WHAT TAKES PLACE IN TARTU? 2021
Content
What takes place in Tartu? 2021
WINTER EVENTS
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SPRING EVENTS
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SUMMER EVENTS
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AUTUMN EVENTS
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MORE EVENTS
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University town Tartu, which has been elected European Capital of Culture 2024, has a lively and colourful cultural life. The future Capital of Culture hosts several international events, an overview of which can be found in this guide. In addition to these, there are many other events taking place in Tartu, about which you can find up-to-date information from the Window of Culture: kultuuriaken.tartu.ee.
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WINTER 01.–28.02 Tasty Tartu
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21.02 47th Tartu Ski Marathon
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01.12–12.01 Christmas City Tartu
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11.12 Wintry Tartu Folk Dance Day
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01–28 FEBRUARY
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Tasty Tartu In February, Tartu hosts restaurant month ‘Tasty Tartu’, which aims to introduce local food culture and offer new taste experiences in several local restaurants. All participating restaurants offer a three-course menu at a friendly price. The chefs do their best to surprise city locals and guests alike with delicious special dishes. Food lovers can rate the efforts of the restaurants and determine the best special menu. www.maitsevtartu.ee
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21 FEBRUARY
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47th Tartu Ski Marathon Tartu Ski Marathon is a grand festival of Estonian winters that brings together nearly 10,000 ski enthusiasts all over Estonia and the world. Tartu Marathon is one of the oldest ski marathons in the world, with a 60-year history. Only a few are able to compete with its number of participants and level of organisation. In addition to the traditional distances of 63 and 31 kilometres, each year also offers Open Track, Relay Marathon and children’s event. www.tartumaraton.ee
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SPRING 03.–08.05 Literature Festival Prima Vista
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09.05 39th Tartu Forest Marathon
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27.–30.05 Estonian Cycling Weekend
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31.05-06.06 Tartu Student Days: Spring Festival
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Literature Festival Prima Vista Once again Prima Vista will fill Tartu, a UNESCO City of Literature, with the magic of the written word. Throughout the week, the city will be filled with words, thoughts and books, as well as writers and readers enjoying the festival experience. Together we will discuss the important questions in written culture. As before, the programme will include a park library at Südalinna Park and a book fair on Town Hall Square.
03–08 MAY
www.kirjandusfestival.tartu.ee
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39th Tartu Forest Marathon Tartu Forest Marathon is the biggest crosscountry run in the Baltic States, gathering thousands of runners every year. The races take place in Southern Estonia’s varied landscapes. In addition to the full marathon distance, runners can choose between 24, 10 and 5 km races, which can be completed by running or walking. The event will also include children’s races.
09 MAY
www.tartumaraton.ee
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Estonian Cycling Weekend
27–30 MAY
The Estonian Cycling Weekend (ECW) is a cycling festival that also hosts Tour of Estonia, an international elite cyclists competition. Two stages of the tour, Tallinn-Tartu GP and Tartu GP, introduce Estonian towns and villages, beautiful nature and gorgeous places. The Cycling Weekend will end on Sunday with the biggest road cycling event in Eastern Europe, the 40th Tartu Rattaralli. www.tourofestonia.ee www.tartumaraton.ee
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31 MAY–06 JUNE
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Tartu Student Days: Spring Festival The spring festival, full of student spirit, offers both guests and participants the opportunity to take a break from the daily grind with the help of our extensive entertainment and culture programme. The positivity gained from coming together has been precious nourishment for the soul for decades to all that have attended events at the Spring Festival in Tartu. www.studentdays.ee
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SUMMER 01.06 Children’s Day in Tartu
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07.-13.06 Nature Festival
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09.–11.06 Estonian Fashion Festival
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12.–13.06 Estonian Aviation Days
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12.–13.06 Tartu Street Food Festival
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14.–22.06 Street Art Festival Stencibility 17.-20.06 Miss Valentine
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23.06 Midsummer’s Eve at Raadi 29.06 Tartu City Day – Opera Crossover No. 5
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01.08 Vanemuine Symphony Orchestra Summer Concert
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02.–07.08 Tartu Love Film Festival tARTuFF
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08.–13.07 Glasperlenspiel Festival
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15.–18.07 WRC Rally Estonia
05.–14.08 Rock Opera “Johnny”
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17.–18.07 Hanseatic Days
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06.–08.08 Tartu Food and Wine Festival
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28.07–25.08 Emajõgi Summer Concerts
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12.–15.08 International Wind Brass Festival “Mürtsub pill”
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18.–21.08 Urban Festival UIT
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22.08 15th Tartu Inline Skating Marathon
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25.–27.08 sTARTUp Day
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27.–28.08 Festival in Aparaaditehas
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Children’s Day in Tartu Children’s Day is traditionally celebrated in Tartu with a grand family day. Events take place in the city centre from Küüni Street to Town Hall Square and Tartu Keskpark. The day includes various workshops, entertainment, games and competitions. Dancers, singers and youth bands will take the stage. The evening will finish with a concert.
