Kumu Art Museum
Estonian art across empire, independence, Soviet rule and restoration, plus Triumph of Galatea: Art in the Age of AI, closing 9 August.
The decision
Build the trip around three forms of public culture.
Tallinn supplies institutions: the digital state, AI Leap, museums, archives and living literary memory.
Paide supplies practice: dialogue, youth participation, civic simulations, public argument and cultural performance.
The useful comparison is not “digital versus cultural Estonia,” but how a small society turns identity, technology and democracy into things people can participate in.
Fixed Thursdaye-Estonia 10:00–11:30 · HARNO 13:00–14:30
FestivalFri 7–Sat 8 Aug · Paide Vallimägi
Best culture deadlineKumu AI exhibition closes Sun 9 Aug
Language reality12 English sessions · 8 marked simultaneous translation
AdmissionFestival pass required; free or self-selected donation
The trip at a glance
realistic, not aspirationalThe route below respects arrival, the two confirmed Thursday meetings, the Paide weekend and the Monday flight.
Wed 5 Aug
Culture by day → Paavli by nightAfter the 11:35 arrival, choose one or two museums rather than racing through three. Best evening: Jaakko Eino Kalevi’s psychedelic-pop Garden Session at Paavli, 19:00 (€25, tickets available 4 Aug). Alternative: English KGB Cells tour, 18:00.
Thu 6 Aug
Digital state, education and one coherent evening10:00 e-Estonia · 13:00 HARNO. Then choose Kumu 17:00–20:00; or free Nõmme concerts 18:00–21:00; or PoCo’s English “Women are pop!” tour at 18:00. Tallinn University Academic Library is closed.
Fri 7 Aug
AI, democracy and performed literature14:00 English AI panel · 16:00 translated AI/activism · meetings · 20:00 poetry slam · 22:30 Wittenstein night walk.
Sat 8 Aug
Youth dialogue and participation methods12:00 youth-led AI dialogue · 13:00 Nordic-Baltic dialogue movement · 14:00 Karjus meeting/panel or 14:30 English collaboration session · afternoon meetings.
Sun 9 Aug
Choose the day around its endingThe Cure: doors 18:00, programme 19:00, remaining tickets €95/€125. Before it, choose Kumu + Telliskivi Food Truck Festival, or free Nõmme sets culminating in NOËP acoustic at 16:00. Intimate alternative: Alexei Aigui’s solo violin set at Fort Bar, 19:00.
Mon 10 Aug
Departure 12:15Only parcel collection or a quick central stop. Do not save REaD for Monday; it is closed.
Six cultural anchors
if time collapsesVabamu
The clearest compact account of occupation, exile, restored freedom and continuing democratic responsibility. NoVa adds youth media and disinformation education.
Kalamaja Museum
A resident-authored neighbourhood museum and internationally recognised case in shared authority, participation and everyday social history.
Under–Tuglas
The closest Fredheim comparison: writerly home, garden, archive, salon and research institute kept legible as one cultural ecology.
Children’s Literature Centre
Archive library, public children’s library, book museum, illustration galleries and national reading-development work under one roof.
Wittenstein, Paide
Eight-period “time machine,” craft workshops, food, a special Estonian-book-history display and a night walk: an excellent test of immersive interpretation.
Live cautions
do not discover these on the pavementClosed
National Library main building until May 2027 · Patarei until 2027 · Banned Books Museum 2–11 August · Tammsaare’s Tallinn apartment during renovation.
Language
Most sessions involving your recommended people are Estonian-only. Use those as precise meeting windows, not as assumed English programme.
Sold out
The 9 August Vargamäe valvur performance is currently sold out — and it is Estonian-only, 2.5 hours indoors. Skip the seats; visit the Tammsaare museum farm (open Tue–Sun 11–18) for the phenomenon instead. Do not build Sunday around the play.
Stale listing corrected
The visible Birgitta programme with Cyrano de Bergerac on 5 August and End and Beginning on 6 August is the festival’s 2024 programme, not a confirmed 2026 event. There is no live 2026 ticket listing. Do not go to Pirita expecting a performance.
Book now
Take the festival pass, reserve Miiamilla if wanted, pre-register the Jewish Museum, and arrange Under–Tuglas, specialist libraries and archives in advance.
