Choir Practice: Thousands Gather in Tallinn for Traditional Estonian Song and Dance

A Celebration of Unity and Cultural Identity

Among the numerous music festivals spread across Europe each year, few manage to unite and spark an entire country’s imagination like Estonia’s Song and Dance Celebration. This unique event has a rich history that dates back to the 19th century, originally created to honor Estonian cultural heritage. Over time, it has evolved into a powerful symbol of national identity and resilience.

The festival is held roughly every five years, making it a rare and highly anticipated occasion. In recent years, it has become more than just a celebration of music and dance; it has also served as a platform for expressing national pride and resistance against oppression. Notably, the 1980s event played a significant role in inspiring the Singing Revolution, which ultimately helped Estonia and other Baltic states break free from Soviet occupation.

This year, the Song Festival Grounds in Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, witnessed an overwhelming turnout despite challenging weather conditions. The venue was packed with spectators on both Saturday and Sunday, with even more people attending on the second day. Tickets to the main event—a seven-hour concert featuring choirs—sold out weeks in advance, highlighting the immense popularity of the festival.

Themes of Kinship and Patriotism

The theme of this year’s edition was “Iseoma,” which translates to “Kinship.” This concept was reflected through traditionally sung patriotic anthems, folk songs in various dialects and regional languages, and new pieces specifically composed for the occasion. The event celebrated not only the past but also the present, showcasing the diversity and richness of Estonian culture.

The main concert on Sunday night culminated with a song titled “My Fatherland is My Love,” a patriotic tune that Estonians spontaneously sang at the 1960 festival in protest against the Soviet regime. Since 1965, this anthem has been the closing song of the celebrations, and many described it as the emotional highlight of the event. This year, a choir of over 19,000 singers performed it, with the audience singing along and waving Estonian flags. The atmosphere was electric, with spontaneous singing continuing long after the concert ended.

A Legacy of Resistance and Resilience

Rasmus Puur, a conductor at the song festival and assistant to the artistic director, attributes the surge in popularity to Estonians’ longing for unity in the face of global turmoil, particularly Russia’s war in Ukraine. He emphasized that the festival provides a sense of belonging and connection to the nation.

The tradition of holding massive song and dance festivals dates back to when Estonia was part of the Russian Empire. The first song celebration took place in 1869 in the southern city of Tartu. It marked a period of national awakening for Estonians, during which Estonian-language press, theater, and other cultural expressions began to flourish.

Despite the challenges posed by Soviet occupation, the festivals continued throughout the period of Estonia’s independence between the two world wars and during the nearly 50 years of Soviet rule. The Soviet regime saw these events as a form of mass spectacle and attempted to co-opt them. However, Estonians found ways to resist by singing their own songs in their native language, which became both an act of defiance and a source of comfort.

A Global Recognition of Cultural Heritage

The Song and Dance Celebration has not only shaped Estonian identity but also extended its influence beyond the country’s borders. During the Singing Revolution, two million people in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania joined hands to form a 600-kilometer human chain, protesting Soviet occupation with a song. This moment of unity became a powerful symbol of resistance and solidarity.

In 2003, the United Nations’ cultural body, UNESCO, recognized Estonia’s folk song festival and similar events in Latvia and Lithuania for showcasing the “intangible cultural heritage of humanity.” This acknowledgment highlights the significance of these traditions in preserving and promoting cultural identity across generations.