1 JUNE
www.tntk.tartu.ee
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Nature Festival The aim of Nature Festival is to introduce locals and tourists to the nature of the city, value its biodiversity and help form environmentally friendly behaviour. The festival programme includes nature and environment workshops, trips, conversations, movie nights, a photo competition, exhibitions and much more.
07–13 JUNE
www.loodusfestival.ee
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Estonian Fashion Festival
09–11 JUNE
Estonian Fashion Festival (EFF) includes three unique fashion shows: MoodPerformance-Tants, OmaMood and Antonius Fashion Show. In addition, the festival programme includes designer workshops, fashion design cinema and a street market. The aim of the festival is to showcase young Estonian designers and to work as the biggest platform in Northern Europe for finding young talent and promoting young fashion design. www.fashionfestival.ee
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Estonian Aviation Days
12–13 JUNE
The biggest open-air event in aviation welcomes everyone to the Estonian Aviation Museum and the airspace above it on the second weekend of June. Visitors will be able to witness parachute jumps and leisure flights and try out various attractions, such as simulators, a catapult, a skydiving simulator, trampolines, etc. Two days are filled with the best aviation technology and an exciting programme both in the air and on the ground. www.lennundusmuuseum.ee
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Tartu Street Food Festival
12–13 JUNE
Tartu Street Food Festival taking place in Aparaaditehas and the surrounding area is a two-day-long food party that aims to introduce local street food and various cultures and cuisines. The festival also focuses on more serious issues, such as environmentally friendly diet, food waste and food innovation, which are discussed in lectures, workshops and topic areas. Various street artists and musicians offer entertainment and there is plenty to do for two whole days! www.tänavatoidufestival.ee
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Street Art Festival Stencibility Stencibility is an annual street art festival that began in 2010 and believes in the need for free and independent street art, gathering artists and street art enthusiasts who share similar views. The name of the festival refers to the stencil-technique. The festival introduces, promotes and creates new street art and hosts guided tours, a street art auction and various exhibitions.
14–22 JUNE
www.stencibility.eu
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Miss Valentine Tartu GP 2021
17–20 JUNE
For the 27th time, individual and group gymnasts bring glamour and grace to frosty Tartu and participate in one of the biggest gymnastics competitions in Europe. The worldclass competition includes approximately a thousand gymnasts from nearly 40 countries all over the world and offers spectacular experiences to the audience.Once again, Miss Valentine hosts a gymnastics Grand Prix event which traditionally includes the world’s absolute best gymnasts. www.missvalentine.eu
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Midsummer’s Eve at Raadi The most romantic day of our holidays has gathered family members of all ages to have fun and celebrate together for centuries. We have danced and sung around the fire and invited musicians and bands. The Estonian National Museum and its friends have come up with many other activities to help you have a good time on the bank of the beautiful Lake Raadi.
23 JUNE
www.erm.ee
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Tartu City Day – Opera Crossover No. 5
29 JUNE
In recent years, people have been searching for and discovering Tartu on the city’s special day through opera and classical music. On Tartu City Day, opera comes to town and cracks a joke or two, mixing and mingling everything that gets in its way. Time and space will definitely be discovered as we travel through the past and future of Tartu, and performances will be held in places more peculiar than before. You will definitely hear and witness opera symbioses of various genres and performers. A grand gala concert on Town Hall Square draws the evening to a close. www.tartulinnapaev.ee
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Glasperlenspiel Festival The name of the festival is inspired by the plot of the novel of the same name, written by Hermann Hesse. It indicates that Glasperlenspiel invites musicians who have a unique view on musical creation. The well-known festival focuses on special instruments, unusual combinations and connections with other fields of art and philosophy.
