War in Ukraine

Is Lithuania safe to come to?
Yes. Lithuania is a part of NATO, the strongest military alliance on the planet. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine started, the Baltic states’ security even increased with more NATO forces being deployed. Lithuania is a vibrant democracy where the rule of law is absolute, the economy is growing, and it currently ranks 11th in the World Bank’s Doing Business report.

Why are Lithuanians so emotional about the war?
Generally, Lithuanians are not afraid. They are emotional and angry because their officials have been talking to the international audience about the ever-increasing threats from Russia for many years. One can call their emotions a sort of survivor’s guilt – Lithuania and the other Baltic states managed to escape to NATO in 2004 while the Ukrainians and Georgians are stuck fighting for their freedom.

What about the threats that are being publicly addressed to the Baltic states?
Those threats have been repeated in numerous forms during the last 30 years. However, Lithuania, just like all members, is protected by the NATO collective security shield. The cornerstone of NATO is Article 5, which states: “If a NATO ally is the victim of an armed attack, each and every other member of the alliance will consider this act of violence as an armed attack against all members and will take the actions it deems necessary to assist the ally attacked”. This article has kept its members safe since the formation of NATO. Possible aggressors are afraid of the combined might of the allies.

Covid-19

Why was the festival postponed?
The festival was initially supposed to take place in August 2020. With the many insecurities around the Covid-19 pandemic, the festival’s Steering Committee, as well as the Board of Europa Cantat, made the decision to postpone the festival.

What measures will be taken to ensure our safety?
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the festival’s general managers Ieva Krivickaite and Silvija Prockyte have successfully organized, together and separately, a number of choral events, from concerts and competitions to camps and festivals. The ECJ-inspired Junior Choir Camp for Lithuanian children’s choirs took place last summer, ending with 0 COVID cases. Ieva and Silvija will use their experience to ensure a safe environment and follow the guidelines that will be in place in July, whether it be masks, testing, outdoor activities or anything else.

What restrictions will there be in Lithuania?
The situation has been rapidly getting better in Lithuania since the beginning of 2022, and events are currently taking place as usual, with masks being the only restriction in place. Regarding entry requirements, there has been no need to quarantine for people who are vaccinated or have negative PCR tests and come from EU countries since last summer. You can check current entry requirements in this link.

What happens if the festival is cancelled?
If the event is cancelled due to the pandemic (or another force majeure), all participants will get back all of their fees except for 20 Eur per person administration costs. If all is well and the event takes place as planned, choirs and individual participants have until 2 May to cancel their participation and get back all of their fees (except for 20 Eur per person administration costs).