The XXI Dance Celebration “Iseoma” Begins Today

After days full of rehearsals and effort, the long-awaited moment has finally arrived – today, July 3rd, marks the opening of the XXI Dance Celebration “Iseoma.” (Kinship) The festival will bring together a total of 10,938 dancers on stage.

Since Sunday, the dancers have been training at 11 different venues across Tallinn. During the rehearsals, formations have been polished and the stage production finalized. The result will be presented in three performances on July 3rd and 4th. Before the first performance, there will be a dress rehearsal today at 2 PM at Kalev Stadium, and the first performance will begin at 7 PM. On Friday, July 4th, the second performance will start at 11 AM and the third at 6 PM. Each performance will last approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Tickets for all three performances and the dress rehearsal are sold out. Spectators can enter the stadium through the East and West gates. All gates will open to the audience one hour before the start of each performance. More detailed information for visitors, including the event schedule and a map of the Kalev Stadium area, is available on the official Song and Dance Festival website: https://2025.laulupidu.ee/kulastaja-info/.

For thouse who missed out on tickets, there are joint viewings in Tallinn and Tartu on Friday at 6 PM. https://2025.laulupidu.ee/en/news/joint-viewing-of-the-song-and-dance-celebration-in-tallinn-and-tartu-this-weekend/

The artistic director of the dance celebration, Helena-Mariana Reimann, said that preparations have gone smoothly and that the long rehearsal period has been successful. “The dancers and their instructors have worked very hard over several rehearsal days, practicing with focus and consistency. The rehearsals have been intense, but the collaboration has gone well,” she described.

Reimann added that this year’s dance celebrationl tells the story of a family reunion, where each region has its own face and story. “For me, it’s a joyful and heartfelt celebration filled with moments of recognition. The group leaders from across Estonia have done excellent work, bringing dances, games, and stories from their regions to the stage. I’m grateful to everyone who has been part of this long journey,” she said.

Details about the performances can be found here: https://2025.laulupidu.ee/en/dance-celebration-repertoire/