08–13 JULY
www.erpmusic.com
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15–18 JULY
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WRC Rally Estonia Motosport and entertainment event Rally Estonia brings an FIA World Rally Championship stage to the winding Southern Estonian gravel roads. All top racers from WRC teams are heading towards the finish line as they are offered competition by the best drivers from the Baltics, Russia and Scandinavia in several competition classes. In addition to WRC, WRC2, WRC3 and Junior WRC, drivers compete in the Estonian Championship league. The start and finish take place in the Estonian National Museum grounds in Tartu, which also house the Service Park and competition centre. www.rallyestonia.ee
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17–18 JULY
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Hanseatic Days The Hanseatic fair taking place in summer in the city of Tartu is a tradition that many look forward to. The festivities will settle in on the banks of the beautiful symbol of the city, Emajõgi River, and in the historic town centre on the third weekend of July this coming summer. Visitors young and old are able to enjoy the colourful market atmosphere and the culture programme of the Hanseatic Days. Do some shopping in the town centre, savour some great food made from locally sourced ingredients, watch spontaneous (and some slightly less spontaneous) performances, be entertained in all sorts of ways and have a good time with friends of all ages. www.hansapaevad.ee
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28 JULY–25 AUGUST
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Emajõgi Summer Concerts The series of Emajõgi summer concerts is designed to bring more live music to the summer city space of Tartu – mostly to the new and special concert sites along the river. Sound and space will act differently at the new venues, as every concert will be unique. The experience will depend on the location, the performers, the weather (for better or worse) and, because of the unique locations, how excited the audience is. www.emajoesuvekontserdid.ee
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01 AUGUST
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Vanemuine Symphony Orchestra Summer Concert A popular tradition from the first quarter of the 20th century has been brought back to life, making it possible to enjoy a free summer concert that focuses on classical music. This year’s open air concert is conducted by Risto Joost, the artistic director and chief conductor at Vanemuine. The concert takes place in Kassitoome Valley on Toomemägi, a natural amphitheatre in the heart of the town. www.vanemuine.ee
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02–07 AUGUST
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Tartu Love Film Festival tARTuFF Since 2006, Tartu Love Film Festival tARTuFF has offered the audience grand feelings, self-discovery, longing and warm recognition. Over the six days, the biggest open air film festival in the Baltics will air 12 films at Town Hall Square, each of which is somehow connected to the theme of love. The viewers can vote for their favourite film. The side programme includes the best documentaries, trivia nights and concerts and the festival will end with a legendary Party of Love. www.tartuff.ee
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05–14 AUGUST
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Rock Opera “Johnny” Rock opera “Johnny”, performed at Tartu Song Festival Grounds, is based on the production first premiered and subsequently banned in 1980. Johnny is a story about the ever-growing longing for truth in youth, and the need for recognition of yourself, your choices and your desires. The music of the rock opera, written by Olav Ehala, Margus Kappel, Jaanus Nõgisto and Peeter Volkonski remains original, but the story itself has partially been modernised. Johnny will definitely be a remarkable musical production of the year with contributions from our top artists: director Ain Mäeots, artist Kristjan Suits and actors Franz Malmsten and Liis Lass. www.johnnytartus.ee
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06–08 AUGUST
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Tartu Food and Wine Festival Tartu Food and Wine Festival offers genuine Estonian taste experiences courtesy of small producers from South Estonia, pop-up restaurants as well as a rich selection of wines. Everyone can participate in the open tasting events and get advice from the best Estonian sommeliers. Your enjoyment of good food and wine will be complemented by a family-friendly entertainment programme, a unique gourmet dinner, home cafés in various city districts and many other tasty and exciting events. www.maitsevtartu.ee
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International Wind Brass Festival “Mürtsub pill”
12–15 AUGUST
“Mürtsub pill” will once again fill Tartu with wind brass music. The biggest festival in Estonia, unique to the Baltics, features dance, march, symphony and student orchestras, the best foreign performers and the festival’s joint orchestra. Guests are invited from Estonia and abroad. The festival will hold a parade, a gala concert and musical performances on two stages. www.potartu.ee
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18–21 AUGUST
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Urban Festival UIT Interdisciplinary urban festival UIT focuses on our perception and use of urban space and engages in transdisciplinary cooperation with both local and foreign artists in order to offer the audience another perspective on their hometown. The festival encourages people to enjoy public spaces and think about what we can do in order to make our cities more homely and versatile. The festival programme includes works that consider or are developed from our urban space. www.uit.ee
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15th Tartu Inline Skating Marathon Tartu Rulluisumaraton is the biggest inline skating event in the Baltic states and Scandinavia involving nearly 1500 participants in various events. Participants can choose between marathon, half-marathon and 10-kilometre distances. The youngest family members are welcome to join children’s races.