Free time, live-checked
Wed 5 · Thu 6 · Sun 9 AugustThe strongest new finds are a genuinely good independent concert on arrival night, free neighbourhood music after HARNO, and The Cure’s first Estonian show on Sunday. Availability below was checked 4 August; follow the ticket links before setting out.
Jaakko Eino Kalevi
Finnish psychedelic pop, synth electronics, cosmic disco and experimental rock in Paavli’s outdoor Garden Sessions. The most distinctive language-independent first-night option.
Muusikalinna lavad
MUBA students at 18:00, Maarja Aarma duo at 19:00 and a DJ at 20:15. Geographically excellent after HARNO and Under–Tuglas; an actual neighbourhood summer evening rather than a tourist show.
The Cure
First Estonian concert, with Duo Ruut and Antti Paalanen. €75/€85 GA tiers sold out; €95 GA and €125 fan-zone remained on 4 August. Treat the Quarter as an outdoor venue and check the final weather/practical notice.
Wednesday 5 August
arrival 11:35 · keep slackRecommended: museum + Paavli
Drop bags, then do one or two of Children’s Literature Centre, Vabamu and Kalamaja Museum. Reset over an early dinner and reach Paavli for the 19:00 Garden Session. Regular €25 and youth €15 tickets were live on 4 August.
Do not preserve the old three-museum sprint if it makes the first evening stressful.
English KGB Cells tour
A confirmed 50-minute public tour on the people imprisoned, tortured and murdered in the KGB’s Old Town pre-trial detention centre. Strong, compact and easy to combine with dinner.
Choose this instead of a relaxed Paavli transfer, not as one more stop.
Marcus & Martinus sold out
The 19:00 Helitehas show has no regular or VIP tickets left. Only consider an official release or reputable face-value resale.
No Birgitta tonight
Cyrano de Bergerac on 5 August is a stale 2024 programme page. The date match is accidental; no 2026 performance or ticket listing is live.
Thursday 6 August
three choices after HARNOKumu, 17:00–20:00
Keep the original plan if the AI/culture strand matters most: Triumph of Galatea closes Sunday, and the permanent galleries make the better institutional comparison.
Nõmme concerts, 18:00–21:00
Best experiential alternative: local students, Maarja Aarma’s duo and a DJ in Vabaduse Park. It also avoids crossing the city after an Under–Tuglas appointment.
“Women are pop!”
English tour on women as pop-art subjects, overlooked women artists and contemporary practitioners. Limited tickets; online sales close 24 hours before the tour.
Sunday 9 August
choose the ending firstThe Cure day
Kumu 10:00 → Telliskivi lunch → concertSee the closing AI exhibition if missed Thursday; sample the 50+ trucks, concerts and DJs at the Food Truck Festival; then rest before 18:00 doors. Do not add Kai and EKKM as well.
Free-music day
Morning museum → Nõmme 13:00–17:00 → The CureSaara & Elsa at 13:00, Some Times at 14:30, NOËP acoustic at 16:00. Allow 35–45 minutes for the transfer and concert queue.
Intimate day
Maarjamäe → Kai → EKKM → Alexei AiguiThe existing art route still works. End with Aigui’s instrumental, improvised solo-violin programme at Fort Bar, Pikk 43, 19:00.
Tallinn Food Truck Festival
More than 50 Estonian and neighbouring-country trucks, a concert programme, DJs and audience voting. The main listing still lacks dependable Sunday hours and admission details; re-check before relying on a specific time.
Alexei Aigui solo
Film composer and improvising violinist in a compact Old Town venue. The strongest alternative if a close, language-independent neoclassical/improvised set appeals more than a large rock show.
Book / decide
as of 4 AugustDecide now
Jaakko Eino Kalevi (€25) · The Cure (€95+) · PoCo English tour before its 24-hour cutoff.
No booking currently stated
Nõmme city concerts are free. The KGB tour is paid on site. Food Truck Festival hours/admission still require a same-day check.
Full source notes and the reasoning behind each route are in FREE-TIME-ACTIVITIES.md.
Opinion Festival 2026
7–8 August · PaideThe official live schedule contains 296 entries including repeated and all-day activities. This guide separates what is actually usable in English, what has simultaneous translation, and which Estonian sessions are worth arranging around for people or method.
Pass and registration
A festival pass is required and can be obtained free or with a self-selected donation. The programme exposes no session-specific registration links. The cycling excursion is the one practical exception; sauna dialogues are first-come for roughly ten people.
