Yaga Gathering
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Yaga Gathering | |
|---|---|
 Yaga Gathering 2013 | |
| Genre | techno, electronic music, Experimental music, Psychedelic music, Psychedelic trance, chill-out music, ambient, dub techno |
| Dates | July/August |
| Locations | Spengla Lake, Varėna, Lithuania |
| Coordinates | 54°20′14.80″N 24°46′31.60″E / 54.3374444°N 24.7754444°E[1] |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Website | yaga |
Yaga Gathering is a participatory transformational festival hosted in a clearing in Ežeraitis Forest, at the edge of Spengla Lake in the Varėna District of southern Lithuania.[2][3] The festival is known of having no corporate sponsors,[4][5][6] while having more participatory and community-driven ethos. Yaga festival is part of European Festival Association Network. [7]
_flyer.jpg)
Initially, Yaga Gathering was called Shambala Festival—named for the mythical hidden kingdom of Shambhala. [8] The first event took place from 18 to 20 July 2003; it was small (250 attendees). Organisers produced a second festival in 2005, and the third festival in 2006. In 2007 the festival was renamed as Yaga Gathering. [9] Despite the growht to approach 5000 participants in 2024-2025 [6] the site of the festival has remained in Ežeraitis Forest which in is about 60 kilometres (37 mi) south of Vilnius.[5]
Most of the festival infrastructure is built using biodegradable materials.[10] and it has been referred as one of the major experimental grounds for Liethuanian post-folklore electronic music. [9]
Contemporary (2020-)
Recent post-pandemic editions of Yaga Gathering (2024–2025) have attracted approximately 5,000 attendees. [6] DJs and live bands from nearby countries perform across four music stages: the Valley Stage, the Pinegrove Stage, the Duskwood Stage, and the Outmost Stage [11]. From its content, the festival has aimed to extend its outreach from psytrance to wider artistic approaches and feature participatory art installations, open-air cinema, the Discovery Stage for lectures and presentations, a healing area offering yoga and meditation sessions, a handicraft workshop area, and host a designated children’s area. [10]
A feature in Wonderland Magazine describes Yaga Gathering as a countercultural festival held in the forests of Lithuania, combining trance music with spiritual and healing practices. The article notes that the event has grown from a small gathering into an international festival while maintaining its independence from corporate sponsorship and its emphasis on community and personal transformation.[6]