22 AUGUST
www.tartumaraton.ee
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25–27 AUGUST
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sTARTUp Day sTARTUp Day is the biggest festival in the Baltic States focusing on various issues in the business world. Participate in the festival which encourages and unites entrepreneurs of the new generation. In addition to start-ups, the event features inspiring discussions on virtual reality, space technology and the creative industry. There is a lot to learn in various seminars and workshops as well as other events happening all over town. The three days will include performances from top local entrepreneurs as well as several worldwide names.
www.startupday.ee
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27–28 AUGUST
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Festival in Aparaaditehas The Festival in Aparaaditehas (The Widget Factory), held for the sixth time, offers a generous culture programme during the two days, which includes everything offered by the venue’s tenants, a night cinema, a flea market, catering, street sport and music. The events are held both inside the house and in the courtyard and this time even beyond our area, filling the streets, gardens and corners of the Kastani-Vaksali city district with festival rhythms. www.aparaaditehas.ee
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AUTUMN 06.–12.09 Estonian Theatre Festival Drama 19.09 24th Tartu Mountain Bike Marathon
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25.10–02.11 Interdisciplinary Festival “Hingede Öömuusika”
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27.–30.10 Tartu Light Art Festival / TAVA2021
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05.-06.11 Festival IDeeJazz
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24.-26.09 Researchers’ Night Festival
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02.10 10th Tartu City Marathon
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11.-12.11 Interdisciplinary Festival Crazy Tartu
04.–10.10 World Film Festival
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12.-28.11 Film Festival PÖFF Tartu
22.–31.10 Contemporary Music Festival AFEKT
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06–12 SEPTEMBER
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Estonian Theatre Festival Drama Drama comes back to Tartu in the beginning of September. The main programme of Estonian theatre festival Drama includes the best and most interesting plays of Estonian theatre. Additionally, the festival offers an exciting side programme, cosy chats as well as several exhibitions and musical events at the festival club. www.draama.ee
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24th Tartu Mountain Bike Marathon
19 SEPTEMBER
The third biggest mountain bike marathon in the world invites participants from many age groups and athletic backgrounds, altogether around 8300 cyclists. The main distances of 89, 40 and 21 kilometres take the participants away from the city to the varied landscapes of Southern Estonia. The youngest family members are welcome to participate in children’s races. www.tartumaraton.ee
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24–26 SEPTEMBER
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Researchers’ Night Festival Researchers’ Night Festival is a family festival with a variety of events that encourage visitors to peek into the world of science. In 2021, Researchers’ Night Festival will celebrate its 16th anniversary. The festival will focus on endless topics related to modern science. During the festival, those interested can investigate secret labs, listen to top scientists talking about their work and participate in numerous free workshops, science theatre shows, movie nights and experiments. www.teadlasteöö.ee
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10th Tartu City Marathon Tartu City Marathon is one of a kind in Estonia – the entire length of a 42-kilometre marathon is run on one track, meaning that every step is unique and offers new experiences. In addition to the full marathon, runners can choose from 21- and 10-kilometre distances. On the eve before the marathon, a short and fun race Friday Night Run takes place in the city centre.
