27.6.2017 | Culture
12th Estonian Youth Song & Dance Celebration

Over 30,000 singers sing together as one choir on the stage and almost the same number of spectators listen. 10,000 dance together at Kalev Stadium. The celebration is organised many years in advance and thousands of paid and volunteer employees take part in pulling the whole together at the end.
Aet Maatee has managed the Estonian Youth Song & Dance Celebration since 2003.
The Estonian song festival tradition was added to the UNESCO Cultural Heritage list in 2013. What has kept the tradition alive?
“The song festival is a way for people to express themselves and their emotions. Music is an especially powerful tool for this”.
The youngest performers are 7-10 years old. For many children, it’s their first time in Tallinn, as they come from the islands and other more remote counties. The songs and dances are practiced for a long time beforehand. All the choirs and orchestras perform together for the final concert. It’s truly a sight to behold.
XII Youth Song & Dance Celebration
30 June – 2 July at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds and Kalev Stadium
www.laulupidu.ee
tickets: piletilevi.ee
Click on the address to see the location.
TEXT ARJA KORHONEN, PHOTOS JAANUS REE
To learn more about this and similar topics
30.6.2022 | Leisure
Tartu’s popular summer Car-Free Avenue opens tomorrow with a concert from Stefan and Justament
On July 1, the popular Car-Free Avenue will return to the centre of Tartu. This year, Vabaduse Puiestee will … Read more
29.6.2022 | Culture
Tartu celebrates ‘City Day’ today with over 20 concerts
Today, Wednesday 29 June, Tartu will celebrate its annual City Day. To mark the day, over 20 concerts will … Read more
22.6.2022 | Culture
Tallinn Poetry Trail launched
A poetry trail portraying lines from 30 Estonian poems has been launched in Tallinn. The texts, which can be … Read more
20.6.2022 | Culture
Main exhibition of the year opens at Tallinn Photography Museum
The main exhibition of the year has opened at the Tallinn Photography Museum. The exhibition, “Eesti pildis”, which translates … Read more
17.6.2022 | Culture
9
Today is Fotografiska Tallinn’s third birthday – to mark the occasion, a major exhibition by American Photographer Frank Ockenfels III will open
On Friday, June 17, Fotografiska Tallinn will celebrate its third birthday with the opening of a major exhibition by … Read more
17.6.2022 | Culture
11
An international women’s design exhibition “The World through Objects” opens at the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design today
From June 17, the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design will host the exhibition “The World through Objects” … Read more
16.6.2022 | Culture
The European Design Festival starts tomorrow in Tallinn
The European Design Festival is a renowned event that brings together hundreds of designers from all over Europe and … Read more
14.6.2022 | Culture
5
An international nude art exhibition “Man & Woman: Dream” has opened at the Pärnu Museum of New Art
The exhibition “Man & Woman: Dream” was opened on June 9 at the Pärnu Museum of New Art (New … Read more