Frequently Asked Questions

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).

General

Who can participate at the festival?
Europa Cantat Junior is a festival for children and youth choirs (up to 18 years old). You can come with all or part of your choir. Alternatively, if you are a choir conductor or a music teacher and would like to come alone, you are welcome to join our Study Tour.

When will the festival take place?
Europa Cantat Junior takes place from 15 to 24 July 2022 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

When do the ateliers take place?
The rehearsals will start first thing in the morning on 16 July and take place every day. The final atelier concert will take place on 23 July.

We can’t make it for the first day of the festival. Can we come later?
Unfortunately, all participating choirs are required to be present at the first atelier rehearsal at 9 am on 16 July. Your singers will thank you for not missing valuable learning time!

We can’t stay until the end of the festival. Can we leave early?
Unfortunately, all participating choirs are required to be present at the Atelier concert on the evening of 23 July. Your singers will want to show what they learnt, won’t they? 🙂

Should I book my own accommodation?
You have 2 options: 1) find your own accommodation in Vilnius or 2) choose from our selected hotels and hostels (check our Prices page for offers). You will have to contact your chosen hotel or hostel on your own. The festival will not book the accommodation for you.

Should I take care of my own meals?
Again, 2 options for you: 1) arrange meals on your own or 2) choose our special meals (check our Prices page for offers) and don’t worry about when, where and what your singers are going to eat!

Registration

How can I register to the festival?
The extended registration is open until 27 March on our Registration page.

I am not sure how many singers I will bring/which atelier to choose. Can I register late?
Please follow our website for our registration deadline and please make it by then! We might not be able to offer you a spot at the festival if we receive your application later.

Can I get a discount?
Europa Cantat have very flexible pricing according to the country you live in. Unfortunately, no additional discounts are available.

Do teachers also have to pay for their participation fee?
Yes, the fee is the same for both the children and any adults wishing to benefit from festival services.

Vilnius

How do I get to Vilnius?
Vilnius is super accessible by air and land from anywhere in Europe (and the world)!

BY AIR
Vilnius International Airport provides excellent facilities and a wide variety of services. Its convenient location – just 7 km from the city centre – means transport to most destinations takes surprisingly little time.

You can also fly to Riga Airport (4 hours by bus from Vilnius).

BY BUS
Vilnius Bus Station is well connected to Europe: international connections are operated by Eurolines, Lux Express and Ecolines.

BY TRAIN
There are regular direct trains to Vilnius from Kyiv, Moscow, Minsk, Riga, St Petersburg.