Tomorrow: Parade and the Opening Concert of the Song Festival

Tomorrow evening at 19:30, the XXVIII Song Festival titled “Iseoma” /Kinship/ will begin with an opening concert at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds, focusing on dialects and regional languages. Before the concert, participants will gather in the city center, with the first groups starting to move toward the Song Festival Grounds at 13:00. 

The opening concert will take place on Saturday, July 5 at 19:30, beginning with a ceremonial lighting of the flame. A combined choir will perform beloved traditional pieces, including Mihkel Lüdig’s “Dawn” (“Koit”) and the Estonian national anthem. The opening will be followed by a speech from President Alar Karis and a concert by selected choirs, featuring music largely based on traditional folk songs and melodies played by folk musicians. The concert will include works by Eduard Tubin, Mart Saar, Miina Härma, Ester Mägi, Peeter Süda, Veljo Tormis, Cyrillus Kreek, and Arvo Pärt, among others. The concert will end at approximately 23:00. Tickets for the opening concert are still available on Piletilevi.

Before the concert, around 45,000 people will gather for the parade in the city center, with the first participants moving toward the Song Festival Grounds starting at 13:00. As a result, the city center and Narva maantee will be closed to regular traffic from 8:30 to 18:00. Traffic will be redirected via Reidi tee and Pirita tee, where the seaside lane of Pirita tee will operate in both directions. Narva maantee between Petrooleumi tänav and Smuuli tee will remain closed to regular traffic until 1:00 AM on July 6. Streets will reopen gradually after the parade and concerts conclude.

To ensure visitors can travel to the opening concert as comfortably and safely as possible, city traffic and public transportation have been rearranged. The City of Tallinn recommends traveling on foot, by bicycle, or by public transport. During the Song Festival, rental scooters can be parked near Russalka monument or the intersection of Turba tänav and Narva maantee. For personal bikes, parking is available near the Russalka Monument and the Mere, Mäe, and Oru gates. Since the bike parking is unattended, cyclists should bring their own locks.

During the Song and Dance Celebration week (July 3–6), Tallinn public transport will operate differently from usual and is free for all passengers. Free travel is also available on Elron trains within Tallinn.

In addition to regular lines, shuttle buses will run to take festivalgoers to and from the Song Festival Grounds. Shuttle line No. 80 will operate frequently on the route Estonia–Bus Station–Sossimägi–Kivimurru–Song Festival on July 5 from 12:00 to 24:00, using long buses. Shuttle line No. 90 will operate between Kumu and the Song Festival Grounds on July 5 from 12:00 to 24:00, serving the Laagna Road Kumu bus stop and parking lot near Kumu, where collective buses are directed.

To accommodate large crowds on concert days, the schedules of main bus lines will be increased. Buses No. 1, 5, 8, 35, 42, 60, 81, and 83, and trams No. 1 and 3 will run more frequently. When leaving the Song Festival Grounds, the City of Tallinn recommends using trams, which are fast, spacious, and not affected by traffic jams. Tram No. 1 also connects to evening special trains departing from Balti Station.

On July 5 and 6, additional buses will be waiting near the gates of the Song Festival Grounds after the concerts to take passengers toward Viimsi and Lasnamäe. Buses to Viimsi will depart from the Mere gate, and those to Lasnamäe from the Mäe gate.

Those who must travel by car can use larger parking areas arranged in cooperation with the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration Foundation. From there, regular buses or shuttle lines will continue to the event. The real-time availability of city park-and-ride lots can be monitored via surveillance cameras. All transport-related information and maps for the event have been gathered on a dedicated website by the City of Tallinn. The most accurate and up-to-date information on schedules, detours, and temporary stops is available on the Tallinn transport website: transport.tallinn.ee.