The international percussion music festival PERCUSSION UKMERGĖ, which has been held in Ukmergė for more than two decades, is becoming a highlight of the city’s cultural calendar. This year, from March 7 to 11 (as well as May 22 and September 5), the festival will invite you on an exceptional sound journey where music and architecture meet.
The theme of the 2026 festival is the relationship between urban spaces and sound. Ukmergė’s architecture is a multi-layered mosaic: the walls and narrow courtyards of the old town, religious accents, lines of industrial buildings, and contemporary interventions. This year’s program will delve into the exploration of these spaces through the prism of rhythm, musical colors, and acoustics.
As the festival’s artistic director, composer, and percussionist Arnas Mikalkėnas says, “Each musical work this year becomes an architectural fragment—some rhythms resemble a solid stone foundation, others the pulse of narrow streets or reflections in windows.”
Percussion instruments act as an acoustic mirror: drums create the foundation, metals and small instruments reveal the ornamentation, and subtle sounds open up intimate urban spaces. The program is arranged so that the listener walks through different architectural zones – from monumental public spaces to personal corners.
Festival concerts – from young talents to international masters
The festival will begin on March 7th at 6 p.m. at the Vladas Šlaitas Public Library of the Ukmergė District Municipality with the concert “Jazz Conversations in the Library.” The trio of Mato Barila, winner of the Grand Prix of the National Young Drummers Competition, will perform here. The young percussionist’s program will reflect different musical styles and genres, opening the festival with youthful energy and creative courage.
On March 8th at 4 p.m., the Ukmergė Cultural Center Art Gallery will host a concert entitled “Colors of Percussion.” The concert will feature compositions by winners of an international competition for young composers, performed by percussionists Sigitas Gailius and Andrius Rekašius. This concert continues the tradition of promoting young artists and invites listeners to discover percussion as a field of colors, textures, and imagination. This concert continues the tradition of promoting young creators and invites listeners to discover percussion as a field of colors, textures, and imagination.
March 9th will be one of the most memorable days of the festival, as “Sound Architecture” invites you to an evening of two exceptional solo performances. At 5:30 p.m. Danish percussionist Christian Windfeld (Denmark) will perform at the Old (No Longer) Bookstore. Known for his minimalist but highly expressive playing style, the artist often limits himself to a single instrument, exploring its full range of possibilities.
After the performance, the audience will be invited to take a guided tour of Ukmergė’s old town, which will serve as an architectural bridge between the two performances. At 7 p.m., one of Europe’s most prominent contemporary percussion artists, Ramon Lopez (Spain/France), will perform in the Wedding Hall. His music blends influences from various cultures, a sensitive approach, and an impressive command of silence and contrast. On March 10 at 6 p.m., Šventupė Manor will host the concert “Percussion Stories,” featuring the percussionist and composer Ramon Lopez (Spain/France).
On March 10th at 6 p.m. Šventupė Manor will host the concert “Percussion Stories,” featuring three exceptional drummers: Kresten Osgood (Denmark), Christian Lillinger (Germany), and Arkady Gotesman. The meeting of three different musical aesthetics promises intense improvisation and a program pulsating with compositional elements.
On March 11th, the festival will join in the celebration of Lithuanian Independence Restoration Day. At 2:30 p.m., singer Raminta Naujanytė-Bjellė will give a concert and the festival will hold an artistic and musical event at the Lituania Restituta monument.
On the same day, at 4 p.m., the musical collage “Song Festival” will be presented in the main hall of the Ukmergė Cultural Center. Musical memories from family video archives will be performed by Kristupas Gikas, Simonas Kaupinis, Paulius Vaškas, Arminas Bižys, and Arnas Mikalkėnas. The director is Karolis Kaupinis. Director – Karolis Kaupinis.
We invite you to experience the rhythm of the city
The international percussion music festival “PERCUSSION UKMERGĖ 2026” is not only concerts, but also a live experience of the city through sound. From the library to the manor, from the squares of the old town to the concert hall, Ukmergė will be transformed into rhythmic architecture during these days. All festival concerts are free of charge.
The patron of the festival is Darius Varnas, Mayor of Ukmergė District Municipality. The artistic director of the festival is composer and percussionist Arnas Mikalkėnas. The patron is the BAC group. The project is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture. Festival partners: VšĮ JAZZ ACADEMY, Lithuanian Composers’ Union, Varėna Jadvygos Čiurlionytės Art School, Ukmergė Art School, Ukmergė Regional Museum, and Ukmergė District Municipality Vlado Šlaito Public Library. Sponsors: Stansefabrikken, Ukmergė District Municipality, farmer Valentinas Genys.