Song Festival Grounds

The I, II, IV and V Song Festivals took place in Tartu, the rest in Tallinn. The present Song Festival Grounds beheld the first festival in 1928, on a specially erected stage. The present stage was built in 1960, when the XV Song Festival took place.
The biggest joined choir that has ever sung on that stage was 24 500 people (during the 100th anniversary in 1969). The joined choir usually comprises of 18 000 people, the whole Song Festival team 25-30 000 people.
On the Song Festival Grounds there is space for more than 100 000 spectators.

Dance Festival

The first Estonian Games, Dance and Gymnastics festival, held in 1934, was the precursor of the present Dance Festival. 1 500 folk dancers performed there.

The Dance Festival is a complete performance with a certain theme. The dancers in their bright national costumes form several colourful patterns on the dance field. The Dance Festival is usually held on the same weekend as the Song Festival. These two festivals commence with a united festive parade through the city from the centre of Tallinn to the Song Festival Grounds.

The greatest Dance Festival of all times (the 9th) took place in 1970 with over 10 000 performers. By then a structure based on age groups had developed with performers including toddlers and seniors, the dancing veterans. The youngest dancer at this festival was 4 years old and the oldest 76! All the following festivals have had the optimal 8 000 performers.

In November 2003, UNESCO declared Estonia’s Song and Dance Festival tradition a masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.