Translation icons
“Simultaneous translation” appears on eight sessions, but the programme does not specify direction, headsets or capacity. Sign-language interpretation is a different icon and should not be confused with Estonian–English translation. Confirm logistics with the information point or festival team.
Recommended spine
the two-day answerFriday 7 August
14:00–15:30
How Will AI Shape Estonia’s Society in the Next Five Years?
Area 16 · Püsime kursil / Onward & On Course
AI across labour, ICT, government, manufacturing and health. Kirke Maar of Eesti.ai joins Toomas Polli, Reet Kaurit and Priit Salumaa; Taavi Tammiste moderates for the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Best accessible national overview and the strongest concrete meeting hook: ask Maar for 15 minutes immediately afterwards.
16:00–17:30
Aktivism tehisintellekti ajastul: kes kontrollib võimu?
Activism in the age of AI: who controls power? · Area 31, Meeleavardus
How automation changes labour power, democracy and the political agency of people whose leverage once came from controlling production. With TI-Hüpe project lead Laura Kalda, David Ilmar Lepasaar Beecher, Tõnis Saarts and Helen Eenmaa; moderated by Leen Selart.
The weekend’s sharpest intersection of AI and democracy. Prefer it over the simultaneous English culture/defence panel unless the Hamar resilience link dominates.
20:00–21:30
Eesti Slämm — Eesti Luuleprõmmu Finaal 2026
Estonian Poetry Slam final · Festivaliklubi
Eight finalists from Tallinn and Tartu compete for the right to represent Estonia at the European Poetry Slam in Graz. The audience chooses the winner. Guests are Tartu performance poet MURCA and Finnish Nordic champion Jonna Nummela, whose work includes English slam poems and incantatory regivärss.
A living, participatory literary culture and a direct comparison with Tähetund, recitation and collective formation—even when the text is only partly accessible.
22:30–00:30
Müstiline öörännak Paide vanalinnas
Mystical night walk through Paide Old Town · Wittenstein Time Centre
Historian Ründo Mülts leads a two-hour night walk from Veski 11. No registration or English translation is listed.
Contact Wittenstein before the trip for a short English framing or parallel accommodation; use the walk to study how regional history becomes performance.
Saturday 8 August
12:00–13:00
Should AI Access Be Limited for Youth?
Dialogue Tent
Young participants from the Estonian Dialogue Academy’s year-long Youth Dialogue Lab lead the discussion themselves: AI for homework, learning, dependency and whether restrictions analogous to social-media limits are justified.
The strongest method case in the programme: young people facilitate rather than merely supply testimony to an adult panel.
13:00–14:00
Dialogues and Complicated Topics: How to Discuss Important Issues Without Fighting
Area 16 · Püsime kursil / Onward & On Course
Estonia’s first nationwide Dialogue Day in comparison with Finland’s Dialogue Academy and Latvia’s DOTS Foundation. With Maria Gratschew, Küllike Kullerkupp, Janne Kareinen and Lauma Žubule; organised with the Estonian Cooperation Assembly.
The best programme-level answer to “how does Estonia build dialogue capacity?” and a direct route to Nordic-Baltic practitioners.
14:00–15:30
Kellel lubame otsustada, kes Eestisse elama tuleb?
Who may decide who comes to live in Estonia? · Area 3, Kultuuririkkus
AI in migration decisions: efficiency, ethics, values and who bears responsibility for decisions affecting individuals and social cohesion. With Jüri Vlassov, Sofia Paes, Andres Karjus and Pärtel Preinvalts.
Arrange an English interview with Karjus at 15:30. Without that appointment, choose the English 14:30 collaboration session instead.
14:30–16:00
What Happens When People Build Together?
Area 16 · Püsime kursil / Onward & On Course
Why chaotic, intense hackathons sometimes produce more trust and durable collaboration than conventional networking. Hosted by Mari Hanikat with long-time Garage48 mentor Triin Preem.
A useful accessible comparison to hackathons, creative sprints and AI-klubb1; take it if the Karjus meeting is not confirmed.
16:30–18:00
The Hidden Environmental Cost of the Digital World
Area 16 · Püsime kursil / Onward & On Course
Energy, data centres, minerals, devices and e-waste behind AI prompts, streaming and cloud services. With Kristel Kriisa, Anastasija Nikiforova and Kaspar Kinsiveer.
