Kilkim Žaibu is an annual extreme metal and Baltic culture festival held in Lithuania. Established in 1999, it combines black, death, thrash, folk and other forms of metal with traditional Baltic music, historical reconstruction, crafts and pre-Christian cultural traditions. The festival is organised by the non-profit association Pikuolis and relies heavily on volunteers. Since 2022, it has been held beside Lake Lėnas on the grounds of the Antanas Smetona Manor Museum in the Ukmergė District.
The first Kilkim Žaibu took place on 24 April 1999 in the Joniškis region of northern Lithuania. It grew out of activities organised by the Pikuolis rock club, established two years earlier, and from the beginning combined heavy music with regional history and folk culture. The inaugural outdoor event featured Lithuanian and Latvian rock and metal bands alongside folk musicians and theatre performances. During its first decade, the festival remained closely associated with the historical Semigallia region before later moving to Samogitia, including several years beside Lake Lūkstas near Varniai.
Traditional Baltic culture remains an important part of Kilkim Žaibu. A reconstructed tribal village presents crafts, clothing and historical warfare, while other activities include folk dancing, lectures, ritual bonfires, traditional games and combat demonstrations. The festival usually takes place around the summer solstice and St. John’s Day, giving midsummer traditions a prominent role. Folk performances run alongside the metal programme, with folk and Viking metal providing a natural link between the two.
Over the years, Kilkim Žaibu has hosted a wide range of international metal bands alongside artists from Lithuania and the wider Baltic region. Previous line-ups have included Venom, Sepultura, Electric Wizard, Asphyx, Marduk, Belphegor, Nifelheim, The Ruins of Beverast and Korpiklaani. Latvian folk metal band Skyforger has maintained a particularly long association with the festival. The programme generally combines established underground names with Baltic bands and artists whose music connects with folk, pagan and historical themes.
Kilkim Žaibu was cancelled in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, marking the first interruption in more than two decades. The festival later returned and moved to the Antanas Smetona estate in 2022. The 26th edition took place from 25 to 27 June 2026 with Possessed, Samael, Hellripper, Vanaheim, Nexion and Mandragora among th
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