| Vingis Park | |
|---|---|
| Vingio Parkas | |
 | |
  Location in Vilnius | |
| Type | Public park |
| Location | Vilnius |
| Coordinates | 54°41′0″N25°14′23″E / 54.68333°N 25.23972°E /54.68333; 25.23972 |
| Area | 157 ha (390 acres) |
| Operated by | Vilniaus miesto parkai |
| Open | Open, year-round |
| Status | Existing |
| Website | www |
Vingis Park (Lithuanian:Vingio parkas) is the largest park inVilnius,Lithuania, covering 162 hectares (400 acres). It is located inVilkpėdė eldership near a curve of theNeris River, hence its Lithuanian name "vingis" which means "bend" or "curve". A pedestrian bridge connects the park withŽvėrynas. It is used as a venue for various events, especially concerts and sports competitions. It contains a stadium, an amphitheater and a department of theBotanical Garden of Vilnius University.
The park's history dates back several centuries.
Vingis has also a historical Polish name of the location: Zakręt (with the same meaning). It was the site of a Palace in Zakret, that eventually was bought by the Local Russian governor general ofVilna Governorate,Levin August von Bennigsen in 1801. Prior to his purchase, it was aJesuit palace built on a design byJohann Christoph Glaubitz.[1]
Bennigsen's palace in Zakret is where, during aball that took place on the night of 24/25 June 1812,[2]TzarAlexander I of Russia received the first news about theFrench invasion of Russia by theGrand Army ofNapoleon Bonaparte.[1] As Vilnius was close to the frontier where the invasion took place Alexander and his entourage left the area in a hurry.[3] This event was immortalised inTolstoy's account of it inWar and Peace (Book 9 Chapter 3).[4]
Later that year during the invasion the palace was used as a French military hospital, until it caught fire and was badly damaged. After the war it was not renovated and in 1855 the remains were demolished.[1]
In 1965, the park was redeveloped and adopted to the needs of mass events, such as concerts or political rallies. The amphitheater was built using a modified design of theEstonian Song Festival Grounds in Tallinn. Several major rallies and demonstrations were held there during the course of theLithuanian independence movement of the late 1980s; a rally on August 23, 1988 drew 250,000 people.[5]
Many celebrities have performed their shows at this venue, includingAndrea Bocelli,Elton John,Björk,Sting,Rod Stewart,Depeche Mode, and famous Lithuanian music groups likeFoje,Antis. The record of most attendants was in 1997, when Foje performed their last concert - over 60,000 fans were there.
Lady Gaga has performed at this venue for her first concert in aBaltic country on August 21, 2012 at Vingis Park inVilnius as a part of herThe Born This Way Ball Tour in front of 14,853 people.
On November 7, 2016,Robbie Williams announced that he will be performing at the venue on August 16, 2017.[6]
German bandRammstein has announced the start of their European stadium tour there on the 22nd of May 2023.[7]
On October 9, 2025, it was announced that tickets for the concert of Lithuanian artistJessica Shy had sold out within 24 hours during the pre-sale period. On October 10, an additional concert was announced. This is the first time in the history of Vingis Park that an additional concert has been held.[8]
| Concerts at Vingis Park | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Artist | Tour | Attendance |
| 17 May 1997 | Foje | Foje Farewell Concert Tour | 60,000 |
| 9 May 1998 | Naktines personos | Atvirai | 30,000 |
| 1999 | Hiperbolė | — | — |
| 31 August 2001 | Depeche Mode | Exciter Tour | 20,000+ |
| 1 September 2006 | Elton John | Elton John 2006 European Tour | 30,000+[9] |
| 13 July 2008 | Björk | Volta tour | — |
| 31 July 2008 | Andrea Bocelli | Andrea Bocelli in Concert Tour | 18,000+ |
| 10 June 2010 | Rod Stewart | Soulbook Tour | — |
| 27 June 2011 | Sting | Symphonicity Tour | — |
| 21 August 2012 | Lady Gaga | The Born This Way Ball Tour | 14,853 |
| 27 July 2013 | Depeche Mode | The Delta Machine Tour | 23,794 |
| 16 August 2017 | Robbie Williams | The Heavy Entertainment Show Tour | about 30,000 |
| 11 June 2022 | ba. | ba. 10 | — |
| 22 May 2023 | Rammstein | Rammstein Stadium Tour | 33,290 |
| 9 June 2023 | Andrius Mamontovas | 20,000+ | |
| 16 August 2023 | Imagine Dragons | Mercury World Tour | 42,013 |
| 2 September 2023 | Justinas Jarutis | about 10,000 | |
| 7 June 2024 | Leon Somov & Jazzu | One Night Only | about 20,000 |
| 2 August 2025 | Armin van Buuren | The ORB | |
| 13 September 2025 | Lilas ir Innomine | about 20,000 | |
| 28-29 August 2026 | Jessica Shy | ||