Juu Jääb Festival 2026: 30 Years of Island Culture

Text Stewart Johnson
Photo Visit Estonia / Kultuurivara

Juu Jääb is a music festival celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and features jazz and contemporary music, as well as local customs, traditions, cuisine, and more. Mostly centred in the village of Hellamaa at the Muhu Music Farm, there will be several other live performances set in various venues throughout this charming little island allowing guests to familiarise themselves with the natural and rural settings of Muhu.

On the festival’s opening night, the first concert will actually be held at the Arensburg Boutique Spa and Hotel in Kuressaare, on the larger, neighbouring island of Saaremaa. Specifically this concert will be held on the Sun Terrace, and will feature the Estonian duo Jaagup Kreem and Taavi Langi.

The second night of the festival will be at the main venue, the Muhu Music Farm, and will feature artists from Estonia, the UK, and Sweden. Of notable importance will be a tribute concert to Amy Winehouse by Estonian singer Laura Põldvere. The third night will start off up the road at the Muhu St Catherine’s Church with a concert by England Brooks from the US, and the local Villu Veski trio.

Two hours later the same evening, the venue will change back to the Muhu Music Farm, with another concert by the same artists, followed by artists from Brazil, Estonia, and Sweden.

Visitors to the festival will arrive by ferry from mainland Estonia. It is advisable to buy tickets in advance if you are boarding the ferry by car, as otherwise the lines can become quite long. Buses are also available to the island, although they, too, use the ferry. It is possible to drive from Muhu to Saaremaa.

For more information, tickets, as well as suggestions for accommodations, see here, although this page is only in Estonian.

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