About
Song Festival Grounds (Lauluväljak, also known as Lauluväljakud) is an outdoor amphitheater on Narva mnt 95 in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, in Harju County. It is one of the best-known monuments in the country, and a place where a great deal of Estonian life gathers.
What you will find
The grounds are a large, open setting built for music on a grand scale. Estonia's Song Festival is held here every five years, and the venue can accommodate up to 100,000 spectators and performers. Standing among the rows of seats, you get a sense of how many people can join in a single voice.
Why it matters
The Song Festival has played a crucial role in the country's independence movement. Visiting the grounds means seeing a place where singing became a shared expression of national identity, and where that identity was affirmed in public.
Planning your visit
- Location: Narva mnt 95, 10127 Tallinn, on the main road leading east from the city centre.
- Best timing: The grounds are liveliest during the festival, which takes place every five years, though the site is worth seeing at other times for its scale and history.
- Contact: +372 611 2103.
Pair your visit with a walk through central Tallinn, whose medieval old town lies a short distance from the city's main roads and offers a wider picture of the city's past and present.