Good if meetings fail; otherwise this is the most expendable item in the English spine.
All English sessions
12 in the live programmeThese are all events whose programme language field is English, not just the recommended ones above.
EU Deforestation Regulation
How EUDR changes business, forests and coffee, with Fairtrade Finland’s Janne Kareinen and participants across production, government and environmental advocacy.
How Will AI Shape Estonia?
Government, work, industry and health with Kirke Maar, Toomas Polli, Reet Kaurit and Priit Salumaa.
Culture and Defence
Culture as part of resilience and total defence, with the Danish Culture Institute, Danish defence attaché and Narva Museum researcher Julitta Khlystun.
Resilience in Practice
Emergency support hubs, rescue services and community preparedness in Estonia, Finland, Sweden and the Netherlands.
CBRN risks beyond tanks
The data marks this chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear preparedness panel as English despite its Estonian title and description. Verify on site.
Do They Belong Here?
Immigrant experience, cultural expectations and belonging in Estonia with residents from Nigeria and Pakistan, recruiter Renita Käsper and professor Raivo Vetik.
Should AI Access Be Limited for Youth?
A public, youth-led dialogue developed through the Youth Dialogue Lab.
Degrowth as Collective Survival
Grete Arro and Tallinn University researchers ask whether welfare can be disconnected from endless consumption and resource use.
Dialogues and Complicated Topics
Estonia’s Dialogue Day and neighbouring dialogue movements, organised with the Estonian Cooperation Assembly.
What Happens When People Build Together?
Hackathons, trust and community-building with Garage48 mentor Triin Preem.
Dialogue in International Crisis Regions
Maintaining trust and cooperation amid polarisation in Armenia, Georgia and the Middle East.
Hidden Environmental Cost of Digital
Energy, data centres, raw materials, e-waste and the physical infrastructure behind digital convenience.
All simultaneous-translation sessions
direction not published| When | Session | Language | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 14:00 | Protest culture: from Popular Front to spinelessness Why mass civic mobilisation faded after the Singing Revolution. | Estonian + translation | Strong democracy/history alternative, but clashes with English AI. |
| Fri 16:00 | Activism in the age of AI Automation, political leverage and who controls power. | Estonian + translation | Priority 1. |
| Sat 10:30 | End-of-life and death awareness in Estonia | Estonian + translation + sign language | Good social anthropology, outside core brief. |
| Sat 12:30 | Degrowth as a Collective Survival Strategy | English; translation also marked | Good environmental/education alternative. |
| Sat 12:30 | Medical gaslighting: paternalism to partnership | Estonian + translation + sign language | Strong participatory-health format. |
| Sat 14:30 | Family caregivers strike tomorrow—how long can the state last? | Estonian + translation + sign language | High-value welfare-state discussion. |
| Sat 16:30 | Is civil disobedience justified? | Estonian + translation | Useful democracy alternative. |
| Sat 16:30 | Vocational education for learners needing support | Estonian + translation + sign language | Relevant to inclusion and education. |
High-value Estonian programme
attend for people or methodNo simultaneous translation is listed for the sessions below. Their English summaries make the choice legible, but an arranged conversation is often more valuable than sitting through the panel.
Fri 12:00 · Who raises us to be citizens?
Area 31 · Progressiivne Liikumine. The gap between school-based civic education and real political participation: distrust, youth activism and the significance of recent local elections. With Daniel Kõiv, UN youth delegate Miriam Kalja and student-union deputy Ronja Ansmann.
Fri 12:30 · The 16-year-old voter
Youth area · dialogue circle · Good Discussion Leader. Young people and experts debate extending Estonia’s lowered local/European voting age to parliamentary elections. Valuable format, but Estonian-only.
Fri 12:30 · Estonia creates the world’s first agent state
Eesti.ai area · Henrik Roonemaa hosts. AI agents receiving official digital identities, how this extends Estonia’s e-state story and whether public infrastructure can outpace Visa/Mastercard initiatives. Use it as a meeting hook with Roonemaa.
Fri 14:00 · AI’s invisible environmental footprint
Margit Sutrop, Madis Vasser, Sunly and Bisly discuss the energy, infrastructure and finite resources behind institutional AI adoption. It clashes with the stronger English national AI panel.
