Thousands of unjabbed Latvians attend socially-distanced music gigs – on boats
People in a boat listen to Latvian band Dagamba performing during a concert of the crossover music festival Laivā on Juglas Lake near the Latvian capital Riga on August 14, 2021. /Gints Ivuskans/AFP
Hundreds of boats showed up on a lake near the Latvian capital of Riga to enjoy some socially distanced music gigs on Saturday, as the country tries to brighten up this summer – even for the unvaccinated.
According to organizers, 1,500 people attended the event on Saturday on the water, while 3,500 more watched from the shore, where the stage was located.
Only vaccinated people were allowed to sit on the shore, but unjabbed music fans on boats were consoled by two floating bars serving beers and cocktails.
People in boats listen to a concert of the crossover music festival Laivā on Juglas Lake near the Latvian capital Riga on August 14, 2021. /Gints Ivuskans/AFP
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"The idea... is so great," Vladimirs Kravchenko, a heavy metal fan who has been attending hard rock festivals since the 1990s, told AFP.
"I hope festivals on lakes like this will continue even after the virus is over," he added.
Rocking the boats: Waterborne music fans enjoy the festival. /Gints Ivuskans/AFP
The concert on Saturday was the second of a series belonging to a festival called LAIVA, a name which plays on the English word "live" and the Latvian for "on a boat."
"This is simply a brilliant idea for how to hold a festival and ensure social distancing for the unvaccinated at the same time," Anna Berzina, who was rowing a kayak with her husband, told AFP.