As Vilnius Pink Soup Fest prepares for its fourth edition on May 29-31, a costume competition opens, giving international visitors a chance to win their way there.
Every spring, something unusual happens in Vilnius – the city turns pink. It starts with the šaltibarščiai, a cold beet and kefir soup, the color of bubble gum, which Lithuanians eat as soon as the weather warms up.
But Vilnius Pink Soup Fest, now in its fourth year, has grown into something much bigger than a bowl of soup. It has become the city’s unofficial start-of-summer celebration: three days of outdoor dining, street atmosphere, and, perhaps most visibly, some genuinely inventive costumes.
This year’s festival runs on May 29–31st, and the costume competition, which has become one of the most-anticipated parts of the event, is already live on social media this April. Participants are invited to join by submitting their photos now through April 29th. The international prize is a trip to Vilnius during the festival, including flights, hotel accommodation, and Vilnius Pink Soup Fest merchandise – for the winner and one companion.
Costumes have been a part of Vilnius Pink Soup Fest since the early days, and over the years, they have gotten considerably more creative. What began as people showing up in pink has gradually turned into handmade outfits, soup-ingredient accessories, and increasingly elaborate takes on the popular dish.
Vilnius Pink Soup Fest participant © Go Vilnius
Previous winners give a good sense of what that looks like in practice – most incorporate the main ingredients of šaltibarščiai (beets, dill, cucumbers, kefir), but in unique, creative ways. For example, one participant dyed her hair pink and paired a šaltibarščiai-inspired dress with an umbrella like a bowl of pink soup, while another turned heads as “šaltibarščiai monster” – complete with a giant mask.
“I fell in love with the festival from the beginning and haven’t stopped going since. I thought the costume-making process would be pretty messy and unorganized, but I was so charged with festival spirit that I came up with the costume idea the second day after the fest. I learned to combine my crafty side with a world of clothes, and it felt amazing. What really made the experience special was how supportive everyone was and the colors. I felt like I was a kid again,” said Anastasija, one of the festival’s participants.
The festival attracts people from all around the world. For example, last year’s participant Sibel traveled all the way from Ankara, Turkey, to take part for the first time. Sibel shared that the contest allowed her to freely express her identity while drawing inspiration from both the pink soup and vision of a romantic city of Vilnius.
“Throughout the festival, the attention my outfit received, the kind feedback I got, and the warm connections I made made this experience unforgettable. The moment I stepped onto the stage, I deeply felt the energy of pink and the magic of the festival,” said Sibel.
“Every year, the costumes surprise us. People put so much thought and care into them – it has become one of the most genuine expressions of what this festival is about,” says Eglė Girdzijauskaitė, Head of Communications at Go Vilnius, the official tourism and business development agency of the City of Vilnius. “This year’s competitors are again invited to create something inspired by pink soup – a full costume, an accessory, or a single style detail – and submit a photo of their look. There are separate prize categories for international participants and those based in Lithuania, making the competition open to all.”
With entries closing on April 29 and the winner announced on May 11, there is still plenty of time for participants to unleash their imagination while creating a šaltibarščiai-inspired look. Full competition details and entry information can be found at Go Vilnius.
About Vilnius Pink Soup Fest
Nobody quite predicted how fast Vilnius Pink Soup Fest would grow. In the first year, it drew over 10,000 visitors, while in the second – over 40,000. Last year, that number jumped to 93,000 – more than double, which made the organizers add an extra day to the program.
This May, the festival takes over the city again: the Pink Soup Parade winds through the streets with dancers, marching bands, and waiters racing with bowls of soup; foam slides and costume races fill public spaces; and šaltibarščiai is served in everything from its traditional form to inventive modern variations across venues throughout Vilnius.
Vilnius’ UNESCO-listed Old Town is worth the time on its own. For those who enjoy nature and want to get out of the city, there are nature trails close to the city center, and just 30 minutes away is Trakai – a spectacular medieval castle on an island in the middle of a lake. Trains and buses connect easily to other Baltic cities and beyond.
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