Tallinn Song Festival Grounds (Lauluväljak)

The Tallinn Song Festival Grounds (Lauluväljak) at Narva mnt 95 is the open-air amphitheatre where Estonia's national Song Festival is held. The tradition began in 1869 in Tartu and has continued every five years, and it was inscribed by UNESCO in 2003 as part of the Baltic Song and Dance Celebrations on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The present grounds were built in 1959 to 1960 on the Kadriorg shore of Tallinn Bay, with a distinctive arched concrete shell stage designed by the architect Alar Kotli and the engineer Henno Sepmann, and a sloping amphitheatre that holds tens of thousands of listeners. Its capacity for performers is around 20,000 singers on the stage, and a total audience of several tens of thousands more. During the Soviet era the festival was officially controlled, but it was also a place where Estonians preserved language and national songs. The site became globally known during the Singing Revolution. In September 1988, around 300,000 people, nearly a third of the population, gathered at the grounds for the Song of Estonia event, singing patriotic songs that had been forbidden and demanding self-determination. That nonviolent movement led to the declaration of restored independence in 1991. Today the grounds are a protected cultural site and host the Song Festival, concerts and other large events. A 2000s-era renovation improved the stage and the 2010s brought a modern tower and restored stands. Visitors outside event days can walk through the grounds, stand on the stage and see the monument to Gustav Ernesaks, the composer whose Mu isamaa on kallis is considered the unofficial anthem. A nearby statue of the composer faces the field. The grounds are a short trip from the centre by tram or bus and combine well with a visit to Kadriorg.