On Sunday morning, the fire for the Song and Dance Festival was lit in the park of the Estonian National Museum in Tartu. This marked the start of an 18-day journey of the fire across Estonia. The fire will reach Tallinn on July 2.
The fire was lit by the artistic committee of the festival along with leaders. A special oak tree and a memorial stone were planted in the park to remember this event. During the ceremony, performances were given by the Karlova School Children's Choir, the University of Tartu Mixed Choir, the Soveldaja dance group, and singers Andre Maaker and Margo Kõlar.
The fire will now travel across Estonia, stopping at places important to local culture. This journey will last for two and a half weeks.
Margus Toomla, the director of the Estonian Song and Dance Festival Foundation, said the fire's journey symbolizes the start of the festival. It brings the spirit of the festival from Tallinn to everyone nearby.
The tradition of carrying the fire from Tartu to Tallinn started in 1969. Since 1990, it has been part of the Song and Dance Festival tradition. The Estonian Song and Dance Festival Foundation organizes this journey with local governments and the ESTO team.
On Sunday and Monday, the fire will travel through Tartu County. Everyone is invited to watch the fire's journey.