From June 29 to July 3, Kaunas, Lithuania will be hit by the Audra Festival, a five-day urban music and art festival. The nightclub Lizdas, together with the youth of Kaunas city and district and the Kaunas European Capital of Culture 2022 team, is organizing a huge program of events and musical performances scattered all over the city.
The growing roster of performers has been announced. HÖR Radio, Berlin’s iconic cultural institution, will come to Kaunas for a temporary residency and a special broadcast. They will be joined by the legendary French duo Kittin and The Hacker, Esa Afro-Synth Band, PartiBoi69, Caterina Barbieri.
But one of the festival’s most important guests is Japanese percussionist and composer Midori Takada, considered one of the world’s pioneers of ambient and minimal music. The premiere of “Silence Birds”, a collaborative project between her and several ensembles, will take place in the Grand Hall of the VDU, inspired by the Russian aggression in Ukraine. Midori Takada has already visited Lithuania three decades ago, just after regaining the state’s independence.
The following list of artists have already confirmed their participation in the festival: Azu Tiwaline, Call Super, Deena Abdelwahed, DJ Marcelle, Helena Hauff, Hilda, Job Jobse, Mor Elian, Pakas, Noia, Patricia Kokett, Roads, Eimantas, Vox Low , V, 5zyl, Mantas T, Bradley Zero, Lover, Planet Polar, Between Two Dawns, Violet, Gabrielle Kwarteng, Alex Krell, Arp Frique, Antal, Aurora Halal, DJ Rituals, Héctor Oaks, Black, LSDXOXO, Julia Huxtable, Loran Vaitkus, Maria Paskevic, Mario Moretti, Elboe, Mamiko Motto, Monika Seta, Aiste Regina, Manfredas, Identified Patient, Under Black Helmet, VTSS, Free Finga, Flash Voyage, CCL, Eris Drew, Less Feeling, Vaiper Vitalijus.
In addition to the music program, there is also news in the cultural program. The organizers announce that the festival days will include open-air screenings of audio-documentaries curated by “Inconvenient Cinema”, night readings, the exhibition “NFThon: Future”, comedy performances in the event “Standup 2.0”, night painting classes and various interdisciplinary performances.
The program of the Audra Contemporary City Festival will be updated. It is jointly developed by the youth organization “Kylantis Kaunas”, team of the nightclub Lizdas, Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022 and various partners from Greece, Serbia, France, Germany, Estonia, Finland and Japan.
Photo author Vytenis Silver