The Saeima¹ has adopted and
the President has proclaimed the following Law:

Song and Dance Celebration Law

Section 1. Purpose of the Law

The purpose of this Law is to preserve, develop, and pass on to future generations the tradition of the Song and Dance Celebration.

Section 2. Task of the Law

The task of this Law is:

1) to ensure the cyclical and continuous process of the Song and Dance Celebration;

2) to ensure the preparation process of the Song and Dance Celebration;

3) to determine the financial and organisational responsibility of the State and local governments.

Section 3. The Song and Dance Celebration as a National Value

(1) The Song and Dance Celebration is a unique tradition of Latvian culture and an integral part of Latvian national identity. The Song and Dance Celebration traditionally consists of the Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration and the Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Celebration (hereinafter also - the Song and Dance Celebration).

(2) On 7 November 2003, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation proclaimed the tradition and symbolism of the Song and Dance Celebration in Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania as a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity.

Section 4. Plan for the Safeguarding and Development of the Song and Dance Celebration Tradition

The Plan for the Safeguarding and Development of the Song and Dance Celebration Tradition shall ensure a cyclic occurrence of the Song and Dance Celebration and a timely preparation process thereof.

[14 July 2011]

Section 5. Periodicity of the Song and Dance Celebration

(1) The Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration shall take place once every five years.

(2) The Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Celebration shall take place once every five years in the time period between the Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebrations.

(3) The following activities shall take place in the time period between the Song and Dance Celebrations:

1) the activity of amateur collectives;

2) the preparation and acquisition of the repertoire;

3) shows, competitions, and exhibitions;

4) further education and professional in-service training of conductors and group leaders;

5) Celebrations organised in administrative territories;

6) creative events and initiatives;

7) other events and processes for the safeguarding and development of the Song and Dance Celebration Tradition.

[14 July 2011]

Section 6. Participants and Venue of the Song and Dance Celebration

(1) Choirs, folk dance, folkloric, and folk music groups (collectives), brass bands and symphonic orchestras, folk applied art and craft studios, amateur theatres and others shall prepare for the Song and Dance Celebration and may participate therein.

(2) The composition of participants of the Song and Dance Celebration shall be determined on the basis of the results of competitions and review competitions in accordance with the by-laws thereof.

(3) The State shall ensure the venues for the joint rehearsals and concerts during the Song and Dance Celebration. The joint rehearsals and concerts of the Song and Dance Celebration shall take place in Rīga, the Mežaparks Open-Air Stage, in the territory thereof and in other places suitable for such events.

(4) In the time period between the Song and Dance Celebrations the venues for the joint rehearsals and concerts shall be ensured by local governments in cooperation with State authorities and non-governmental organisations.

[14 July 2011]

Section 7. Competence of State Authorities in the Preparation and Organisation of the Song and Dance Celebration

(1) The Cabinet shall:

1) determine the time and place of occurrence of the current Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration;

2) determine the time and place of occurrence of the current Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Celebration;

3) establish the Council of the Song and Dance Celebration and approve the by-laws thereof;

4) approve the planning documents for the Safeguarding and Development of the Song and Dance Celebration Tradition, including the Plan for the Safeguarding and Development of the Song and Dance Celebration Tradition;

5) in preparing a draft law of the annual State budget, provide therein for the financing of the Song and Dance Celebration and provision of the preparation process thereof;

6) determine the procedures by which representatives of sectors, non-governmental organisations, and culture centres shall be selected for approval in the Council of the Song and Dance Celebration, and also the criteria for selection;

7) determine the procedures by which State earmarked grant shall be divided for work remuneration of group leaders and payment of social tax, and also the criteria for division;

8) approve the composition of the Action Committee of the Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration and the Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Celebration.

(2) The Ministry of Culture shall:

1) within the competence thereof, ensure the preparation process of the General Song and Dance Celebration and supervise the operations of the responsible institutions of the Ministry of Culture involved therein;

2) [14 July 2011];

3) develop the Plan for the Safeguarding and Development of the Song and Dance Celebration Tradition in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science;

4) [14 July 2011];

5) ensure the activities of the chief conductors and chief group leaders necessary for the preparation process of the Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration;

6) submit to the Cabinet a draft budget of the Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration and the preparation process thereof in accordance with the procedures laid down in the laws and regulations governing the preparation of the State budget.

