“Which Festival?” Ostrova Festival
Text Stewart Johnson Photo Ilmar Lillmaa
Our third installment in the “Which Festival?” series is Ostrova Festival, located in the southeastern corner of Estonia in a magical area called Setomaa. This festival will feature several of Estonia’s top artists, creating a unique feel specific to the Seto people, who have their own language, which is closely related to the Võro dialect of Estonian. This is a unique opportunity to get to know this charming and ancient culture.
Performers in the village of Ostrova, where the festival will take place, include top acts such as Ivo Linna, Tanel Padar, Traffic, Ska Factor, Ines, Lenno, and of course Zetod. One of the many things that makes Ostrova Festival unique is that it will have an official emcee, the one and only Koit Raudsepp from Raadio 2. Koit is quite possibly Estonia’s most well-known radio DJ, and his catchphrase is “Beat, beat, ja veel kord beat!”.
Another major thing that makes Ostrova Festival so special is precisely the Seto people. This festival honours the richness of their heritage, culture, and identity, something that cannot be found anywhere else in Estonia, or even in the world. A one-of-a-kind feature of this festival is that Setomaa is so rich in berries of all kinds, and their berry wares will be available to purchase. Jams, wines, tea, berry cookies…it’s all available on site.
The second day will have several activities for children, including a children’s theatre performance, and a children’s disco, both in the early afternoon. Camping is available in the area, and Ostrova is not a far drive from the town of Võru.
The full programme and more information are available in Estonian here.
To learn more about this and similar topicsEstonian Summer Events in Estonia Ivo Linna Music Festival Ostrova Seto Setomaa Tanel Padar
