Festivals

Organised by Tallinn Philharmonic Society
The artistic director Tõnu Kaljuste

The Birgitta Festival began in 2005 under the leadership and artistic direction of Eri Klas and evolved into Tallinn’s premier musical highlight of the summer. Held amidst the ruins of Bridgettine Convent (Pirita klooster), the festival has featured the highest peaks of global talent and future greats who, for years to come, will remember the medieval walls towering in the sunset and the balmy summer evenings.

Each festival typically includes 6-7 high-level international performances and concerts, with past programs featuring artists from Argentina to South Korea.

Eri Klas was the artistic director from 2002 to 2016, followed by Risto Joost from 2017 to 2018. The 2019 festival was dedicated to maestro Klas’s 80th birthday and was organized in cooperation with his like-minded colleagues. The festivals planned under the artistic direction of Dmitri Bertman in 2020 and 2021 were canceled due to restrictions from the spread of the coronavirus. Since 2022, maestro Tõnu Kaljuste has been the artistic director of the festival.

The next Birgitta Festival will take place in August 2026.