XI TARTU FOLK 12-15 November
Tartu Folk is an international folk festival that unites the folklore communities of Tartu County and Europe to create new friendships, exchange knowledge, and keep alive the traditional song, dance, and instrumental music heritage. The festival focuses on people interacting with each other – making music together, dancing and sharing traditions with both participants and the audience. There will be concerts, dance and music workshops and community tradition events. At the same time, the festival strengthens the folk community of Tartu County by bringing together the region’s traditional musicians, instrument clubs, folk dance groups and other bearers of traditional culture.
Tartu Folk will take place for the 11th time on November 12-15, 2026.
Tartu Folk is a celebration where anyone interested can participate, regardless of age or skills.
Summary of the Tartu Folk 2025 gala concert at the Vanemuine Concert Hall:
The first festival organised by Folklore Club Maatasa took place in 2016, intending to connect and bond with other communities of youth specialising in authentic folklore. Back then, the festival was named Tartu Youth Folklore Festival. In 2020, however, it was impossible to organise a live event due to COVID restrictions. Hence, an alternative solution was brought to life – an international competitive web show called Tartu Folk-Off, which garnered much attention. Once COVID restrictions were lowered, the organisers combined the concepts of a web show and live festival into one, creating what we now know as Tartu Folk.
The Festival Tartu Folk will take place in November, a time of spirits, during which the connection between us and our ancestors’ songs, tunes, and dances is vital and valuable. This festival will bring light and warmth to our hearts during the darkest time of the year. The main keywords and symbols of the festival are: fire, youth, connection between generations, ancestral heritage.
Since the beginning of the festival, the opening ceremony has taken place in Luunja, the participants singing runosongs by a bonfire on the banks of the Emajõgi River. Fire carries ancient values and beliefs, it is protection and purification, life and vitality, our home.
Design in 2017 – Sander Lillo. Idea – Helin Pihlap. Capture of the opening bonfire of the 2016 festival – Mirjam Koor
Photos from the festival:
