Tartu Folk is a folklore festival dedicated to creating bonds between different Tartu and European folklore groups and sharing local culture with one another and with the audience. The festival will host concerts, dance workshops and music workshops. <\/p>\n\n
In 2025, Tartu Folk will be held for the 10th time. The festival\u2019s headliners are traditionally from the Baltic and Nordic countries. Latvian folk songs and dances will be introduced by childhood friends from the Teikas Muzikanti (Latvia)<\/strong> ensemble. The repertoire of the Vilnius University folklore group Ratilio (Lithuania)<\/strong> is collected from compatriots they have met on their expeditions and from museum archives. The Nordic countries will be represented by the dancers and musicians from the Swedish Philochoros & V-Dala Spelmanslag (Sweden)<\/strong>. Joining the headliners alongside European groups is Jum\u0161an Gur (Tartu Udmurts)<\/strong>, a Udmurt folklore ensemble based in Tartu. Tartu Folk has also introduced audiences to Estonia\u2019s islands. We have had visits from the folk communities of Kihnu and Saaremaa. This year, there is an opportunity to get to know the dances and songs of the Pakri Islands, brought to the audience by Leesikad (Tallinn \/ Pakri Islands)<\/strong>, an ensemble from the Tallinn French Lyceum. Traditional songs and instrumental tunes from South Estonia will be performed by the organisers, the Folklore Club Maatasa (South-Estonia)<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n The aim of the festival is to strengthen the local community, bringing together folk musicians, instrument clubs, and folk dance groups active in Tartu and Tartu County, with the goal of highlighting the bearers of local tradition and introducing to guests those working in the field of folklore in Tartu County. Although the organisers’ wish is to present unarranged folklore, it is always exciting to take a look at the present day as well. At the main concert, the folk dance ensembles Tantsutallad and Tarbatu will present contemporary choreographers’ ideas inspired by tradition, while smaller groups of musicians will perform on the festival caf\u00e9 stage. <\/p>\n\n The main day of the festival takes place at the Vanemuine Concert Hall<\/strong><\/p>\n\n The events of our anniversary festival are more extensive than usual and also include new concert venues. While Luunja has been the centre of the festival for 9 years, this year the main day of the festival will take place at the Vanemuine Concert Hall<\/strong>. However, the beloved Luunja Cultural and Leisure Centre<\/strong> will not be left out of the folk festivities. As tradition, a community folk celebration will be held in Luunja, but this year a new venue has been added in Tartu County \u2013 alongside Luunja, a parallel folk celebration will also take place at the V\u00f5nnu Cultural Centre<\/strong>, featuring both visiting groups of the festival as well as local cultural associations. <\/p>\n\n The festival program is divided into four days<\/strong>. The opening of the festival will take place late Thursday evening with folk songs on the banks of the Emaj\u00f5gi River in Luunja. Friday begins with workshops in Tiigi Seltsimaja, and the evening brings the opportunity to take part in the folk celebrations in Luunja and V\u00f5nnu, while in Tartu, cultural societies and ensembles of different nationalities will gather. The main day of the festival \u2013 Saturday \u2013 is spent at the Vanemuine Concert Hall in preparation for the evening festivities, and sprinkled with smaller concerts and meetings on the various floors of the concert hall. The evening will culminate in a grand gala concert, followed by a dance club featuring dances and games from Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Pakri Island, and the Udmurt people. At the same time, in the concert hall caf\u00e9, visitors can enjoy the delightful performances of small folk music ensembles over a cup of tea. <\/p>\n\n <\/em>The final concert takes place at the Estonian National Museum<\/strong><\/p>\n\n The final concert of the festival will take the form of a web show and will highlight the Year of the Estonian Book, declared by the Ministry of Culture, by presenting chracters from Estonian fairy tales. The closing concert will be held at the bridge are of the Estonian National Museum. Constructed as a web show, the concert will be complemented by lively interludes featuring the headlining performers and the particularities of their home regions. The final concert of the Tartu Folk festival will be broadcast live on the festival’s YouTube channel. The concert will be hosted by Tuule Pihlap (Folklore Club Maatasa) and Kaarel Pogga (Vanemuine Theatre). <\/p>\n\n Tartu Folk is a community-oriented festival where anyone can participate, regardless of age or skill. We invite everyone to experience the festival’s wide variety of ensembles and enjoy its rich cultural heritage. <\/p>\n\n