Swedish-Estonian Song and Dance CelebrationEestirootslaste laulu- ja tantsupidu
Haapsalu, Western Estonia and Islands, Estonia
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🎟 Free entry
FestivalAtlas
The Swedish-Estonian Song and Dance Celebration is a periodic cultural festival celebrating the heritage of Estonia’s coastal Swedish minority. Held in Haapsalu’s historic Bishop’s Castle, it includes choral singing, folk dancing and traditional music, often featuring Swedish-language songs and costumes. Although smaller than the national Song Festival (Laulupidu), it is a major event for the Eestirootslased community, uniting participants from across Estonia and even from Sweden and Finland.
Eestirootslased (coastal Swedes) have lived in western Estonia for centuries with a distinct cultural identity. Their song and dance celebrations (laulu- ja tantsupeod) were first held in 1933, halted for decades, and revived in the 2010s. The festival fosters the community’s heritage, including the preservation of the archaic "Hiiumaa kannel" (talharpa) and Swedish dialect songs. Singing and dancing are central to this minority’s cultural expression.
Venues and routes
Haapsalu piiskopilinnus · Haapsalu
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Visitors can attend this bilingual Estonian-Swedish Lutheran church service devoting the festival day. The sacred music connects cultural roots, and it sets a spiritual tone for the celebration.
Choirs, dancers and audience march down Vaba and Karja street toward Haapsalu castle, often wearing folk costumes. Onlookers hear live music and song as the procession winds through town.
Spectators watch large mixed choirs and dance groups on the castle stage. The English-style hall accommodates thousands; the program includes traditional songs, choral works, and community folk dances. Audience can sing along on national songs.
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High crowds
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