(3) The Ministry of Education and Science shall:

1) within the competence thereof, ensure the preparation process of the Latvian Youth Song and Dance Celebration and supervise the operations of the responsible institutions of the Ministry of Education and Science involved therein;

2) approve the Artistic Council of the Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Celebration proposed by the Council of the Song and Dance Celebration and the by-laws thereof, and ensure the operations of such Council;

3) participate in the development of the Plan for the Safeguarding and Development of the Song and Dance Celebration Tradition;

4) [14 July 2011];

5) ensure the activities of the chief conductors and chief group leaders necessary for the preparation process of the Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Celebration;

6) submit to the Cabinet a draft budget of the Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Celebration and the preparation process thereof in accordance with the procedures laid down in the laws and regulations governing the preparation of the State budget.

(4) The Ministry of the Interior shall ensure public order and security during the Song and Dance Celebration.

(5) The Ministry of Health shall conduct supervision in the field of health and ensure emergency medical assistance for the participants and viewing public of the Celebration during the Song and Dance Celebration.

(6) The Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration shall be organised by the Latvian National Centre for Culture.

(7) The Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Celebration shall be organised by the National Centre for Education.

(8) In the time period between the Song and Dance Celebrations the Latvian National Centre for Culture and the National Centre for Education shall provide methodological support in planning and implementation of events between Celebrations in cooperation with State and local government authorities and non-governmental organisations.

(9) Presentation and promoting of the Song and Dance Celebration shall be ensured by the public electronic mass media. In the year of occurrence of the Song and Dance Celebration, the required additional financing shall be provided for in the State budget for public electronic mass media within the scope of a public service remit.

[14 July 2011; 28 February 2013; 21 December 2017]

Section 8. Council of the Song and Dance Celebration

(1) The Cabinet shall establish the Council of the Song and Dance Celebration for the supervision of the safeguarding and development of the Song and Dance Celebration Tradition.

(2) The composition of the Council of the Song and Dance Celebration and the chairperson thereof shall be approved for five years. New Council of the Song and Dance Celebration shall be approved not later than one month before the end of the term of office of the members of the Council of the Song and Dance Celebration.

(3) The composition of the Council of the Song and Dance Celebration shall include:

1) the Minister for Culture;

2) the Minister for Education and Science;

3) the Minister for Finance;

4) a member delegated by the Committee for Education, Culture and Science of the Saeima which may also be the chairperson of such Council;

5) the chairperson of the Riga City Council;

6) the chairperson of the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments;

6¹) a representative of the Chancery of the President;

6²) a representative of the Latvian National Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation;

7) two representatives of the choral sector (a representative of adult choirs and a representative of schoolchildren's choirs);

8) two representatives of the folk dance sector (a representative of adult folk dance collectives and a representative of schoolchildren's folk dance collectives);

9) a representative of the brass band sector;

10) a representative of the folk applied art sector;

11) a representative of the folk music sector;

12) a representative of the traditional culture sector;

13) a representative of the professional music;

14) a representative of local government culture centres;

15) a representative of non-governmental organisations.

(4) If necessary, other ministers and representatives of other authorities and organisations may be included in the composition of the Council of the Song and Dance Celebration.

(5) The Latvian National Centre for Culture shall organisationally and materially and technically ensure the work of the Council of the Song and Dance Celebration.

(6) The Council of the Song and Dance Celebration:

1) propose the drawing-up of planning documents for the safeguarding and development of the Song and Dance Celebration Tradition and provide opinions on their drafts;

2) [14 July 2011];

3) [14 July 2011];

4) provide an opinion to the Cabinet on the draft budget of the Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration and the Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Celebration and the preparation process thereof;

5) supervise the preparation and occurrence of the Song and Dance Celebration;

6) submit a report once a year to the Cabinet on the progress of the implementation of the Plan for the Safeguarding and Development of the Song and Dance Celebration Tradition;

7) recommend representatives for work in the Committee for the Song and Dance Celebration of the Baltic States and prepare proposals for the relevant cooperation plan of the Baltic States;

8) propose the examination of other matters related to the safeguarding and development of the Song and Dance Celebration Tradition in the relevant authorities, and also participate in the examination of such matters and provide opinions thereon.

