As one of the Baltic song festivals, it is also a part of the UNESCO Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity list since 2008.

Since 1960, a distinct Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Festival [lv] has been held in an alternate five-year cycle, on a matching scale.

[5] The tradition of song festivals originated in the first half of the 19th century in many European countries and later was also organized by the Baltic Germans.

The festival tradition was continued in exile by the Latvian diaspora, first in displaced persons camps after World War II and primarily in the western occupation zones in Germany, then in the United States, Canada, and Australia, with many of the legendary conductors of the past taking part during those years alongside the later generations of conductors they trained.

[9] The 1985 edition would be notable for the grand finale concert in which the legendary hymn The Castle of Light [lv] conducted by Haralds Mednis [lv], who was hated by the pro-Soviet government and was not listed as one of the performing conductors in that concert, was sung at the behest of the participating choristers.

It was also attended by many participants and attendees from the Latvian diaspora, with a general mood of "back to the future" look at exile homecoming.

[13] The festival took place from 1 to 8 July, marking the 100th anniversary of Latvian independence, encompassing 65 events with a total of 500,000 expected visitors.