Estonia Concert Hall and Theatre

Estonia's main opera house and concert hall, the cultural centrepiece of the city

The Estonia Concert Hall and Theatre is the centre of Tallinn's classical music and opera life, an Art Nouveau building completed in 1913 that houses both the Estonian National Opera and the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. The building on Estonia Avenue is one of the most important pieces of Art Nouveau architecture in Tallinn.

Performances run year-round; the opera and ballet calendar is ambitious for a small country, and ticket prices are very reasonable by Western European standards. The Estonia Theatre's performances are typically in Estonian or their original language with Estonian surtitles, but opera is opera. Check the programme online.

things to do sight
A story
The building played a crucial role in the Singing Revolution. On 11 September 1988, an estimated 300,000 Estonians — a quarter of the country's entire population — gathered on the Song Festival grounds near here for a massive open-air concert that became the first public call for full independence from the Soviet Union. Spontaneous mass singing at the Estonia Theatre and grounds was a recurring feature of the independence movement.

Other places in Things to Do