(7) The Council of the Song and Dance Celebration shall establish the Artistic Council of the Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration from the members referred to in Paragraph three, Clauses 7-15 of this Section which shall examine and take decisions in relation to creative and artistic issues.

[6 April 2006; 14 July 2011; 28 February 2013; 21 December 2017]

Section 8.¹ Action Committee

(1) The Action Committee shall be approved for the current Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration and the current Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Celebration.

(2) The Action Committee shall include representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments, the State Emergency Medical Service, the Riga City Council, and other authorities which are involved in the preparation and occurrence of the Song and Dance Celebration.

(3) The Minister for Culture shall be the chairperson of the Action Committee of the Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration and the Minister for Education and Science - the chairperson of the Action Committee of the Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Celebration.

(4) The Action Committee shall examine and take decisions on organisational issues related to the preparation and occurrence of the Song and Dance Celebration and shall ensure coordination of activities of the authorities involved in organising the Celebration.

(4¹) The Action Committee shall establish operative management group of the current Song and Dance Celebration and, not later than seven days before the day of opening of the Song and Dance Celebration, approve the plan for the provision of the Celebration, including the risk management plan.

(5) In an emergency situation the chairperson of the Action Committee is entitled to take a decision unilaterally to discontinue, postpone, or cancel the Song and Dance Celebration or certain events of the Celebration, including when the life or health of the participants of the Song and Dance Celebration or that of viewing public, public order or public safety is endangered. After taking of the unilateral decision, the chairperson of the Action Committee shall immediately convene the meeting of the Action Committee in which further action is decided.

(6) The Latvian National Centre for Culture shall organisationally and materially and technically ensure the work of the Action Committee of the Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration. The National Centre for Education shall organisationally and materially and technically ensure the work of the Action Committee of the Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Celebration.

[14 July 2011; 28 February 2013; 21 December 2017]

Section 8.² Operative Management Group

(1) The chairperson of the Action Committee shall approve the composition of the Operative Management Group.

(2) A representative of the organiser of the Song and Dance Celebration, the Executive Director of the Riga City, representatives of the State Police, the Security Police, the State Fire and Rescue Service, the State Emergency Medical Service, the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, municipal police of Riga, and Transport Department of the Riga City Council shall be included in the Operative Management Group.

(3) The representative of the organiser of the Song and Dance Celebration shall be the manager of the Operative Management Group.

(4) The obligation of the Operative Management Group is to ensure continuous and preventive security management of the events of the Song and Dance Celebration and, where necessary, also management of an emergency situation on behalf of the organiser of the Song and Dance Celebration.

(5) The manager of the Operative Management Group is entitled to take a decision to discontinue, postpone, or cancel certain events of the Song and Dance Celebration in emergency situations, informing the chairperson of the Action Committee thereof without delay.

(6) The Operative Management Group shall, in conformity with the plan for the occurrence of the Song and Dance Celebration and approved places of occurrence, establish the Operative Management sub-groups of events. The composition of the Operative Management sub-groups of events shall be approved by the manager of the Operative Management Group.

(7) The Operative Management Sub-group of the event shall be present at the approved place of occurrence of the event of the Song and Dance Celebration and ensure safe and continuous occurrence thereof.

(8) The manager of the Operative Management Sub-group of the event is entitled to take a decision to discontinue or cancel the event of the Song and Dance Celebration in an emergency situation if the public order and safety, life, or health of participants and viewing public of the Song and Dance Celebration is directly endangered in such situation. The manager of the Operative Management Sub-group of the event shall, without delay, inform the manager of the Operative Management Group of the decision taken.

(9) The Operative Management Group, where necessary, has the right to attract other authorities and organisation in the fulfilment of its tasks.

[21 December 2017]

Section 9. Financing of the Preparation and Organisation of the Song and Dance Celebration

(1) Financing from the State budget is ensured for:

1) the preparation and organisation of the Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration, also for the covering of lodging and catering expenses for Celebration participants during the Celebration;

2) the preparation and organisation of the Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Celebration, also for the covering of lodging and catering expenses for the Celebration participants during the Celebration.

