Tartu 2024 Youth Programme Extended to Organise Three Events and Three Festivals
The youth of the fifth flight of the European Capital of Culture youth programme "Tartu 2024 Extended" will organise three diverse events and three festivals for young people with different interests in Tartu and South Estonia this spring and summer.
“Extended will bring new players to the organising landscape, especially from the youth sector, even after the end of the title year,” said Angela Ader, the creator of the Tartu 2024 Extended programme. “What makes the fifth flight special is the cooperation with the European Capital of Culture Liepaja 2027 youth programme. Almost all the youth events organised in the flight will have an international scope. I believe that such an opportunity is very cool for young people and also offers challenges to us as organisers,” added Ader.
All young people are welcome to take part in the events organized by Extended’s fifth flight.
Tartu Beach Party 2026
Time and place: June 13, 2026 | Tartu Emajõe beach
Let’s celebrate the start of summer without school stress! This completely free beach party is designed to get young people out of their homes and provide a safe environment for socializing and relaxing. The program includes exciting beach sports, the rhythms of young DJs and a soon-to-be-announced headliner. A great opportunity to enjoy music, socialize with friends and capture unforgettable summer photos for social media.
Dräg Folk
Time and place: June 20, 2026 | Aparaaditehas (courtyard and Armastusesaal), Tartu
A unique event that boldly brings together seemingly different, but deeply similar worlds – Estonian drag culture and folklore. The day offers exciting and expanding workshops (such as folk dance and character creation), and the evening brings brilliant drag artists to the stage. The event is part of the “Unconfined Mind” series, the second part of which will take place in Liepāja, supported by the Interreg EstLat project.
Event series “August Friday”
Time and place: Three Fridays in August | Various locations in Tartu
A series created by young people themselves for 13-26 year olds, offering smart and developing pastimes at the end of summer. On three Fridays, educational pop-up activities (such as theme bingos on health, politics and well-being) and youth concerts will take over the city. The first two meetings will take place as part of Tartu Sumina, but on the third Friday, August 21, a big party for high school youth awaits. Added value is created by cultural exchange with the youth of Liepāja as part of the Youth Connect project, supported by Interreg EstLat.
WHERE? Festival
Time and place: 27–29 August 2026 | Tartu
A three-day festival born from the dreams of young people in Southern Estonia for the third time. It is an honest and open space for experimentation and drawing attention to important topics (such as equality and societal attitudes towards young people). The festival connects young people through music, sports, art and good food, offering a stage for those who want to shine.
Two events organized by Extended V have already taken place so far. The fashion show “Endless Cut”, which took place on April 24 in Võru, and the youth festival “What’s Next?” on May 3 in Tartu.
The fashion show “Endless Cut” was a fashion event inspired by nature and everyday life, which brought fresh creations from six young designers from Southern Estonia to the stage. The show, which had over 100 visitors, evaluated the collections by an expert jury consisting of local designers, an Extended representative and the mayor of Võru, who selected their favorite shows and models. It was a real homage to local youth fashion! The event was created in collaboration with Võru Kreutzwald School.
The youth festival “What’s Next?” was an educational and inspiring festival aimed at young people aged 15–19 to help them think about their future choices through creative fields. The day was filled with practical dance, acting and art workshops. Well-known artists such as Karl Robert Saaremäe, Brianna Berens and Iris Viru shared their experiences. The evening culminated in a lively party where young soloists and bands took to the stage with their pop, rock and folk rhythms.
Tartu 2024 Extended is a development programme for young people aged 14–19 in Tartu and South Estonia, which began as part of the European Capital of Culture process. The programme, which consists of nine sessions, teaches them how to organise international cultural events.
This year, the fifth flight of Tartu 2024 Extended will complete with 24 participants, and so far Extended has trained over 100 young people in five years.
In cooperation with the Tartu Youth Work Center, the Civil Society Foundation and mentors, a manual has also been prepared on how to involve young people more in the creation of culture.