Exciting events in Estonia this week
Photo Avinurme Puiduait
22 June ZZ Top concert, Tartu
The iconic bearded rockers kick off their European tour in Estonia today at the Tartu Song Festival Grounds. General admission tickets for seats are still available, and you can still make it to the venue, as Estonian warm-up band Dramamama takes the stage at 20:00, followed by the trio Billy, Frank and Elwood at 21:00. The Tallinn bus stops almost right in front of the concert venue, at the Hurda stop.
22–24 June Midsummer celebrations, around Estonia
Almost every town and village in Estonia hosts traditional folk and entertainment celebrations in honour of Midsummer. Some were already held over the weekend, because favourite artists cannot clone themselves or afford helicopter transfers between performance venues. For celebrations not covered in our article, it is worth checking Facebook Events using the search terms “jaanituli” and “jaanipidu”.
23 June Avinurme Barrel Fair, Avinurme
In Avinurme in eastern Estonia, the Mecca of wooden sauna and kitchenware, as well as containers of all sizes up to outdoor hot tubs, a major market event has been the daytime programme for Midsummer’s Eve throughout the 21st century. Naturally, there will also be handicrafts, food, and all sorts of other more or less necessary items for sale. The entertainment programme on stage kicks off just after nine in the morning.
25–28 June Youth football tournament, Pärnu
Pärnu Summer Cup is the largest international football tournament in the Baltic countries for boys and girls aged 9–17. More than 150 club teams from six countries compete for sporting glory, inspired by their World Cup role models, at stadiums around the city, while also enjoying a joyful and, hopefully, sunny summer week together.
26 June Metal music from the Cavalera brothers, Tallinn
The band named after legendary Sepultura founding members Max and Iggor Cavalera will take the stage at Helitehas club to perform the fiercely energetic music of the album “Chaos A.D.”, which changed the 1990s metal scene, along with material in the same spirit. The evening’s warm-up act is the Italian band Nothing to Embrace.
26–27 June Tallinn Motor Weekend, Tallinn
The grounds of the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds will host Estonia’s largest family festival dedicated to motorsports. The programme includes Baltic championship competitions in the Supermoto and Super Enduro motorcycle classes, show performances, an exhibition of hobby and racing cars as well as custom motorcycles, trial riding demonstrations, gems from the car collections of Tommi Mäkinen and Mika Salo, and entertainment concerts by Estonian artists and bands on both evenings.
26–27 June Retrobest Festival, Otepää
This festival, aimed at a wide range of age groups, means two days of international stars and Estonian favourite artists performing 1980s and 1990s music in the scenic surroundings of Lake Pühajärv. Perhaps the most notable performers this year are Mel C of the Spice Girls, Dieter Bohlen, founding member of Modern Talking, and Bo Martin Erik Erikson, better known by his stage name E-Type, who conquered clubs across Europe.
26–28 June Street food in two forms, Haapsalu and Tartu
The organisation of street food events in Estonia has largely concentrated in the hands of two operators. The Haapsalu Promenade of Flavours on 26–27 June focuses, for the 12th time, on international cuisine, bringing a variety of ethnic food vendors, evening entertainment, and crowds to the seaside promenade. The heavily sponsored Great Food Street event series, meanwhile, takes food trucks from city to city following a fairly standard formula; on 27–28 June it will be Tartu’s turn (and Haapsalu again at the end of July, so there will be an opportunity to compare).
27 June–12 July Church Music Festival, Rapla
One of Estonia’s more distinctive summer music festivals is not actually a religious music event, but rather a series of classical music concerts stretching over more than two weeks, mostly held in churches around Rapla. This summer, the festival broadens its boundaries even further by also venturing into opera and even jazz-influenced music. The performers are of the highest national calibre, including, among others, the Estonian National Male Choir.
28–29 June Tartu City Day, Tartu
The city of Tartu begins celebrating its 764th birthday already on the “eve”—Sunday—with concerts, a fashion show, craft workshops, guided tours, and entertainment dedicated to Limpa lemonade. At Town Hall Square and around the city centre, a “city piano” will be inviting passers-by to stop and play.
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