13th Global Estonian Cultural Days to take place in Stockholm, Tallinn, Narva in 2025

TALLINN - ESTO 2025, the 13th Global Estonian Cultural Days, will be hosted in Stockholm, Tallinn and Narva between June 26 and July 2, 2025.  

The purpose of the festival is to bring together Estonian communities around the world, thus strengthening global Estonianness and the sense of belonging to the Estonian land and people. ESTO 2025 will culminate with the 28th Song Festival and the 21st Dance Festival, which will take place from July 3 to 6, 2025 in Tallinn.

ESTO 2025 will launch in Skansen, Stockholm where in 1925, Estonians participating in a Swedish Dance Festival were inspired to import the Swedish tradition to Estonia. The festival will then be transported by ship and train to Narva. Among the many events being planned for ESTO in Narva are a youth congress focusing on multilingualism, and a high-level business forum. An international Estonian beach volleyball tournament will take place in Narva-Joesuu. Among other cultural events, historical excursions of the Narva and East-Viru County region -- a region that is undergoing significant renewal and revitalization -- are planned.

A national congress organized by the Estonian World Council and a gala event are planned for Tallinn, along with concerts, exhibitions and meetings of various networks.

"We are sincerely glad that the next ESTO will go to Narva. We are already making preparations here with the ESTO chief committee. We are meeting with the representatives of the youth councils of East-Viru County to jointly plan the ESTO youth program," Sirle Soot, chair of the Association of Estonians in Sweden and president of ESTO 2019, said. "For us, the ESTO 2025 slogan 'As One' means global integration and interweaving of contact networks. As part of the ESTO festival, we want to present the story of Narva and involve the local youth in it."

Key organizers and partners include the Association of Estonians in Sweden, NGO ESTO Committee, the Estonian Central Council in Canada, the Network of Estonian Organizations in Finland, the Global Estonian Youth Network, the Association of Estonian Cultural Societies, the Estonian Song and Dance Festival Foundation, the Dance Festival Museum, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Estonian Ministry of Culture, the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, the Estonian embassy in Sweden, the Integration Foundation, the Estonian Institute, the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory, the city of Narva, the city of Tallinn, the city of Narva-Joesuu, the Estonian World Council, NGO Global Estonians and others.