Lithuania’s capital kicks off its summer season with Vilnius Pink Soup Fest, which unveils new experiences this year
This summer, Lithuania’s capital is turning its iconic pink soup, šaltibarščiai, into a series of city-wide experiences that invite travellers to discover the Lithuanian capital beyond the festival itself. The Vilnius Pink Soup Fest, returning from May 29–31, will open with a synchronised all-city lunch called “Pink Break”, where people across Vilnius will pause for a shared pink soup moment.
The celebrations will continue after dark with “Pink Nights” at a historic indoor market, while a playful Pink Soup Bus will add to the city’s summer buzz. As Southern Europe heats up, Vilnius offers cooler temperatures, a lively festival calendar, and a refreshingly quirky reason to visit.
As heatwaves continue to shape summer travel patterns across Europe, the Lithuanian capital stands out as a refreshing destination – inviting travellers to explore the city through food, culture, and shared moments beyond the festival itself.
Pink phenomenon
Returning for the fourth time, the Vilnius Pink Soup Fest has become an international event, featuring a 50-meter pink water slide, a waiters’ race, and a walking competition that will paint the town pink. It brings focus to the cold beetroot soup, šaltibarščiai, named among the best soups in the world by Taste Atlas – a cold soup made with kefir, fresh vegetables, and boiled eggs, known for its striking pink colour and refreshing taste.
While deeply rooted in Lithuanian culinary tradition, the dish becomes a canvas for creativity during the festival, with restaurants and chefs across the city offering both classic and experimental interpretations.
“The festival has become a phenomenon that’s grown beyond our initial expectations over the past few years, both in attendance and international interest,” says Eglė Girdzijauskaitė, Head of Communications at “Go Vilnius”, the city’s official tourism and business development agency. “Last year, the number of visitors more than doubled to 93,000, including nearly 17,000 visitors from abroad. The momentum is turning the festival into a compelling reason to visit Vilnius.”
Hop on the Pink Soup Bus
During the festival (May 29–31), the entire city joins the celebration, with public spaces, transport and landmarks embracing the pink spirit.
One of the highlights is a specially designed Pink Soup Bus, which will run free of charge from Vilnius Railway Station through key festival locations (free of charge during the festival), making it easy and fun to explore the city.
Adding to the atmosphere, Vilnius Airport will be temporarily renamed “Vilnius Pinkternational Beetport,” while the central railway station becomes “Pink Soup Railway Station.”
One city, one lunch: the Pink Break
This year, Vilnius is aiming to turn a simple lunch break into a synchronised city-wide moment. On May 29, at exactly 12:00 PM, residents, businesses, and visitors across the Lithuanian capital will come together for the “Pink Break,” enjoying šaltibarščiai simultaneously in offices, parks, restaurants, and rooftops across the city.
By synchronising lunch across the entire city, organisers hope to create one of the largest collective lunch experiences – not only in Lithuania, but beyond.
Where the festival comes alive after dark
One of this year’s key additions is Halės Market – a historic indoor food market known for its local produce and street food – which will be renamed as “Pink Soup Market” and will become a central festival hub. During the day, it will host the Pink Break lunch, and in the evenings, the space will transform into “Pink Nights” – a two-night programme of music, drinks, and social events, extending the celebration into Vilnius’ nightlife.
Summer season in Vilnius
Beyond the Vilnius Pink Soup Fest, Vilnius continues its summer with a packed cultural calendar that transforms the city into an open-air stage. Culture Night (June 12) turns the capital into one large festival of light installations, music, and performances, while the Lithuanian Youth Song Festival (July 3–6) brings together around 24,000 participants in a long-standing Baltic tradition of folk song and dance.
“We see that the festival becomes a great way for travellers to start exploring the summer in Vilnius. With a cooler climate, Baroque Old Town, and 60% of the city covered in trees or parks, and various cultural events, Vilnius becomes truly alive in the summer,” said Eglė Girdzijauskaitė.
Lithuania’s capital is easily accessible from major European cities via direct flights, and also serves as a convenient base for exploring the Baltic region
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