This open-air amphitheatre is the site of the main gatherings of Estonia’s national song festivals and assorted rock concerts and other events. Built in 1959, it’s an elegant and surprisingly curvaceous piece of Soviet-era architecture with an official capacity of 75,000 people and a stage that fits 15,000. When there are no events booked it's possible to climb the 42m 'lighthouse' where the festival flame is lit; inside there's a photo display on the history of the song festival.
In September 1988, 300,000 squeezed in for one songfest and publicly demanded independence in what became known as the ‘Singing Revolution’. Approximately half a million people, including a large number of Estonian émigrés, were believed to have been present at the 21st Song Festival in 1990, the last major fest before the restoration of independence. An Estonian repertoire was reinstated and around 29,000 performers sang under the national flag for the first time in 50 years.
