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Late May • Food & Celebration

Pink Soup Fest (Vilnius)

An annual festival held in Vilnius that celebrates šaltibarščiai, the iconic bright pink cold beet soup that is a beloved staple of Lithuanian cuisine. It serves as a fun and vibrant city-wide event where locals and visitors come together to enjoy creative food offerings, music, and performances. Beyond the colourful culinary theme, the day highlights Lithuanian culture and community spirit, encouraging everyone to embrace the humour and joy found in this unique, photogenic tradition that has become a proud symbol of the capital city.

A bowl of vibrant pink cold beetroot soup (šaltibarščiai)

Speaking Discussion

  • Does your country have a famous dish that foreigners usually find incredibly strange or an unusual colour?
  • Why do you think an entire city would organise a massive festival just to celebrate a single type of cold soup?
  • If you were offered a food that was bright, neon pink, would you find it appetizing or weird? Why?
  • What is the most unusual food festival you have ever heard of or attended? What made it special?
  • If your city created a festival dedicated to one single food or drink, what would it be and how would people celebrate?
  • Is city branding through food festivals a good way to attract tourists, or is it just a gimmick?
  • Would you participate in a race where you have to carry a bowl of soup without spilling it? What's your strategy?

Activity 1: The pink Pitch

The Task: You are the Mayor of Vilnius. You need to convince a group of cynical travel bloggers that the Pink Soup Fest is the most instagrammable event in Europe. What will they see? What will they taste?

from the sidebar.

Activity 2: Rapid Fire Sentences

Complete the sentence and justify it in 20 seconds.

  • "The best colour for food is..."
  • "In my opinion, soup is..."
  • "A festival should always have..."