In a world where live poker events are running every week all across Europe, The Festival has done a great job standing out from the bunch. Focusing on diversified tournament schedules with multiple poker disciplines and affordable buy-ins, The Festival appeals to all sorts of players. While there are four or five big events each year, The Festival introduced a more compact “side tour” in 2025, and in roughly one month’s time, there’ll be a four-day festival in Lithuania, seeing as the 2026 Festival Weekend Vilnius will be played at Olympic Casino Lithuania at the end of May.
The Perfect Mix
Throughout the years, The Festival has become a very recognized brand in the poker community. Perhaps, Mixed Games enthusiasts in particular are very fond of the tour, which always features a swarm of different games. The founder of The Festival, Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk, is a big Mixed Games advocate himself, and when you get to know him, it becomes very evident that The Festival is his baby; The Festival embodies the spirit of love and good vibes that has become synonymous with Franke himself.
While Franke’s next major event as an organizer will be The 2026 Festival Rozvadov (June 9-15), there’ll be a fun, shorter event before that. The 2026 Festival Weekend Vilnius will be played May 28-31 at Olympic Casino Lithuania, and judging from the tournament schedule, all competitors should be in for a treat.
The extended weekend will kick off with Day 1a of the €555 NLH PKO Main Event. The tournament is a three-day affair with two starting-day flights; this should be the most prestigious event during the festival. From each starting-day flight, 12,5% of the field will make it through to Day 2, and be in the money. The cherry on top aside, there is also another Main Event, which will be the Mixed Games pinnacle. The €350 T.O.R.S.E.S. Mixed Games Main Event starts with Day 1 on May 30, and a winner will be crowned after Day 2 wraps up on May 31. Those who’ve attended any The Festival event in the past should be familiar with this concept, seeing as it’s a recurring feature. The game consists of Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Stud, Stud Hi-Lo, and Sviten Special; the one who seeks to compete for the title in this Mixed Games bonanza must have a very diversified skill set. One thing’s for sure, though; it’s a great mix of games, guaranteed to bring a lot of fun to the tables.
It wouldn’t be a The Festival-branded event without some immense side event action, though. Right from the get-go, fan-favorite €200 Sviten Special ought to attract its fair share of players. The poker.pro editorial office loves Sviten, and Franke has been the one who’s taken the game international. In fact, the other day, poker.pro journalist Christoffer Karlén recapped the NT$ 10,000 Pot Drawmaha Sviten that was played during the 2026 APT Taipei, much thanks to Franke’s networking.
- Read more: Franke Claims 2026 APT Taipei Trophy; The Festival Qualifiers Features €100,000 Added Value
There’ll also be immense PLO action at Olympic Casino Lithuania. The first three days of the circus, there are three different PLO tournaments, all featuring bomb pots, which is somewhat rare in tournaments, but boy, does it elevate the experience. Another side event that deserves to be highlighted is the €200 NLH Big Bounty KO, featuring €150 bounties. Indeed, an aggressive strategy and a focus on knocking out opponents will be crucial in this battle.
All in all, it’s a juicy tournament schedule, and hats off to Franke and Olympic Casino Lithuania for being able to squeeze in so much fun in a four-day period.
The 2026 Festival Weekend Vilnius – Tournament Schedule
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| May 28 | 16:00 | Event #1: €555 NLH PKO Main Event Day 1a |
| 16:30 | Event #2: €350 Sviten Special | |
| 21:00 | Event #3: €200 NLH Crazy Pineapple | |
| 21:30 | Event #3: €150 Blackjack Tournament | |
| 22:00 | Event #5: €150 PLO4 Madness Bomb Pot Feature | |
| May 29 | 12:00 | Event #1: €555 NLH PKO Main Event Day 1b |
| 13:00 | Event #6: €350 PLO Big O | |
| 19:00 | Event #7: €200 NLH Freezeout | |
| 21:00 | Event #8: €150 PLO5 Madness Bomb Pot Feature | |
| May 30 | 11:00 | Event #1: €555 NLH PKO Main Event Day 1c |
| 13:00 | Event #9: €350 T.O.R.S.E.S. Mixed Games Main Event Day 1 | |
| 15:30 | Event #1: €555 NLH PKO Main Event Day 2 | |
| 19:00 | Event #10: €200 NLH Big Bounty KO | |
| 21:00 | Event #11: €150 PLO4/5/6 Madness Bomb Pot Feature | |
| May 31 | 12:00 | Event #1: €555 NLH PKO Main Event Day 3 (Final Day) |
| 12:30 | Event #12: €150 Baby T.O.R.S.E.S. Supreme | |
| 13:00 | Event #9: €350 T.O.R.S.E.S. Mixed Games Main Event Day 2 (Final Day) |
Of course, many players are excited for the upcoming 2026 Festival Rozvadov at Kings Resort, June 9-15. That being said, the upcoming Vilnius event will be the perfect warmup for the bigger event, and The Festival Weekend really embodies the spirit of the bigger The Festival events. The 2026 Festival Weekend Vilnius will be one of the highlights of the Lithuanian poker calendar.
