MJR WINTER FESTIVAL

Cultural complex SODAS 2123, VILNIUS

February 13, 2026

TICKETS SOLD-OUT

KAUKYNĖS – a night of powerful music and masquerade dedicated to Užgavėnės (traditional Spring awakening festivity), bridging ancient Baltic traditions with the pulse of modern creativity. It is a mischievous and colorful banishing of winter, a ritually loud awakening from dormancy, and a deep-rooted stirring of spring within oneself.

While this archaic festival is celebrated across Europe and beyond, Lithuania’s Užgavėnės traditions are exceptionally joyous, rich, and undeservedly forgotten. Now, the organisers of the former Mėnuo Juodaragis festival are reigniting these traditions for the modern age, inviting you to the hottest Užgavėnės ritual in the heart of Vilnius!

— What is behind the Mask? —

The resonance of ancient traditions, chthonic frenzy, avant-garde art, and a free- spirited mayhem of good vibes. Expect an explosion of energy both on stage and outdoors, amidst smoke and magical sparks, the blazing Morė (effigy of winter), the mythical duel between Lašininis (the Fatty) and Kanapinis (the Leany), and, of course, pancakes and toasts to Ragutis, the anvient god of brew!

It is also a joyful opportunity to cast away fears, anxieties, old burdens, broken vessels, illnesses, and misfortunes. An opportunity to create your own mask, find freedom beneath it, and rid yourself of your inner Morė. Let’s cast it all away!

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The program is constantly being updated. Click to find out more:

Lectures on Užgavėnės traditions (in Lituanian)

Užgavėnės (Shrovetide) in Lituania: devilry with traditions

Characters of Užgavėnės and Slovak carnival: a comparative analysis

Day hike to the Kaukysa stream (registration)

MJR hikers, have decided to embark on a new adventure – we invite you to warm up before the Kaukynės festival! Who knows, maybe you will find your Užgavėnės mask along the way, or even a new like-minded friend?

It will be a short but interesting hike to the mythological Kaukysa stream in the Ribiškės Landscape Reserve. Kaukysa is a tributary of the Vilnia River, known for its ancient name and picturesque natural surroundings, but it is not widely known among city residents.

Hike route: Vilnius Town Hall square – Ragutis Stone – Alanta Hill – Zarasų Street – Confluence of the Kaukysa and Vilnia rivers – Pipirų Street – Ribiškės Trail – Rasos Cemetery – Sodas 2123

Start: 16:00 at Vilnius City Hall square.
We plan to arrive at the festival venue at 18:30.

The hike is not long (9 km), but let’s not forget about comfort and safety. Therefore, it is important to bring warm hiking shoes and clothes, a thermos of tea, and, if you get hungry quickly, a snack for yourself and your friend. It will start to get dark halfway through the hike, so don’t forget a reflector and a flashlight.

Registration: https://forms.gle/QLMBzHuu33VyKaJp7

More info: einam@mjr.lt, ph. +370 699 10295

Mask workshop – make your own festive mask (registration)

The festival will begin with MASK WORKSHOPS from 3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. If you don’t have your own mask yet or want to make a new one, bring your creative spirit and join in the colorful ritual.

We will provide the materials, but You should bring a special item, a symbolic object that is meaningful for You, to empower Your mask – it could be a twig, a feather, a piece of clothing, a brooch, a piece of jewelry, the prettiest stone you have found, a piece of fur, a dried leaf from a book, a part of a clock mechanism, whatever. Get rid of the old, welcome the new, and embody the power of renewal!

To ensure that the mask workshop runs smoothly, please register: https://forms.gle/3z9SNH5JncsoiqAF8

Face painting

During Užgavėnės, people also traditionally do face painting. From 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Severija, a well-known revealer of inner creatures and totems, will help you summon your shadows or hide behind the mask of your choice with the help of makeup.

The Battle of Lašininis and Kanapinis

Užgavėnės (Shrovetide) would be unimaginable without the duel between Lašininis (Fatty) and Kanapinis (Hemp man) — a clash where rigidity battles momentum, stagnation faces change, darkness confronts light, rich fat takes on the lean hemp stalk. This eternal struggle between Winter and Spring will shake the Kaukynės festival to its core!

As tradition goes, Kanapinis usually wins. But will the outcome be the same this time…? Bets are accepted in coins and pancakes!
And who knows — you yourself may be drawn into the fight!

Fakirs ALT13

In Kaukynės – show of ALT13 fakirs!

This will be a lively tale of fire about the meeting of winter and spring. When the days are still gray, priestesses gather around the fire and call upon the forces of Nature. Winter and spring meet here not only in battle. This performance is not only about the seasons, but also about ourselves – how we struggle with change and sometimes learn to make friends with it.

More: www.alt13.lt

Burn, More, burn! - get rid of your troubles!

The festive and noisy Shrovetide celebration is traditionally crowned by the burning of Morė, a mythical ambassador of winter and death, whose destruction signifies rebirth, spiritual renewal, and the awakening of spring.

The sculpture of Morė was created by the wonderful artist Artūras Arce Rožkovas. It will probably be a pity to burn such a work of art, but otherwise Spring will not come into our hearts…!

GET RID of misfortune with a magical action!!

We invite You to cast a simple but important magical spell – write down your fears, anxieties, misfortunes – everything you would like to get rid of – on a piece of paper and put it in Morė’s skirt. It will vanish into nothingness together with Morė. Alltogether, through Fire, we will enable change!

Lively fires

Pancakes! Pancakes! and more Pancakes!

In the past, it was believed that if you ate well and heartily during Shrovetide, you would be full and strong all year round. Traditions were dominated by fatty dishes, cracklings, pork rinds, pig heads, and tails. However, in modern times, they have been replaced by pancakes, resembling the Sun, which have become an integral symbol of Lituanian Užgavėnės.

Event visitors will be warmed not only by music and entertainment, but also by the aroma of delicious pancakes. There will be no shortage of variety, so everyone will find something delicious – after all, it is said that you should eat at least seven times during Shrovetide!

Rolling Waffles will delight visitors with Dutch pancakes, the Health Bar on Wheels will serve French crepes. And the mors popular traditional yeast pancakes will be baked by Casa la Familia.

We also encourage you to bring your own pancakes and enjoy them together with your friends!

Arbatataunas teashop

To make the winter air more enjoyable, Simas Janulis will brew various herbal teas for you, seasoning them with his own rituals. Have some coins ready.

Polka and foxtrot with herring skeleton!

Užgavėnės evening has always been celebrated with lively dances for young people. People dressed up in costumes would come to the dance party, where traditional musical instruments were replaced by bottles, pots, and other objects that made noise. Everyone danced until midnight, and the last dance was called Šambaris.

During this dance, someone would secretly attach a herring skeleton, a bone, or a bag of ashes to the backs of the dancers (the dancers would try to attach these items to others) – this was a sign that the celebration was over.

Don’t forget – February 13th is FRIDAY.
The festival will take place both indoors and outdoors – please choose appropriate clothing.
Start crafting and decorating your masks now! We will select the most beautiful Kaukynės mask and award it with a special MJR prize!

See you among the sparks!

:::: CONTACT ::::

To contact the organisers:

kaukynes@mjr.lt
+370 688 19655