(2) The amount of funds of the annual State budget in between current Song and Dance Celebrations may not be less than the amount of funds allocated in the previous year and shall be utilised for:

1) the artistic preparation of the cultural and historical regional Song and Dance Celebrations;

2) the organisation of the events provided for in the Plan for the Safeguarding and Development of the Song and Dance Celebration Tradition;

3) the payment of the work remuneration and social tax of the chief conductors of choirs and brass bands, the chief group leaders of folk dance groups (collectives) and folk music ensembles;

4) the purchase of new creations;

5) the payment of royalties in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and regulations;

6) the preparation and publication of the sheet music of the concert repertoire and folk dance descriptions;

7) joint rehearsals for the mastering of the repertoire;

8) the further education of conductors and group leaders;

9) a State earmarked grant for the payment of the work remuneration and social tax of the group leaders of collectives.

(3) The founder of the relevant collective shall ensure the premises for rehearsals necessary for the activities of a choir, orchestra, folk music ensemble, folk dance or other collective, the technical equipment necessary for rehearsals, the purchase of costumes, sheet music, and folk dance descriptions, the work remuneration of the group leader, conductor, and principal accompanist of a collective, the transport services in the time period between the Song and Dance Celebrations and during the Celebration.

(4) Local governments shall nominate coordinators of the Song and Dance Celebration and ensure their activities for coordination of the preparation process of the Song and Dance Celebration in local governments and for cooperation with State and local government authorities, and also participate, as much as possible, in the preparation process and occurrence of the Song and Dance Celebration.

[14 July 2011 / Paragraph two, Clause 9 is not applied from 1 September 2009 to 31 December 2012. See Paragraph 4 of Transitional Provisions]

Transitional Provisions

1. After coming into force of this Law, the next Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Celebration shall take place in 2008.

2. After coming into force of this Law, the next Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Celebration shall take place in 2010.

3. The Council of the Song and Dance Celebration shall be established not later than within three months after the day of the coming into force of this Law, and the term of office thereof shall terminate on 1 September 2008.

4. Section 9, Paragraph two, Clause 9 of this Law is not applied from 1 September 2009 to 31 December 2012.

[16 June 2009]

5. Section 7, Paragraph one, Clause 7 of this Law shall come into force from 1 January 2013.

[14 July 2011]

6. An employer shall determine the day after the final day of the Celebration (8 July 2013) as a free day for a participant (hereinafter - the participant to the Celebration) to the XXV^th Nationwide Latvian Song and XV^th Dance Celebration (hereinafter - the Celebration) on the basis of his or her submission. Until 15 July 2013, the relevant employee shall submit a copy of the identification card of the participant to the Celebration issued by the Latvian National Centre for Culture and present its original to the employer. Employment of the participant to the Celebration on the relevant free day is possible in the exceptional cases specified in the Labour Law. The employer is entitled to request that the employee who has used the relevant paid free day as the participant to the Celebration works the working hours not worked on that day (also divided in parts) at another time within the scope of the same month, but for the employees of aggregate working time - within the scope of the reporting period. This work shall not be considered to be overtime work.

[13 June 2013]

7. The Cabinet shall, by 31 December 2013, submit a draft law to the Saeima which provides for justified and weighted solution for granting of the free day (holiday) in relation to the closing (the final day and next day) of Nationwide Latvia Song and Dance Celebration.

[13 June 2013]

8. The term of office of the Council of the Song and Dance Celebration established until 10 January 2018 shall terminate on 30 November 2018. Not later than two months after that, the Cabinet shall approve a new Council of the Song and Dance Celebration the term of office of which shall be determined in conformity with the provision of Section 8, Paragraph two of this Law which comes into force on 10 January 2018.

[21 December 2017]

9. The Cabinet is entitled to take the decision on the occurrence of the XII^th Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Celebration which did not take place due to the epidemiological situation related to the spread of COVID-19 in 2020 until the end of 2021, ensuring the conformity thereof with the restrictions, precautionary measures, and requirements laid down in laws and regulations in relation to the spread of COVID-19 in respect of gathering indoors and outdoors in organised public measures.

[29 October 2020]

The Law shall come into force on 1 July 2005.

The Law has been adopted by the Saeima on 16 June 2005.

Acting for the President, the Chairperson of the Saeima I. Ūdre

Rīga, 28 June 2005

¹ The Parliament of the Republic of Latvia

Translation © 2021 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)