Fri 14:30 · School relationships in the age of AI
Youth area. AI-generated content, companion systems, deepfakes, loneliness and bullying, with a student, school leader and Kiusamisvaba Kool programme manager. Excellent AI/youth content but overlaps the English AI panel.
Fri 16:00 · Sacrificing human rights for AI?
Privacy, equality, speech and fair treatment with equality commissioner Christian Veske, Anu Masso, constitutional-law scholar Paloma Krõõt Tupay and AIPowerment’s Gerlyn Tiigemäe. No translation; contact Tiigemäe separately.
Fri 16:00 · School democracy: deciding together or for the learner?
Good Discussion Leader. Whether student councils are genuine decision bodies or ceremonial structures. Strong youth-participation content, but it clashes with the translated AI/activism priority.
Fri 16:00 · AI in higher education: rules still forming
AI use, responsibility, privacy, academic independence and trust with students, Martin Noorkõiv and Margit Sutrop. Good moderation badge; Estonian-only.
Fri 18:30 · Help! I’m not allowed into the museum!
Area 26 · strategic discussion · Good Discussion Leader. Four young people—not adult experts—discuss declining school museum visits, cost, rules and cultural poverty. Organised by the Estonian Museum Association and Museums Union. Ask for an English debrief.
Fri 18:30 · Latvia has IT in the curriculum; Estonia does not
Whether digital-state credibility can survive unequal access to programming and IT education. Riin Saadjärv joins school and banking practitioners. A useful route around unanswered AI Leap outreach.
Sat 10:00 · Exile and nation
How language, diaspora, Finno-Ugric cultures and political struggle sustain national identity in exile. With folklorists, linguists and Vabamu/NoVa contact Ede Schank-Tamkivi. Arrange an English conversation at 11:30.
Sat 12:00 · AI in culture: is the creator the next extinction?
Training transparency, copyright, regulation and income loss with lawyer Priit Lätt, filmmaker Liina Triškina-Vanhatalo, ministry AI/data head Keaty Siivelt and Cannes/Tallinn Digital Summit strategist Sten-Kristian Saluveer. Very strong culture/AI content, but it conflicts with the English youth dialogue.
Sat 14:30 · Civil-society simulation
Audience members role-play environmentalists, developers, local government, scientists and residents negotiating a proposed wood-processing plant. One of the best participatory formats, but difficult without Estonian; ask organiser Kärt Kalvet for the method.
Sat 14:30 · Passing on the Tiger: who carries Estonia’s digital story?
Workshop hosted by Triin Hertmann. A critical intergenerational test of the Tiger Leap/digital-state myth: do younger founders think the tiger is still alive? No registration is listed; arrive early if attending.
Sat 16:00 · If participation is not convenient, does it disappear?
A practitioner circle on the under-representation of Russian-speaking young people in youth councils and policymaking. With Narva school leaders, student representatives and youth-development practitioners. Excellent inclusion case; arrange an English methods conversation.
Sat 16:00 · Can AI solve Estonia’s digital-state problems?
Whether 15 high-impact AI projects are distraction or repair for stalled public IT. The programme lists Markus Villig or Luukas Kristjan Ilves or Henrik Roonemaa alongside party representatives—treat the named tech participant as provisional.
Sat 18:00 · Securitisation: necessity or a slope toward autocracy?
How framing more policy as national security may erode democratic balance. Tõnis Saarts, former KAPO chief Arnold Sinisalu, defence official Kadri Peeters and Cooperation Assembly democracy expert Maarja-Leena Saar. Arrange a separate English conversation.
Culture and evening programme
discussion does not stop at the stage edgeEstonian Poetry Slam
Eight finalists, audience voting, MURCA and Finnish champion Jonna Nummela. Runs to 21:30.
Angus
Estonian-language reggae with an unusually broad domestic audience. Main culture programme.
DJ Maris Pihlap
Electronic pop and amapiano rhythms; the festival’s late-night dance set.
Wittenstein courtyard dinner
Dinner with live music, followed by Paide bands in the courtyard from 23:00 to 01:00.
Naljasaadikud
Ann Vaida, Kaspar Kikerpill and Ardo Asperk use stand-up to dissect Estonian social and political pain points.
Onkel Jonkel
Viljandi “niche-dad indie rock”: Estonian lyrics, humour and an idiosyncratic closing-night sound.
