won’t ever lower the bar now;
we have intriguing ideas for the future.
ANCIENT PROGRAMME
The number of participants in the programme, the crafts and warrior camp is noticeably growing. Both old and young could find educations and various activities in the ancient camp. Thanks to the organisers
and participants.
STAGES
The sound, the lights, the screen, the services… Everything was professional and high-standard. Good preparation was obvious – let’s not slow down! Thanks to the workers, we’ll await your return.
MERCHANTS
The food services are getting better, the variety is growing wider. The merchants’ alley is becoming its own object in the festival that invites to stay ever longer. Thank you for quality cooperation.
SECURITY
An exceptional thanks to the new security team. We all felt your presence. The festival felt safe, lines at the entrance were averted, critical situations were solved quickly, humanely, and professionally. Keep on
going.
AUDIENCE
We are proud of you. We are always happy when newcomers to the festival get surprised by the warm and friendly atmosphere of the festival. After visiting our event once people tend to return precisely
because of that unique and friendly environment. Thank you for the tidiness too. However, we must say that with the growth of the festival, all sorts of things happen to us too. The unusually large piles of collected trash saddened us this year. Yes, the trash was tidy in bags next to containers, but the amount
is breathtaking… We allowed the use of grills and barbeques. But is the amount of food and drink packaging necessary to bring to nature? And the forbidden items. Can you all swear with hand to heart that you follow the rules that we write for 23 years now? Various alcohol and spoiled food packaging is
appalling. Festival’s merchants are partners of the event – by buying their food you partially support the festival. We kindly ask to be understanding. We work hard to grow and improve this event. Neither you nor we can achieve better results without good-willed cooperation.
TEAM
It is hard to objectively evaluate the progress after working without breaks for many years. However, the people who return to our midst after several years notice that we’ve advanced a fair bit. Each of us is
noticeably taking up more work and responsibility. I have seen you fired up from the adrenaline at the beginning of the event’s preparations and I have seen how broken you were during the toughest moments. All who aren’t afraid of any jobs: talking to headliners and collecting trash the next day – I state that you are absolutely mad. Mad by your own will. For that, I am endlessly proud of you. If I didn’t feel your closeness, I wouldn’t find the strength to keep going myself. You are my FAMILY. Thank you.
CONCLUSION
The amount of audience was almost half of what it was last year. The expenses were the largest in the festival’s history. We also had losses due to the storm on the festival’s eve. Thirteen trees fell in the
territory, fences, tents, and sculptures were broken, flags were torn etc. We felt the pains of inflation, absolutely all of the services had gotten more expensive. Everything is or will be paid for though. We’re not asking for discounts from anyone. The club PIKUOLIS is willingly taking all these risks and is working without reward. That’s the principle of our organisation. WE WORK FOR YOU FOR FREE. The audience pays for 70% of the event’s expenses. The rest of the budget we find through supporters and by performing various projects.
Due to the less-than-ideal organisational circumstances this year it becomes obvious, that we will have to partially cover for the expenses ourselves. For the sake of the team, I won’t be too proud. I’m asking the ones who came with invitations, who were indeed very numerous, but the plea holds for all good-willed people who appreciate our work. If there is anyone willing and able to donate at least a symbolic sum for
PIKUOLIS work, your investment would help us greatly in this situation.
Recipient: Association Pikuolis
Account number: LT047300010002498510
Bank: Swedbank
SWIFT code: HABALT22
Purpose: Donation
Don’t overdo it and hurt yourselves – support if you feel you can allow it. If not – don’t feel guilty. We will survive, we have experience for it.
We are not broken, and we won’t lower the bar in the future. We are certain that PIKUOLIS has yet to surprise with many strong events. We aren’t lacking passion and enthusiasm. As always, we will give all
our strength to our work and KILKIM ŽAIBU.
See you again next year!
On behalf of the organisers,
Daividas.
