Baltic student festival 'Gaudeamus' short of 450,000 euros

Latvia faces a funding gap of 450,000 euros for organizing this year's Baltic student song and dance festival, "Gaudeamus." The Ministry of Education and Science (IZM) has proposed reallocating funds from the program that provides free lunches for students in grades 1 through 4 to cover the deficit. This proposal comes after the government initially approved 430,000 euros from the state budget in January, but the total estimated cost for the festival has risen to 880,000 euros. Major expenses include organizational costs (273,635 euros) and the closing concert at Freedom Square (221,051 euros), with significant amounts also allocated for venue rental, participant accommodation, and specialist fees. The ministry's plan to use savings from the school lunch program is based on a decrease in the number of students requiring these lunches. The festival, set to run from June 19 to 21, will feature concerts, a parade, and a grand finale, bringing together approximately 5,000 students from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, including 66 choirs, 44 folk dance groups, and nine brass bands. The "Gaudeamus" tradition, which began in 1956, is held in a different Baltic country each time and is part of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.