Following a landmark year celebrating Arvo Pärt’s 90th birthday, the 16th Pärnu Music Festival returns to Estonia’s summer capital from 8–18 July 2026, marking 35 years of Estonian Independence. Under the artistic direction of Paavo Järvi, joined by his father Neeme and brother Kristjan Järvi, the festival welcomes more than 300 musicians from around the world, cementing Pärnu’s reputation as Estonia’s summer camp for the musical architects of tomorrow.
Running alongside the annual Järvi Academy Conducting and Instrumental Masterclasses, the 2026 festival presents 11 days of events, including five concerts by the internationally acclaimed Estonian Festival Orchestra, featuring star pianists Rudolf Buchbinder and Alice Sara Ott, as well as the talented young duo Kristīne and Margarita Balanas.
Additional highlights include premieres of new works by Estonian composers Tõnu Kõrvits, Liisa Hõbepappel, Evelin Seppar, and Märt-Matis Lill, and the launch of a new Young Talents Programme mentoring emerging soloists. Set in a secluded Baltic Sea bay and surrounded by iconic landscapes, Pärnu offers an idyllic experience of authentic Estonia.