For travellers
For meetingsBeside being a famous resort town, Pärnu is also a cultural destination with numerous festivals and events for every taste, for music and sports enthusiasts as well as lovers of good food. Traditionally, the largest events are held in summer. However, the Pärnu calendar of events has plenty of events throughout the year.
Pop and electronic music festivals
Beach Grind
The Beach Grind Festival, which takes place in Pärnu Beach Park and Ammende Villa Garden on 12-13 July, is one of the highlights of Pärnu’s summer, attracting many visitors every year. The two-day festival will see the best of Estonian musicians as well as well-known foreign artists to take the stage.
This is a spectacular music event that has become particularly popular with young music lovers.
For rock and blues lovers
Pärnu Blues Days
Blues enthusiasts are welcome to attend the Pärnu Blues Days in the middle of summer. The festival programme includes concerts from Estonian blues virtuosos as well as foreign artists. The main venue of the event is Pärnu Yacht Club, but concerts are also held in other places.
For classical music lovers
Pärnu Music Festival
Pärnu Music Festival is one of the most well-known and highly-rated classical music festivals in Estonia, which, thanks to the great commitment from Neeme Järvi and Paavo Järvi, is gaining more and more recognition in Europe as well. The festival takes place 10-19 July and focuses on orchestral music. On these dates, Pärnu Concert Hall will see a high-level festival orchestra with the best musicians from all over the world.
The festival also includes Järvi Academy with master classes for young people, which are conducted by renowned musicians and educators from Estonia and abroad.
Summer Aria
The Summer Aria concert series, which takes place during the summer months, focuses on vocal music from different eras, as well as the combination of different arts. Talented vocalists present both pop-jazz and classical music. Concerts take place in St. Elisabeth’s Church in Pärnu.
Musica sacra
Musica Sacra, led by Pärnu Opera, features talented musicians and fresh classical music pieces to offer the audience twice a year, in spring and autumn, unforgettable musical moments.
This year’s spring concerts will take place from 9 March to 25 May at the St. Elisabeth‘s Church in Pärnu. In addition to beautiful vocals, you can enjoy the sounds of violin, piano, organ and flute at concerts. The concert series will also have guest musicians performing.
Pärnu Contemporary Music Days
On 20-28 January, the Pärnu Contemporary Music Days will bring in Pärnu composers, musicians and representatives of other fields from Estonia and abroad to jointly delve into the possibilities and behind-the-scenes aspects of contemporary music.
The festival offers workshops, concerts, exhibitions and performances. Pärnu Contemporary Music Days are organised by the Estonian Arnold Schönberg Society.
Opera festivals taking place in Pärnu
Pärnu Opera Days
The Pärnu Opera Days held on July 4-6 will bring in Pärnu guests and music theatres from all over the world. In addition to the well-known pieces, at least one opera that has never or very rarely performed in our theatres will be included in the Opera Days program.
During the Opera Days, Pärnu will become a real meeting place for opera connoisseurs. The festival ends with an opera gala and a festive dinner.
Ooperipäevade ajal saab Pärnust tõeline ooperigurmaanide kohtumispaik. Festival lõppeb ooperigaala ja piduliku õhtusöögiga.
Promfest
PromFest, which takes place every other year in autumn, is an international opera music festival in Pärnu for young opera singers who participate in Klaudia Taev Competition for Opera Singers. Each time, as part of the festival, a new opera performance is produced and put on the stage at Endla Theatre. In addition, the festival program includes the competition of opera singers, as well as lectures and master classes aimed at young singers.
One of the goals of the festival is to discover new and talented opera singers and bring the art of opera closer to young people.
Harmonica and melodeon/accordion festivals
Pärnu Harmonica Festival
The Pärnu Harmonica Festival, held on 14-17 June, is one of the largest music festivals in our region, taking place for the 22nd time.
At the festival, you will see both harmonica and accordion players. The harmonica festival includes concerts, competitions and workshops, where folk musicians, performers and enthusiasts from Estonia and the rest of the world are welcome to participate. Concerts will take place in Pärnu Concert Hall, St. Elisabeth Church, on the Koidula Museum open-air stage and the Kuursaal stage.
Pärnu International Accordion Music Festival
The international folk music festival Lõõtsapalavik (“melodeon fever”), held in autumn, offers various concerts, folk music and dance events all over Pärnu county.
The festival is organized by Pärnumaa Lõõtspillihaigete Selts (“Pärnu county melodeon-fanatics association”).
