August Dance Festival

August Dance Festival is one of the most famous festivals in Estonia, showcasing the city's culture in the most spectacular way possible. It focuses on Estonia's many folk dance forms. This festival, which takes place in the last week of August, honors those genres that are popular not just among Estonians, but also throughout the Baltic area.

The Dance Celebration is a full-fledged show with a specific theme. On the dance field, the dancers wear vivid national costumes with a variety of colorful motifs. The Song Celebration and the Dance Celebration are generally held on the same weekend. The Song Festival Grounds and the Tallinn City Center are the starting points for these two festivals, which begin with a joint joyful march around the city. Estonia's Song and Dance Celebration tradition was named a masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in November 2003. Around 100 000 individuals attended the XXIV Song and XVII Dance Celebrations in July 2004, either as performers or observers. Due to heavy rain, the dance performance and formal parade were canceled for the first time in the festival's history; nonetheless, 7000 people staged a spontaneous procession.