Tuesday, 31 July - Saturday, 4 August

24th Kuressaare Chamber Music Days
Kuressaare, Saaremaa

Estonia's oldest and best-known international chamber music festival is a popular event that is highly anticipated by its fans and has been a cultural highlight of summmer in Saaremaa since 1995.

Thursday, 2 August - Sunday, 5 August

August Blues Festival 2018
Various locations, Haapsalu

August Blues, which has become a true music lover's paradise, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The main stage is nestled into the beautiful surroundings of the 13th century Haapsalu Castle and will feature big names from the US, the birthplace of the blues, and Europe as well as exciting projects from local performers. The daily programme will offer workshops, exhibitions and traditional acoustic concerts at the old Haapsalu Railway Station. Club 56 Blues in Haapsalu Cultural Centre will keep things hot through the early hours. The festival will feature over 30 concerts on altogether 8 stages, and festivalgoers can enjoy music in the streets and from open-air cafés as well.

Thursday, 2 August - Thursday, 9 August

"Leto"
Cinema Sõprus, Tallinn

Premiering in the competition programme at Cannes Film Festival and winning the award for best soundtrack, "Leto" recalls the atmosphere of the beginning of the 1980s, during which the late Viktor Tsoi, leader of the Russian cult band Kino, began his career. Although the film is based on a true story, it is not a documentary. Kirill Serebrennikov has employed the versatility of his theatre and film directing skills. It is one part delicate and sensitive story, one part postmodern rock opera with elements of experimental theatre; a "La La Land" in a Russian context; a sort of requiem for a generation of janitors and guards who could experience a unique magic and fantasy world in their grey, everyday lives.

Friday, 3 August - Saturday, 4 August

Intsikurmu Festival 2018
Intsikurmu Forest Park, Põlva

Intsikurmu is a festival of music and art, where people from different backgrounds but shared common values find inspiration for new creative endeavours. In addition to the carefully curated musical programme, the festival will also showcase light and video installations as well as art pieces that highlight the magic of the forest park. The festival will also feature a street food area with tasty choices ranging from vegetarian and vegan cuisine to brick-oven pizzas and a fish restaurant, and forest restaurants with table service. Younger festivalgoers can also enjoy the festival's children's area.

Leigo Lake Music Festival 2018
Leigo Farm, Otepää Municipality, Valga County

Nestled in the hilly landscape of Southern Estonia, Leigo Farm and its picturesque lakes are once again hosting guests on its largest lake — that is, the performers will be performing on the lake as the audience watches from the shore. The first day of the festival will feature the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra performing works from Estonia and neighbouring countries, including by Eller, Kreek, Kapp, Mediņš, Sibelius, and Tormis (soloist Mati Turi, conductor Vello Pähn). The end of the second day will be capped off by Beethoven's iconic Symphony No. 9. Live fire installations on the lake and its shores will also accompany both days' final concerts.

Friday, 3 August - Sunday, 5 August

Tartu Food and Wine Festival 2018
Various locations, Tartu

The Tartu Food and Wine Festival offers authentic Estonian culinary tastes courtesy of small producers from Southern Estonia and pop-up restaurants as well as a rich selection of wines. Everyone can participate in open tasting events and get advice from top Estonian sommeliers. Your enjoyment of good food and wine will be complemented by a family-friendly entertainment programme, a unique gourmet dinner, home cafés in various city districts as well as many other tasty and exciting events.

"Grow and Decay" Festival
Narva-Jõesuu

Ecology, contemporary art and social activism will meet at this exploratory festival. Environmental protection and the fight for animal rights have become an integral part of standing up for social equality today. Contemporary art, as well as ecology, helps to abandon anthropocentrism and portray human beings as one strange creature among other similar creatures and things. Within the framework of the festival, an exhibition will be open featuring the work of Estonian, Russian and British artists. The festival will also include an open discussion with artists and eco-activists, a tour in town, a butoh dance master class, a tea ceremony and a lecture on sound ecology, among other things.

6th Eivere Piano Festival
Eivere Manor / Paide Town Hall

This festival is designed to allow the audience to enjoy the art of interpretation by outstanding pianists as well as to develop cultural relations between Estonia and Japan. The programme includes the music of Tchaikovsky, Ravel, Bach, Grieg, Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Sumera and others performed by Irina Zahharenkova, Anahit Nersesyan, Izumi Tateno, Ralf Taal and students of Eivere Summer Academy.

Pühalepa Music Festival 2018
Pühalepa Church, Hiiumaa

The programme of the opening concert of the festival includes J. S. Bach's Coffee Cantata, which will fit perfectly with the theme of Kärdla Café Day. The concert's soloists, Yizhar Karshon (harpsichord) and Genevieve Blanchard (flute) are from Israel, but the festival also features Tanel-Eiko Novikov, winner of the TV programme "Classical Music Stars," and the elderly women's choir Vanaemad together with their wonderful conductor Silvia Mellik, the chamber choir Collegium Musicale, and top Dutch conductor Daniel Reuss. Works by Tüür and Tobias will be performed under Reuss' direction at the festival's closing concert.

Summer Night's International Ballet Gala
Estonian National Opera, Tallinn

At the Summer Night's International Ballet Gala, young dancers from all over the world (New Zealand, USA, Europe, Russia) will perform on the stage of the Estonian National Opera in a programme featuring both new, original choreography as well as gems from the history of classical ballet. The programme will also include brilliant guest soloists Allister Madin and Chloë Réveillon (Paris Opera) as well as Elisabetta Formento Cavaier and Cristiano Principato (Dutch National Ballet).

-

This post originally appeared on the Culture critics' blog at culture.ee.