One of the Last Parties in Café Amigo
Text Stewart Johnson Photo Visit Estonia / Sokotel AS
Café Amigo, which opened its doors in 1994, is having one of its last parties this Friday, 6 February, before closing its doors forever. This specific event is a concert by Andrus Muld, better known by his stage name Hunt, which means wolf in Estonian. DJ Leander Havi will man the turntables as well.
When Café Amigo roared onto the burgeoning Tallinn nightclub scene in the early 90s, its popularity was such that only a year later there was a reality TV show filmed there. While Amigo does have a reputation for being nearly exclusively for Finns, the reality is quite the opposite. In fact, only around 7–8% of its club-goers are Finns, with the vast majority in fact being Estonians. Naturally it’s a popular venue for tourists due to its location in the basement of the Hotel Viru.
Citing rising costs and declining visitors, Tarmo Õmblus, the club’s manager, said, “there used to be parties at Amigo seven days a week, with performers getting stronger with each passing day, now it has gradually grown quieter and only Friday and Saturday remain. Yet the rent is still for seven days.” Covid is also listed as one of the final nails in the club’s coffin, as numbers simply never picked up again after the pandemic. This is just the latest victim in a series of club closures, including the iconic Sveta and Hall clubs.
The venue where Café Amigo is located won’t cease to exist, however. There is a strong possibility that a new business will open at some point in the future. As it is now, though, this Friday is one of your last chances to enjoy the nostalgia of Café Amigo in its current form.
To learn more about this and similar topicsBar Café Amigo club Dancing Events in Tallinn Hotel Viru nightclub nightlife
