text: During the occupation, 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. The overseas Latvian Song and Dance Festivals is currently held every four or five years, alternating between the United States (15th edition held in 2022 in Minnesota) and Canada (15 editions since 1953, 16th to be held in Toronto in July 2024).
  The 1985 edition would be notable for the grand finale concert in which the legendary hymn  conducted by , 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. The song, which speaks about the rebirth of a free Latvian nation, was and is usually a staple of the festival's song list and was not performed thrice in its history (1960, 1965 and 1977), and had been performed in the 1980 edition in the presence of Annija Vītola, widow of the song's composer Jāzeps Vītols, marking 80 years since it was first performed.
  1990–present: Restored Latvian independence
  The 1990 edition, held during the Singing Revolution, was the first after the restoration of the independence of Latvia and the first to again feature the national anthem and flag of Latvia, as well as multiple songs, all previously banned during the Soviet occupation. 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.