For Estonian language and literature lovers
Pärnu Literature Festival
The Pärnu Literature Festival, held on 17 August, offers a 12-hour cultural programme featuring the best Estonian literature, beautiful Estonian language, excellent Estonian authors and brilliant language and literature specialists.
The festival takes place in the park named after Lydia Koidula and in her former home, where the Koidula Museum currently operates. The festival includes exciting lectures, meetings with authors and a book fair. Participation is free for everyone and there is a special children’s and youth area.
Official summer kick-off
Hello, Pärnu Summer!
Along with the official start of summer, the eventful Pärnu summer season will be properly kicked off on 21 June at 16:00.
“Hello, Pärnu summer!”, held on 21 June, is a spirited family festival to celebrate the beginning of summer and to symbolically hand over the title of summer capital to Pärnu. The festival’s activities take place in the heart of Pärnu, on the Pärnu River and in the green area by the river next to the city centre bridge. The festival is free for everyone.
Fairs in Pärnu
Pärnu Hanseatic Days
On 28-30 June, the Pärnu Hanseatic Days will take place in Pärnu’s Old Town, introducing the traditions, customs and way of living of the Middle Ages. The activities of the festival are mainly concentrated in the historical Rüütli Street and its surroundings and in the Vallikääru meadow.
Pärnu is a Hanseatic city with a long tradition. The Hanseatic Days have a rich cultural programme, those interested can compete at axe and archery tournaments, there is a medieval market and a crafts fair, where you can buy carefully crafted items.
Pärnu Guild Days
On 2 and 3 August, the Pärnu Guild Days will bring artists and craftsmen from here and there to the streets of Pärnu’s Old Town. The festival takes place in Rüütli, Pühavaimu and Uus streets, as well as in the Steiner Garden.
In Pärnu’s oldest Steiner garden, lined with indigenous trees, guests are treated with domestic farm goods by local farmers and home-baked delicacies are offered at pop-up cafes. The stage will host singers, musicians and dancers.
Supeluse Annual Fair
The Supeluse Annual Fair held on 3 August, will keep the resort town of Pärnu awake for a day and a night to prepare for the send-off of summer season. The tradition of annual fairs in Pärnu goes back to old Swedish, when on the day of the fair, the air was full of vanilla-scent from waffles, a carousel was swirling and the fair turned into a great amusement place in the evening.
The Supeluse Annual Fair offers meaningful activities for the whole family all day, and in the evening the party continues with magical surprises. All this is happening on the main street of the Pärnu resort – Supeluse Street- which is also the centre of summer resort life.
Food and drink festival full of flavours
Good Food Festival – Grillfest
On June 6-7, for one weekend, the Good Food Festival – Grillfest will bring together food lovers and the best Estonian grill masters and cooks at the Vallikääru meadow in Pärnu.
Grillfest has become a popular event, which, in addition to tens of thousands of local food lovers, attracts a large number of foreign visitors.
Exciting and delicious food, combined with a rich cultural program and a pleasant festival atmosphere, will make the Vallikääru meadow buzz. The festival area provides plenty of activities for both young and old.
Mullfest
Mullfest, held on July 06, welcomes all bubble drink enthusiasts in the summer capital, along with their families and friends.
The festival begins with a nice family picnic in Koidula Park, which is free of charge. The event continues in front of Cafe Grand, Pärnu’s oldest café, with wine tastings and an opportunity to enjoy and buy various bubble drinks on site, starting from simpler sparkling wines to real champagnes, as well as non-alcoholic bubble drinks.
International sports events
Pärnu Summer Cup
The Pärnu Summer Cup, an international youth football tournament held on 27-30 June, will bring lots of excitement to the streets and fields of Pärnu, and the spectators can also participate in the activities.
It is one of the largest children’s football tournaments in the Baltics. A total of several thousand young footballers and nearly a few hundred teams from Estonia, Finland, Latvia and other countries will participate in the tournament.
International Equestrian Festival CHI Pärnu
The international equestrian festival CHI Pärnu, held from 24 May to 2 June, will see participants for two consecutive weekends compete in dressage, show jumping, harness racing and eventing at the Maria Equestrian Center near Pärnu. Spectators are very welcome to come and cheer the athletes.
CHI – Concour Hippique Internationale – means an international equestrian competition where international competitions in different equestrian sports are held simultaneously in the same location.
