Laulupidu & Tantsupidu - FAQs
If you are reading this, I assume you are intrigued by the magic of Laulupidu and Tantsupidu in Estonia. As the most important national celebration and cultural event, the festival runs like an oiled machine; visitors marvel at the organization and overall efficiency. There was never a moment of chaos or confusion during the four-day proceedings. Sometimes, you often forget that this is a nation of only 1.3 million, the same population as the city of Dallas. After this experience, I admit we wish we were Estonian or had Estonian ancestry. I could recommend it as the most transformative cultural experience I had all these years.
The quiet and joyful moment of Laulupidu.
Tallinn was completely covered with Laulupidu posters and banners.
The open-air exhibit on the history of Laulupidu on Freedom Square.
As the most digitally advanced nation on the planet, Estonia is great at getting useful information online. I have tried to look into information on the national song festivals of Latvia and Lithuania. You will be surprised how little was written about them compared to Laulupidu. While there is plenty of information on the Laulupidu website, I still had many questions about some logistics. So, I think it might be helpful to share some of my personal thoughts on some information that will help you have the best time at Laulupidu and Tantsupidu. If you have any additional questions, please comment, and I will answer accordingly.
General Information
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Laulupidu and Tantsupidu occur every five years on the first weekend of July. While some cultural figures, such as Tõnis Mägi, have advocated increasing the frequency of Laulupidu, it is doubtful that Estonia will break with the long-established traditions. The 2019 edition was the 150th anniversary of the first song celebration in Tartu. However, the next festival is delayed for one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The next festival will take place from July 3rd to 6th, 2025.
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The festivity began with a 33-day torch relay through every county in Estonia. The dance festival began with the flame lighting ceremonies at the first performance, which take place on the first evening. But if you need to limit the length of the visit to Tallinn, it is advisable to attend the final dance performance as well as both of the concert performances. For most Estonians, the closing concert on Day 4 is considered the most important event. Below is a summary of the typical schedule for the four-day festivity:
Day 1
Opening performance of Tantsupidu - 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Day 2
The second performance of Tantsupidu - 11:00 am - 1:30 pm
The final performance of Tantsupidu - 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Day 3
Laulupidu procession - 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm
The opening concert of Laulupidu - 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Day 4
The closing concert of Laulupidu - 2:00 pm - 8:30 pm.
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Old Town Tallinn is your best bet when it comes to accommodation. While the festival's venue is located away from central Tallinn, the city center offers convenient transportation to the venue. I was really worried about the availability of accommodation. But thanks to the booming tourism trade in Tallinn, I was glad that quite a few decent rooms were available in various price ranges during the festival. We stayed at the lovely Hotel Palace Tallinn just off Freedom Square. Although it might be the most luxurious accommodation, its location is superb, given that it was the starting point of the procession. Alternatively, hotels around Viru Square are also sensible choices.
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As both song and dance performances take place in outdoor venues, bad weather could be an unwelcoming reality to be dealt with. Officially, all events are said to be held rain or shine, but there is always an exception. Luckily for us, the weather at the 2010 festival was relatively decent weather, without a drop of rain. During the 2009 festival, the organizer had to cancel the dance performance and the procession due to the torrential rain and high wind. Despite that, most dancers and singers marched to the Song Festival Ground anyway. However, it must be noted that NO umbrellas are allowed in either Kalev Stadium or the Song Festival Ground. This prohibition prevents visual obstruction for other spectators and ensures safety in the crowded field. It is wise to bring along a good-quality raincoat or poncho. Although there are Laulupidu-branded ponchos available to purchase at the festival, it wasn't clear whether they will have enough stock available for the audience.
