The Estonian National Song Festival or Estonian Song Celebration (, ), commonly called , held since 1869, is one of the largest choral events in the world, a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Since 1923, it has been typically staged every five years in June or July, and since 1928 always in the same purpose-built venue: the Song Festival Grounds in the Kadriorg district of the capital city Tallinn.Estonian Song and Dance Celebrations Estonian Song and Dance Celebration Foundation The joint choir has comprised more than 30,000 singers performing to an audience of 80,000.Lauluväljakul oli teisel kontserdil 110 000 inimest (110,000 people in the Song Festival Grounds during the second concert. In Estonian). Delfi
History
The tradition of the song festivals (, ) was born along with Estonian national awakening. The first Estonia-wide laulupidu was held in Tartu in the summer of 1869. One of the organisers of the first song festival was Johann Voldemar Jannsen. In the first three events only men's choirs and brass orchestras participated. 822 singers and 56 brass players participated in the first. Starting with the fourth, mixed choirs were also participating. Starting with the sixth in 1896, the celebration tradition moved to Tallinn.
The Dance and Gymnastic Festival (part of the first Estonian Games held in 1934) was the predecessor of subsequent Estonian Dance Festivals which are now held, by tradition, at the same time with the Song Celebration in Tallinn.Dance Festival – Invented Tradition? by Marika Plakso. Estonian Institute
After the Soviet invasion and occupation of Estonia during World War II, the tradition of Estonia-wide song festivals was permitted to continue. However, during all the Song Festivals from 1947 to 1985, the singing of the Estonian national anthem and the display of the flag of Estonia or any other "anti-Soviet" symbols was strictly prohibited. The Soviet occupation authorities instead forced communist anthems into the repertoire along with songs mandatorily glorifying the Soviet Communist Party and its leaders Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin. Because of the inclusion of children's and boys' choirs the total number of participants rose to 25,000 – 30,000 people.
Since 1990, almost every Song Celebration has featured the most symbolic Estonian songs "Mu isamaa on minu arm", "Ta lendab mesipuu poole", and the national anthem "Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm".
In 2019, the number of visitors to the song celebration reached its maximum. Nearly 60,000 tickets were sold from the pre-sale for the XXVII Song Celebration concert, and together with the 35,000 singers and musicians participating, a situation had been reached where the pre-sale of tickets was suspended by the decision of the organisers for the safety and security of people.
List of Song Celebrations +List of Song CelebrationsSong CelebrationYearPlaceChoirsPerformersI Song Celebration1869Tartu51845II Song Celebration1879Tartu641,272III Song Celebration1880Tallinn48782IV Song Celebration1891Tartu1792,700V Song Celebration1894Tartu2633,951VI Song Celebration1896Tallinn4105,681VII Song Celebration1910Tallinn52710,000VIII Song Celebration1923Tallinn38610,562IX Song Celebration1928Tallinn43615,049X Song Celebration1933Tallinn50016,500XI Song Celebration1938Tallinn56917,501XII Song Celebration1947Tallinn70325,760XIII Song Celebration1950Tallinn1,10631,907XIV Song Celebration1955Tallinn89330,321XV Song Celebration1960Tallinn87529,273XVI Song Celebration1965Tallinn69025,806XVII Song Celebration1969Tallinn77130,230XVIII Song Celebration1975Tallinn64128,537XIX Song Celebration1980Tallinn62728,969XX Song Celebration1985Tallinn67726,437XXI Song Celebration1990Tallinn69028,922XXII Song Celebration1994Tallinn81125,802XXIII Song Celebration1999Tallinn85624,875XXIV Song Celebration2004Tallinn85022,759XXV Song Celebration2009Tallinn86426,430XXVI Song Celebration2014Tallinn1,046Uudiskirjad . Eesti Laulu- ja Tantsupeo SA.33,025XXVII Song Celebration2019Tallinn1,02032,302XXVIII Song Celebration2025Tallinn99031,027XXIX Song Celebration2028TallinnN/AN/A
See also Latvian Song and Dance Festival Lithuanian Song and Dance Festival Singing Revolution
References
External links
Official website Cultural identity, nationalism and changes in singing traditions by Kristin Kuutma The Estonian song festival: a chameleon strategy by Evi Arujärv Estonian Punk Song Festival To Breathe As One, video about the event QTVR fullscreen panoramas of the Estonian Song Festival