Vilnius celebrates Physics Day, Lithuania’s largest student festival

The 58th annual Physics Day (FiDi), Lithuania’s largest student festival, took place in Vilnius on Friday, drawing participants from the academic community and city residents alike, LRT reports.

Organised by Vilnius University’s Faculty of Physics since 1969, the event transformed the area around the faculty into an amusement park with experiments and attractions. The highlight of the festival was the traditional parade featuring Dinas Zauras—a towering dinosaur float—leading a procession down Gediminas Avenue to the university’s Faculty of Philology, where physicists greeted philologists.

This year’s Dinas Zauras received upgrades, including new legs for improved movement, according to Gediminas Arnoldas Venclovas, chair of the organising committee. The festival also aimed to set a national record with Lithuania’s longest functional keyboard, measuring over four metres. The device, tested by deans of informatics, mathematics, and a visiting Romanian academic, was fully operational with a connected display for typing.

“Every year, Dinas Zauras gets an update,” Venclovas said. “This time, it’s more agile and sturdy. We’re also attempting a Lithuanian record with our giant keyboard—it’s fully functional, and visitors can type on it.”

First-time attendees expressed enthusiasm. “It’s my first time here—it’s amazing! The dinosaur is incredible,” one visitor told LRT. Another added, “My boyfriend’s a physics student, so he brought me along. The experiments and all the electronics inside the attractions are fascinating.”

A graduate of the faculty, who participated 18 years ago, shared his nostalgia: “This is a science festival I love to remember. I even helped build some of the attractions back then.”

Recognised as part of Lithuania’s intangible cultural heritage in 2021, Physics Day blends academic tradition with public celebration, offering interactive exhibits and a lively parade through the capital’s streets.