The Estonian festival’s inaugural edition will see talks and performances from the likes of Elijah, ISAbella, Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh, and the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra.
Between 19-22 September, the inaugural edition of unda festival – organised by the independent, female-led collective unda – is set to transform the Estonian National Museum in Tartu into a hub of nightlife and cultural exchange, celebrating club culture alongside the Estonian National Museum’s 115th anniversary.
Forming part of Tartu’s European Capital of Culture Arts of Survival programme, the festival is set to be a seminal event – the first of its kind to take place at the museum, and the first of its scale to take place locally. Celebrating both a local cultural renaissance and bringing iconic names to Estonia, highlights include a Tresor-curated stage that will see a handful of Detroit techno legends play in one space – to close out the festival, unda and Tresor will present sets by Blake Baxter and DJ Skurge among a host of other talents, including Bloody Mary B2B Handmade and a live audiovisual exhibition from Scvmfvcks.
The line-up will commence with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra performing Computations, the debut album from local electronic music producer Kenn-Eerik Kannike. Meanwhile, Dimitri Hegemann, founder of Berlin’s legendary Tresor club, will present a discussion, How Club Culture Strengthens Social Fabric, which will interrogate how nightlife fosters creativity and community. The opening night also features a performance by Röövel Ööbik, a cult figure of Estonian alternative rock.
The Friday programme includes a discussion with Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh, followed by a presentation from Make The Ting’s Elijah on the relevance of DJ culture in the digital age. ISAbella, Nikolajev, DJ Marcelle, and others will bring frenetic energy into the after-hours.
Saturday’s day programme offers diverse panel discussions, such as Club Space Odyssey, an interrogation of the intersections between architecture and sound hosted by Ann-Katriin Kelder, and Rave Fatigue, an examination of inclusivity in club spaces.
The ethnographic exhibition Who Claims The Night?, curated by Karin Leivategija – which explores human interactions with the night throughout history – will also be open to festival-goers to enjoy during the event.
For more information and to purchase tickets, head to the festival’s website. Student and night tickets are available now here.