Lithuanian National Culture Centre, established in 1941, is a state budgetary institution promoting cultural and creative expressions of the society, development of ethnic culture and amateur art. It operates under the Ministry of Culture of Lithuania. The Centre plays an important role within the national cultural institution system, helping society and individuals acknowledge and preserve their cultural identity and representing Lithuanian ethnic and amateur culture abroad. This role is primarily realised through numerous events the Centre organizes, such as Lithuanian Song Celebration (inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity), international folk festivals Baltica and Griežynė, Baltic student song celebration Gaudeamus, Lithuanian national costume exhibitions and presentations, ethnic craft symposiums and seminars, folklore, children and adult choir festivals, folk dance competitions, wind orchestra championships, children and youth theatre festivals, folk art exhibitions.

Beside organizing events, The Centre pursues its purposes using a variety of forms: it implements various UNESCO and Lithuanian state initiated cultural programmes, publishes books, CDs, brochures, analyses cultural situation and tendencies, provides methodical guidance for art groups, organizes professional trainings. There are specialists at the Centre who work exclusively on traditional culture: they collect, record, research and publish Lithuanian cultural heritage such as music, dance, customs, folk art (especially cross-crafting and national costume), traditional medicine, and culinary legacy. As part of these efforts, the Centre arranges expeditions, organizes research projects within the country, publishes magazine “Būdas” and compiles the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Lithuanian National Culture Centre closely cooperates with cultural, educational, scientific, higher education institutions and offices, Lithuanian and international non-governmental cultural organisations, and cultural institutions of other states. The Centre organises the work of the National Commission of Song Celebrations, houses the Coordination Council of Regional Culture and six councils of amateur art branches and genres and oversees the work of the entire network of cultural centres in Lithuanian cities, towns and villages.