Tantsupidu (The Estonian Dance Festival)
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For the 2019 festival, there are a total of three public performances at the Dance Festival. The first performance usually takes place in the early evening and is widely considered the opening of the four-day national festivity. We chose to attend this particular performance because of the torch-lighting ceremony and the opening speech by the Prime Minister, as per tradition. The only downside to attending this particular performance was the crowd, and dancers dispersed quickly afterward because of the long day of rehearsal that preceded the dance. For maximum conviviality, the last dance performance will be my recommendation. At the end of the official program, the dancers burst into spontaneous moves as they celebrated their years of hard work.
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Absolutely. All three public performances took place in Kalevi Keskstaadion, which has a maximum capacity of 12,000. These tickets are extremely sought after and will sell out quickly. We waited too long and by early April all 36,000 tickets were sold out. Fortunately, the organizer announced that the temporary audience stand will be constructed to add an additional 1,200 tickets for each performance; all those tickets were released in mid-May and sold out within a few hours. To stay up to date on the ticket release date, it is essential to follow their social media page about a year ahead. The online ticket system through Piletilevi is straightforward. While it is easy enough to reserve these tickets, it is also important to recognize what the significance of this event means for common Estonians. Please do NOT reserve these tickets unless you are serious about attending the performance. There is nothing more unfortunate to see empty seats in the stadium while others lament not being able to witness their sacred ritual.
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The dance repertoire is announced at least two years in advance and published on its official website. In the 2019 festival, seven of the twenty-eight dances are choreographed specifically for this edition of Tantsupidu. The performance is very accessible for people of all cultural backgrounds and ages. The organizer offered a program booklet covering both the dance and song festivals in Estonian and English. However, please note that the Estonian program booklet will contain more comprehensive information than its English counterpart.
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Several bus lines connect Kalevi Keskstaadion to Old Town. However, given the number of road closures and bus route changes, it might be difficult to plan out the exact bus route in advance. The best bet is to head to major bus stops such as Viru Square or Freedom Square and follow all Estonians in traditional costumes onto the right bus. Alternatively, it is a leisurely twenty-five-minute walk from Freedom Square through a residential neighborhood. Grabbing an Uber or Bolt (formerly Taxify) is also sensible. Truthfully, I recommend arriving early to give you enough time to browse various vendors and see a sea of folk dancers.
Laulupidu Procession
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The parade has been integral to the festivity since its early days. Though the actual parade route only took roughly 50 minutes on foot, the parade took roughly six hours for over a thousand individuals performing choirs and dance troupes. The parade ran through Pärnu maantee through Narva maantee and finally turned onto Pirita tee before entering the Song Festival Ground (Lauluväljak). While it is possible that the organizer may alter the parade route for the subsequent festival, this has been the traditional route in the past. To be certain, follow a local, and you can't go wrong. With the opening concert commencing immediately after the arrival of the last group from the parade, arriving at the Song Festival Ground on the earlier side is wise.
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Around noontime, the performers began gathering at Freedom Square, a great place to see the mass gathering of the performance. The front of the parade was led by the prime minister of Estonia and the choir conductors. This might be the best place to snap a few photos of the political and cultural elite of the country. I managed to snap pictures of Prime Minister Jüri Ratas and conductor Heli Jürgenson. While people lined the parade route throughout, it was understandably most crowded around central Tallinn. I recommend roving along the route to get different energy from the crowd.
Another great place to enjoy the parade is at the Song Festival Ground. As each group passed under the Festival Song Arch, the master of ceremony announced the name of each group, and the prime minister and various choir directors greeted each. It is one of my favorite memories from the parade. For me personally, it was the closest I have ever been to a national head of state. However, please note that the front section of the festival ground is only accessible to those who hold the reserved seating ticket for the opening ceremony.
Laulupidu (The Estonian Song Festival)
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This is perhaps the most commonly asked question. Unlike Tantsupidu, the two concerts of the song festival are of different repertoire. The opening concert includes the torch lighting ceremony, an official address by the President of Estonia, and the joint singing of the national anthem, Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm. The opening concert started immediately following the arrival of the last choir from the preceding procession. Overall, the repertoire of the opening concert tends to be more academic or sourced from the previous Laulupidu. One song from each previous festival will often be performed as a tribute, except the 1950 Laulupidu, which was entirely comprised of Stalinist propaganda songs. Overall, the opening concert has a greater sense of formality and seriousness. The program ended with a selected group of elite choirs.
