Grillfest’s Main Event: Pärnu
Text Stewart Johnson Photo Grillfest
Where can you find more than 50,000 visitors eating grilled food? Where can you find over 300 food vendors offering these visitors such incredible variety? You can find all this in the same place where you’ll find the Estonian grilling championship, the Estonian fishing championship, and even a bikini and beach fitness contest: At Grillfest 2026, in Pärnu this weekend, 12–13 June, located on the Vallikäär meadow by the riverside.
Since 1999, and since 2012 officially in association with the Pärnu City Government, Grillfest has been held every year, growing in size and popularity, with the goal of becoming the most renowned food festival in the Nordics and Baltics. This year’s event features Estonia’s top food vendors, as well as vendors from several other countries. The amounts of food and drink measure into the double-digit tonnes, and tens of thousands of litres, respectively.
Friday’s event starts at 11:00 with a short musical performance followed by a parade. Throughout the day there will be a festive atmosphere, with many other acts, performances, demonstrations, and workshops. Not to mention cocktails! More or less everything you can imagine will be available at Grillfest. The day however won’t end at midnight with a concert by one of Estonia’s top artists, Getter Jaani. Multiple nightclubs will have afterparties.
Saturday will see a very similar day but with other performers and such. The festival itself will end with a grandiose fireworks display just before midnight.
The precise schedule is available here in Estonian, and a general guide to the event is here in English.
Grillfest is a family-friendly event, and there will be a children’s area with many activities and performances as well. See you there!
To learn more about this and similar topicsBeach Concerts Estonian food Events in Pärnu Family-friendly events family events Grillfest grilling
