Estonian Movement and Wellbeing Festival

Elva is a good example of nature and the urban environment interacting with each other; How urban space can be both a place to move around and relax, but also to be surrounded by nature and enjoy culture. At the Moving and Wellbeing Festival, Elva will make sure to help every visitor find the best way to support their mental and physical wellbeing.

At the Family Festival, visitors can expect a welfare conference, a spectacular experimental concert by the Pärnu City Orchestra, a charity dance marathon and much more. Everyone is welcome, regardless of their physical form or preparation! We wish to show that sports and therapy are not the only way to take care of our physical and mental health – playing the piano or engaging in other enjoyable activities can also boost your health!

On 26-27 July 2024, Elva will host a series of health promotion events for the third time, interspersed with exciting cultural events. While the previous two times focused on sports and experiences, in 2024 the focus will be on physical activity, mental health and wellbeing in general. The event will be called the Estonian Movement and Wellbeing Festival.

The festival will open with a wellbeing conference, where people will be able to discuss health issues with experts from across Europe. Combining the format of the world-famous Ted Talks inspirational talks with the discussion model of a domestic opinion festival, the conference is being developed in partnership with the World University of Tartu.

The events are aimed at visitors of all ages and bring together different generations. One of the biggest joint actions will be the 12-hour charity dance marathon, which is a perfect fit for Europe’s greatest sporting city and the finish line of the Tartu Marathon. The event will feature dances learnt in the ‘Dances from young to old and old to young’ programme.

At the festival, everyone will find an art of survival that suits them best. Whether it’s managing work stress, practising healthy e-sports or using creative therapy. The Pärnu City Orchestra’s experimental concert, which is the highlight of the festival, will give the audience an idea of the physical strain musicians have to endure during their performances – health can also be boosted with cultural training!

One of the aims of the festival is to ensure the best possible access for all visitors. For example, we will use audio descriptions and work with the Estonian Chamber of Disabled People to provide sign-language interpretation for those who need it. Together with the Estonian Association of Creative Therapies we will introduce different creative therapies, and with Elva Family Centre we will teach how to spot someone in need and seek help.

We see active lifestyles as part of an active culture, and we focus on mental and physical wellbeing, so that people living in South Estonia and across Europe would know how to better help themselves. We will combine the best examples of mental and physical health and creative methods, as well as knowledge from different generations. We will also make good use of the urban space of Elva and the natural opportunities in the surrounding area.