Tartu 2024 Summer Celebration Brings Beloved Estonian Artists On Stage
This Saturday, August 3, the European Capital of Culture will transform Tartu’s city centre into a summer celebration featuring beloved Estonian artists. The event will include nostalgic songs from the golden era of Estonian music and conclude with a performance by the band Winny Puhh, often dubbed the world's quirkiest band. The event is free.
The Tartu 2024 Summer Celebration starts with the concert performance “Arts of Survival at the Crossroads” by Tanel Jonas and Laura Võigemast, telling a lively story about Tartu. The journey of Tartu and Southern Estonia becoming the European Capital of Culture is explored through songs from the golden age of Estonian pop and popular music, including newly arranged versions of classics like “Kaua sa kannatad,” “Segased lood,” “Ära möödu must lähedalt,” “Sepa kahurikuul,” and “Armastus päästab maailma.”
Performers at the Tartu 2024 Summer Celebration include Ollie, Peeter Volkonski, Sissi, Liisi Koikson, Nele-Liis Vaiksoo, Heidy Tamme, Priit Volmer, and many others. The festival will also feature a humorous and energetic performance by Märt Avandi and Ott Sepp. Lyrics for audience sing-alongs can be found on the Tartu 2024 website.
Director Tanel Jonas was inspired by the theme of “crossroads” for the concert performance. “The musical and dynamic of the show begins with the creation of the world, as fire and water unite, and continues with significant encounters. The eternal philosophical intersection between the egg and the chicken is explored, along with the exchange of blood and promises, clashing egos, and the merging of communities,” Jonas explained. “This is the story of Tartu, situated at the crossroads of cultures and narratives, within the context of world history and myths.”
The event features live music by a band, the Tartu Academic Male Choir, and four dance groups: Shaté Dance School, Janika Gymnastics Club, Leigarid Tartu Group, and dancers from Tähtvere Dance Center.
The Tartu 2024 Summer Celebration begins at 22:00 on Saturday, August 3, on a specially constructed stage at Car-Free Avenue in the centre of Tartu. The event will be broadcast by Estonian Public Broadcasting. The celebration will conclude with a concert by the Southern Estonian metal-punk band Winny Puhh, who are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year.