The Estonia 100 Grand Celebration Week opens with Estonia’s first ever poetry festival on Friday, August 17 in Rakvere. The week long Estonia 100 celebrations running from August 17-25 offer more than 200 events with which to celebrate Estonia’s re-independence.
“The culmination of the summer of this centenary year will be ushered in by Estonia’s first ever poetry festival which will fill Rakvere Castle with all the absolute gems of Estonian poetry,” said the Head of the Organising Committee of Estonia 100 Jaanus Rohumaa. “The Estonia 100 Grand Celebration Week encompasses more than 200 events which bring Estonians and their friends together to celebrate as one,” added Rohumaa.
Estonia’s first poetry festival will take place on August 17 at Rakvere Castle. The festival begins at 9 p.m. with close to 100 pieces being recited. The festival will be followed by a concert “Punk Song Celebration – 10 years” to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the punk song festival.
According to Estonia 100 Head of Programme Maarja-Liisa Soe, the anniversary programme from August 17-25 is a diverse one. For those who have yet to take part in any centenary events, the Estonia 100 Grand Celebration Week provides and ideal opportunity to do so. There are one-off and unique events taking place across Estonia. Tour d’ÖÖ (“Tour of the Night”) starts off its largest tour to date, Curly Strings is putting on an anniversary concert on Ruhnu island and that’s far from all,” added Soe.
A selection of opening day events for the Estonia 100 Grand Celebration Week:
· 4 p.m. - book launch for the Estonia 100 book series publication “A Hundred Years of Estonian Roads and Transportation” at the Estonian Bicycle Museum, 9 Pikk St, Väätsa, Järva County
· 9 p.m. - start of the Tour d’ÖÖ (“Tour of the Night”) tour of tours in Haapsalu. August 17-26 will see Tour d’ÖÖ x EV100 public bike rides travel through 11 Estonian cities. Everyone is welcome to participate
· 9 p.m. - Estonia’s first poetry festival begins in Rakvere Castle. In honour of the centenary of the Republic of Estonia, Rakvere Castle will be filled with Estonian poetry. The poetic journey takes us through four time periods with our best poems recited by Estonian actors and actresses as well as community figures
· 10 p.m. - Curly Strings concert on Ruhnu island at the Ruhnurahu Festival, marking the 30th birthdays of the band members as well as the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia
The highlights of the Estonia 100 festive summer week will be broadcast on Estonian Television.
In honour of the country’s centenary, the re-independence of the Republic of Estonia will be celebrated with a Grand Celebration Week which will bring Estonians and their friends together at large joint events. The Estonia 100 week of summer celebrations kicks off on August 17 with the first Estonian Poetry Festival in Rakvere and comes to a close August 25 with the Night of Ancient Bonfires all across Estonia. All of the more than 200 Grand Celebration Week events can be found at
https://www.ev100.ee/enKind regards
Stina Pley
Estonia 100 Communications Advisor
56 900 642
www.ev100.ee