Estonian contemporary performing arts showcase 2026

The next Estonian contemporary performing arts showcase takes place from September 7^th to 10^th, 2026. The festival is organized by the Estonian Theatre Agency in close collaboration with the Estonian Theatre Festival DRAAMA.

During the festival, our guests have the opportunity to discover the most exciting new productions that premiered during the 2025/26 season on Estonian stages. Therefore, we are absolutely glad to present:

Lauri Lagle’s grand new work, I DIDN’T EVEN NOTICE YOU LEAVING, a play that a more refined critic might describe as “a loopy potpourri”, “a sick teardown,” or “melancholic musings”; Renate Keerd’s THE SUN DOES NOT BURN AT NIGHT, a physical theatre production about how our smiles have mastered the art of obscuring, while our hearts long for morning; Mart Kangro’s solo piece MEDIUM, where Kangro and his worn-out body are stuck under a waterfall of information overload, trying to figure out how to cope; Liisa Saaremäel’s and Keithy Kuuspu’s WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF, a perfect example of well-executed material theatre, but also an attempt to turn an omelet back into an egg; Juhan Ulfsak’s FEEDBACK on the possibility and impossibility of protest in our minds and on the streets; Hendrik Toompere jr’s 500 YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP, a visually stunning journey that follows the lives of seven women from the 1930s to the present day; Maike Lond’s, Lukas Jansen’s, and Kim Noble’s THREE BALLADS, A STORY AND MY MOTHER’S ESTATE, which, among other things, explores the comeback as a cultural phenomenon and the question of how to return after an absence; and last but not least, Nele Tiidelepp’s 10 WAYS TO DANCE, where the artist has invited 10 people to be the choreographers of the piece, some of whom are very close to dance, while others stand far away from it.

SCHEDULE:

Monday, September 7th (Tallinn):
arrival
19:30 Liisa Saaremäel, Keithy Kuuspu WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF | Kanuti Gildi SAAL’s co-production | in English
21:00 meet & mingle | Kanuti Gildi SAAL

Tuesday, September 8th (Tallinn):
15:00 Nele Tiidelepp 10 WAYS TO DANCE | elektron.art | in English
18:00 Hendrik Toompere jr 500 YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP | Estonian Drama Theatre | surtitles
21:00 Juhan Ulfsak FEEDBACK | Von Krahl Theatre | surtitles
22:30 meet & mingle | Von Krahl Theatre

Wednesday, September 9th (Tartu):
traveling together to Tartu
18:00 Mart Kangro MEDIUM | MTÜ Olevik, Von Krahl Theatre | in English
20:30 Renate Keerd THE SUN DOES NOT BURN AT NIGHT | Tartu New Theatre | surtitles
22:15 meet & mingle | DRAAMA festival club

Thursday, September 10th (Tartu):
12:00 panel discussion: The grand staircases and backstages of European theatre
15:00 Lauri Lagle I DIDN’T EVEN NOTICE YOU LEAVING | Ekspeditsioon | surtitles
20:30 Maike Lond, Lukas Jansen, Kim Noble THREE BALLADS, A STORY AND MY MOTHER’S ESTATE | Kanuti Gildi SAAL’s co-production
21:30 meet & mingle | DRAAMA festival club

Friday, September 11th:
departure

All the shows have an English translation, and some surprises are still coming. Every night, the last performance is followed by an informal reception for our guests and artists. 

Estonian Theatre Agency’s showcase is essentially a festival of contemporary performing arts. The festival is mainly aimed at a few dozen guests, whose expectations and hopes are to find new contacts, partners, artists, and productions to invite to their festivals or theater houses. The Estonian Theatre Agency offers theatre tickets, domestic transportation, and accommodation for four nights to all of our guests.

Please let us know if you are interested in joining us (even if not 100% sure yet) by July 1st, 2026:  
Liisi Aibel / [email protected] / +372 55 90 7002

The Estonian Contemporary Performing Arts Showcase 2026 is organized in collaboration with the Estonian Theatre Agency, the Estonian Theatre Festival DRAAMA, Von Krahl Theatre, Kanuti Gildi SAAL, Estonian Drama Theatre, Tartu New Theatre, and elektron.art.