XXXI Viljandi Folk Music Festival Starts Tomorrow
For four days, the biggest festival at the end of July will cover nine hectares of land, feature nine stages, and host nearly five hundred performers across various stages and workshops. The main program includes 70 concerts at the festival area and the Viljandi Baptist Church, with an equal number of concerts on the innovative Old Town stages, the Green Stage, and the Sõprade Hoov.
The festival organizers recommend arriving in Viljandi by public transport if possible or parking cars in the city's designated parking areas and continuing on foot or by bicycle. Three additional trains will run between Tallinn and Viljandi, with departure times available on Elron's website. This year, the festival will occupy Freedom Square, the Song Festival Grounds, Tasuja Boulevard, Castle Hills, Kauba Street, Pikk Street, Munga Street, Sepa Street, Lossi Street, Väike-Turu Street, Johan Laidoner Square, a section of Lutsu Street next to the square, and various parking lots on Kauba, Kiriku, Reinu Road, and Hariduse Streets. Traffic restrictions related to the festival will be updated on the Tark tee application and will also be available on Waze. Information on parking opportunities in the city can be found on the festival's website.
Viljandi Folk Music Festival encourages attendees to reuse their food containers and drink cups. Visitors are invited to bring their own durable dishes (except glass), which can be washed at dishwashing points. Those without their own dishes can use the deposit and service fee system to get food and drink in deposit containers. These containers can be cleaned at the dishwashing points and stored for the next meal or drink. When leaving the festival, containers can be returned to Eesti Pandipakend return points for a deposit refund, though the €1 service fee per dish remains to cover festival costs. Personal food and drinks are not allowed in the festival area, but free tap water refills for personal containers are available.
To ensure a pleasant festival experience for everyone, attendees are asked to leave umbrellas at home and use raincoats instead, which can be brought from home or purchased at the festival shop if necessary. Pets should be left at home, but guide, hypo, assistance, and service dogs are welcome.
The Viljandi Folk Music Festival is open to all music lovers, and the companion of a person with a severe disability can attend for free. Most concert venues are accessible, though some may be difficult to reach without assistance.
The festival begins on Thursday with a parade at 12:30 pm from near the bus station and an opening concert at Kaevumäe at 1:00 pm. Thursday’s program will feature half of the international artists and notable Estonian performers, including a concert by Puuluup. While entry to the Viljandi Folk Music Festival is generally through various passes, individual tickets can exceptionally be purchased for Jaak Johanson Stage concerts, held on Friday and Saturday at the Viljandi Baptist Church. The final day of the festival will keep the excitement going with performances by Zetod and special projects “Ando and Friends 55” and “Sing My (Folk) Song.”
The Green Stage, mainly featuring younger performers and ensembles, has moved this year to the innovative Old Town area, located in Laidoner Square. The Old Town area stretches along Pikk Street from Villa Maria to the Kondase Center and along Lossi Street to Laidoner Square. From Lossi Street, one can also access the Village Musicians’ Stage, named Friends’ Yard this year, which was previously known as Õlleõu. Entry to the Old Town area is free.
The Viljandi Folk Music Festival, along with its attendees, is environmentally conscious, joyful, and youthful, attracting nearly 25,000 music enthusiasts each year.
Viljandi Folk Music Festival encourages attendees to reuse their food containers and drink cups. Visitors are invited to bring their own durable dishes (except glass), which can be washed at dishwashing points. Those without their own dishes can use the deposit and service fee system to get food and drink in deposit containers. These containers can be cleaned at the dishwashing points and stored for the next meal or drink. When leaving the festival, containers can be returned to Eesti Pandipakend return points for a deposit refund, though the €1 service fee per dish remains to cover festival costs. Personal food and drinks are not allowed in the festival area, but free tap water refills for personal containers are available.
To ensure a pleasant festival experience for everyone, attendees are asked to leave umbrellas at home and use raincoats instead, which can be brought from home or purchased at the festival shop if necessary. Pets should be left at home, but guide, hypo, assistance, and service dogs are welcome.
The Viljandi Folk Music Festival is open to all music lovers, and the companion of a person with a severe disability can attend for free. Most concert venues are accessible, though some may be difficult to reach without assistance.
The festival begins on Thursday with a parade at 12:30 pm from near the bus station and an opening concert at Kaevumäe at 1:00 pm. Thursday’s program will feature half of the international artists and notable Estonian performers, including a concert by Puuluup. While entry to the Viljandi Folk Music Festival is generally through various passes, individual tickets can exceptionally be purchased for Jaak Johanson Stage concerts, held on Friday and Saturday at the Viljandi Baptist Church. The final day of the festival will keep the excitement going with performances by Zetod and special projects “Ando and Friends 55” and “Sing My (Folk) Song.”
The Green Stage, mainly featuring younger performers and ensembles, has moved this year to the innovative Old Town area, located in Laidoner Square. The Old Town area stretches along Pikk Street from Villa Maria to the Kondase Center and along Lossi Street to Laidoner Square. From Lossi Street, one can also access the Village Musicians’ Stage, named Friends’ Yard this year, which was previously known as Õlleõu. Entry to the Old Town area is free.
The Viljandi Folk Music Festival, along with its attendees, is environmentally conscious, joyful, and youthful, attracting nearly 25,000 music enthusiasts each year.