02 OCTOBER
www.tartumaraton.ee
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04–10 OCTOBER
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World Film Festival The World Film Festival is dedicated to the cinema art of documentaries and creative documentary. The festival is interested in anthropological and analytical approaches to people and cultures. World films take their audience to every continent of the world and focus on a bunch of ‘strangers’ who become acquaintances through the films. In addition to festival films, there are special programmes, exhibitions, workshops and meetings with filmmakers. www.worldfilm.ee
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22–31 OCTOBER
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Contemporary Music Festival AFEKT The festival aims to introduce Estonian composers to the local public in an international context through the performances of Estonian musical compositions by various European well-known artists and musicians. This professionally curated festival programme helps achieve the international context and is guided by the current trends of European contemporary music. www.festivalafekt.ee
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25 OCTOBER–02 NOVEMBER
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Interdisciplinary Festival “Hingede Öömuusika” The whole concept of the festival is based on connecting generations in the sense of the power and acknowledgment of our folk culture. The festival programme includes several disciplines: sound, video, spoken word, choreography and visual arts. Tartu Jaani Church, a unique church in European architectural history, is the heart of the festival and will be turned into a stage for contemporary art. www.jaanikirik.ee
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27–30 OCTOBER
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Tartu Light Art Festival / TAVA2021 Tartu Light Art Festival or TAVA is a wholesome, international, interdisciplinary light and lighting art festival. The TAVA 2021 programme consists of international workshops, city space installations, the LUCI Annual General Meeting, the Light Fair and exhibitions. TAVA 2021 focuses on Tartu’s Old Town, turning it into The Light Path in the last week of October. Unique installations attract people to enjoy city space art during the frosty autumn nights. www.tartuvalgus.ee
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05–06 NOVEMBER
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Festival IDeeJazz Born from fresh ideas and filled with positive energy and music created for open minds, the programme of IDeeJazz includes enthralling music from the greatest artists of every generation. The programme can be described as enjoyable, eclectic and contemporary. The selection of genres varies from classical and contemporary jazz to world music. www.ideejazz.ee
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11–12 NOVEMBER
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Interdisciplinary Festival Crazy Tartu Crazy Tartu is an international interdisciplinary festival where writers, poets, musicians and artists from Estonia and abroad come to perform. One of the main principles of the festival is to bring as many unprecedented performances to the audience as possible. This principle is also followed when choosing the venue for the event. Each year, a piece of art is unveiled for the first time in the new environment. www.facebook.com/HullunudTartu
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12–28 NOVEMBER
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Film Festival PÖFF Tartu Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) is an international category-A film festival taking place for the 25th time. PÖFF also includes short film festival PÖFF Shorts and youth film festival Just Film. Every year, PÖFF treats their audience in Tartu to a diverse and exciting selection of films. Additionally, there are various events outside the movie theatres that turn the black nights into a film party full of light. www.poff.ee
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01 DECEMBER–12 JANUARY
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Christmas City Tartu Every year, Tartu becomes a Christmas City, no matter the weather! It all begins on the first Advent Sunday when the candle lit on Town Hall Square lights all of the Christmas lights in the city. People gather at the same spot on the following Sundays and on Christmas Eve. These joyful gatherings and the whole Christmas period are supported by cosy concert halls, churches in holiday spirit, a great Christmas fair and a dance party in the city centre. We are happy to announce that it is now possible to ice skate in the city centre! As always, no matter the weather and even with the Kissing Students. www.joululinntartu.ee
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Wintry Tartu Folk Dance Day In December, more than half a thousand (folk) dancers will gather on the cobblestones of Town Hall Square. Christmas in Tartu gathers folklore, cold weather, happy people and good live music. Dancing along in the audience is strictly recommended.