The closing concert's program is far more popular with common Estonians and includes many of the most beloved songs. The 7-hour program includes various performing groups ranging from orchestra, brass bands, boys choirs, female choirs, male choirs, and youth choirs. The program repertoire includes several new songs, with a few written for this particular Laulupidu. The highlight for Laulupidu must be the mass joint choir (ühendkoor) performance at the end of the program. Nearly all the important and beloved songs were performed toward the end of the program and the following encore performance. If you must pick a concert to attend, the closing performance certainly projects more joy and emotion. That said, both concerts are the moving expression of Estonian culture.
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Yes and no. It will depend on which concert you are attending and whether you would like reserved seating at the front of the Song Festival Ground. The tickets for reserved seating for both concerts tend to sell out ahead of the festival. Tickets for the closing concert are particularly popular and may very well be sold out within a few days of its release. Because of the controlled access, the front section of the festival ground is only accessible to those with reserved seating. This is true even during the Laulupidu procession that precedes the opening concert. You must show your physical or mobile ticket when entering this controlled area. For that reason alone, I do think it is very useful to get reserved seating is worthwhile.
The admission to the general area is ticketed at the front gate and could be purchased in advance or at the gate. At the 2019 festival, the ticket sales for the general admission to the closing concert were halted for the first time in history due to the concern of overcrowding. It was even widely reported that Estonians climbed the fence after being turned away at the ticket booth. To prevent resorting to such a measure, reserving your ticket ahead of time is a no-brainer. As with Tantsupidu, all the tickets could be booked through Piletilevi and the ticket release date will be posted on the social media page of the organizing committee.
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Hosting upward to 100,000 audiences semi-regularly, the Song Festival Ground is accustomed to catering to large crowds, and the areas are well-managed despite the endless oceans of audiences. There are a plethora of souvenir stands and food vendors around the festival ground, so bringing your own food is unnecessary. The food offerings at the festival are surprisingly good and quite affordable. Aside from the food and beverage services, there is also a network of first-aid stations and miscellaneous services ranging from the official selfie areas to postal stations. If you enjoy the festival from the general area, a picnic blanket will be highly recommended since it will help you claim your turf in a crowded field!
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I recommend seating in the central areas with easy aisle access for the reserved seating area. The very front of the central section is typically reserved for the civic leaders of Estonia and various song conductors. In the 2019 festival, the reserved seating areas are bleacher seating, which is not exactly the definition of comfort. Therefore, it is best to sit near the aisle so you can get up and stretch out easily during the 7-hour-long concert. As for the general seating area, my recommendation will be toward the rear of the field, providing a beautiful view of the crowd, the Song Arch, and the Tallinn Bay beyond. It is the best place to take in the massive festival. For the closing concert, it is advised to arrive at least an hour or 90 minutes before the concert to secure a decent spot. Securing a comfortable place to sit will be difficult when the concert starts. And for those looking to see yourselves on Estonian state television, the best position to take up is around the statue of Gustav Ernesaks. This is the surest way to make a television appearance, and it will make the best souvenir for your time at Laulupidu.
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Like Tantsupidu, all songs are published on the official website at least a year in advance. Compared to the past years, the official website's available information is comprehensive and provides various video clips and written notes for instructional purposes. For anyone who is somewhat familiar with Laulupidu, there will be several songs that you might be familiar with, most notably toward the end of the closing concert and its encore pieces. The organizer offered a program booklet covering both the dance and song festivals in Estonian and English. However, please note that the Estonian program booklet will contain more comprehensive information than its English counterpart.