11 DECEMBER
www.joululinntartu.ee
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More events
COMPETITION WDSF TARTU OPEN 29-30.05 www.tartuopen.com
EMAJÕE FESTIVAL 03.07 www.emajoefestival.ee
SUMMER OF MUSIC AT ANTONIUS YARD June to August www.loovtartu.ee/antonius
CAR-FREE AVENUE 09.07.-08.08 www.tartu.ee
ORIENTAL NEW YEAR’S CEREMONY 12.02 kultuuriaken.tartu.ee
HAPPY BIG BAND WEEKEND 06.-09.05 www.convivo.ee
TARTU STUDENT THEATRE FESTIVAL April www.vanemuine.ee
SPRING FAIR 15.05 www.kultuuriaken.tartu.ee
JAZZ PESULAD BEACH VOLLEYBALL CUP 05-06.06 www.volley.ee
BALTIC MUSIC DAYS AND ESTONIAN MUSIC DAYS 22.04-02.05 www.eestimuusikapaevad.ee
KARLOVA DAYS 20.–22.05 www.karlova.ee/karlova-paevad
TARTU GYMNASTICS PARTY 08.06 tartuvoimlemispidu.weebly.com
MOTOEXOTICA AND BEAUTY FAIR 21.-23.05 www.tartunaitused.ee
COUNTRY FAIR 10.-12.06 www.tartunaitused.ee
RUSSIAN BALL 29.05 www.tarturusbal.eu
KULDNE KARIKAS DANCE FESTIVAL: FINALE 12.-13.06 www.kuldnekarikas.ee
EDUCATION FAIR INTELLEKTIKA 29.04 www.tartunaitused.ee SUPILINN DAYS 23-05.04 www.supilinn.ee TARTU BASKET CUP 30.04-02.05 www.basket.ut.ee
NIGHT OF CHURCHES 29.05 www.kirikuteoo.ee
WORLD CONGRESS OF FINNO-UGRIC PEOPLES 16-18.06 www.fennougria.ee
PUNK & ROCK FESTIVAL 23-24.07 www.facebook.com/punkrockfestival INTERNATIONAL BOBBIN AND NEEDLE LACE CONGRESS 26.07-05.08 www.oidfa.com INTERNATIONAL BARREL ORGAN FESTIVAL 06-08.08 www.facebook.com/tartuvantorel EMAJÕGI STRONGMAN WSF TARTU GP 07.08 www.jousport.ee TARTU YOUTH DAY 12.08 www.tntk.tartu.ee
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IHASTE DAY 14.08 facebook.com/IhasteElanikeLiit TARTU DAY OF KNOWLEDGE 01.09 www.tntk.tartu.ee MOTOSHOW 10.-12.09 www.tartunaitused.ee AUTUMN FAIR 11.09 kultuuriaken.tartu.ee TÄHTVERE DAYS September www.tähtvereselts.ee TAMMELINNA DAYS September www.tammelinnaselts.ee TARTU STUDENT DAYS: AUTUMN 20-26.09 www.studentdays.ee JAPANESE POP CULTURE FESTIVAL ANIMATSURI September www.animatsuri.eu
INTERNATIONAL YOUTH FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT TARTU SANTOS CUP 25.09-11.10 www.cup.fcsantos.ee
TRT DANCE MASTERS – EUROPEAN DANCE CHAMPIONSHIPS 05.12 www.tartutantsuakadeemia.ee
FRIDAY NIGHT RUN 01.10 www.nightrun.ee
CHRISTMAS FAIR 11.12 kultuuriaken.tartu.ee
INTERNATIONAL A-FESTIVAL 14.-17.10 www.yliopilasteater.ee INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL ORIENT ET OCCIDENT 14-17.10 www.festivitas.ee TARTU CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH LITERATURE FESTIVAL October tartu.kirjandus.ee STREET DANCE FESTIVAL BATTLE OF EST November www.boe.ee EUROPEAN CUP IN BADMINTON FOR THE JUNIOR AND YOUTH CLASS 02-05.12 www.badminton.ee
Design BYNEW Print OÜ Paar Compiled by Department of Culture of Tartu City Government Photos by Kiur Kaasik Silver Gutmann Tarmo Haud Ardo Säks Heikki Leis Hans-Erik Põldoja Lauri Kulpsoo Sadu-Triste Juurikas Sandro Pihlak Eva Maria Tartu Jassu Hertsmann Jaanus Ree Krõõt Tarkmeel Katrin Press Rasaa Etten Tarvo Hanno Varres Kalev Ints Toomas Liivamägi Raido Prosa Maris Savik
This publication was put together on 27.11.2021 on the basis of the information available to the Department of Culture of Tartu City Government. The authors are not responsible for possible changes to event schedules.