Beyond the panels
sauna dialogues, bikes, kids, campingThe festival is more than stages. These run across Vallimägi; the sauna and bike times aren't fully published yet — check the programme app and the festival Facebook event. Source for all: visitor info.
Sauna dialogues
Small-group discussions held in actual saunas, plus “hot chair” (kuum tool) and dialogue circles — a method the festival highlights for 2026. Individual times sit inside the programme app.
Cycling excursion to Paide
An organised group ride, usually from Tallinn, framed around societal change — join the festival group or ride independently. Free bike parking at Tallinna St, Posti 12 and on Vallimägi. Confirm the 2026 start on the festival Facebook event.
Children's area (lasteala)
Free supervised kids' area with childcare from age 1. The detailed programme is still “coming”.
Camping on site
Free campground at the stadium by the Sports Hall (field toilets); showers €2 at Paide Sports Centre (Mon–Sat 11–21). Homestays via the festival Facebook group.
Food & info point
A “toidutänav” and stalls on Vallimägi with reusable Ringo deposit cups (€1, QR return). Info point on Vallimägi Fri 11–22, Sat 09:30–22 (card + cash).
Parking & car-share
Official paid parking €7 near the vocational centre. CityBee ran a €69 one-day + 250 km offer from Tallinn/Tartu with free festival parking (~6–9 Aug) — check if repeated.
Not found for 2026
No organised morning yoga/runs or festival-run nature walks appear on the official pages. The bog trails below are independent RMK routes, not festival events.
Around Paide
day-trips & the free SundayEverything here is within about an hour of Paide and effectively needs a car — rural Sunday buses are minimal. The catch for Sunday 9 Aug: most small museums close Sun–Mon. Reliably open on Sunday are Vargamäe, the Järva-Jaani vehicle yard, the bog trails and Türi's lake — so keep the indoor museums (Wittenstein tower, Türi, Järva-Jaani centre) for Fri 7 or Sat 8. Drive-times are estimates.
Free-Sunday loop, with a car
Vargamäe / Tammsaare farm museum (open Tue–Sun) + the Simisalu lookout tower → a bog boardwalk (Kakerdaja, or Endla/Männikjärve for the tower-bog) → the Järva-Jaani vehicle yard (24/7, €7 card) → Türi lake beach and a café.
Paide Vallitorn & Wittenstein Time Centre
The restored 13th-century order-castle tower on the festival hill, with an “elevator time machine” through Estonian history. No weekend hours are listed — do it Fri 7, or phone to check festival-weekend opening.
Vargamäe · A. H. Tammsaare Museum
The farm in the landscape of Tõde ja õigus, Estonia's national novel — the strongest Sunday cultural target. Pairs with the Simisalu lookout tower and nearby trails. The outdoor theatre is Estonian-only; the museum needs no language.
Järva-Jaani vehicle yard
~500 Soviet-era cars, buses, fire engines and farm machines on an open-air yard — quirky, and open Sunday via the self-service turnstile (card only). The indoor museums close at weekends.
Türi
The “spring capital”: the Türi Museum (railway/paper-mill history) and the national Broadcasting Museum both close Sun/Mon; the artificial-lake city beach is free and open any day. No rose garden here (that's Põltsamaa) and no rail-bike — the old line is now a 15 km cycle path.
Nature & heritage near Paide
bogs, churches, manors — all car-access| Bog boardwalk | From Paide | Trail | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Endla · Männikjärve bog the postcard raised bog | ~40 min SE | 7.3 km trail · 1.3 km boardwalk · 7 m tower (~4.6 km to the tower and back) | Free, open-access, parking at Tooma. Some sections impassable at high water. |
| Kakerdaja bog (Kõrvemaa) lake + bog island | ~40–50 min | ~7 km loop · ~3.5 km boardwalk (one of Estonia's longest) | Free, open-access; rural trailhead at Vetepere — car needed. |
| Põhja-Kõrvemaa · Simisalu the “big wild” | ~45–55 min | 18 m tower at the trailhead · 7–14 km trails, ~5 km boardwalk | Free, 24/7; fire pits + nature lodge. A longer commitment. |
| Church / manor | From Paide | Why · access |
|---|---|---|
| Paide Holy Cross Church | in town | Medieval town landmark. Sunday service 10:00 (fits Sun 9 Aug); closed Mondays; otherwise open during services/events. |
| Koeru · Maarja-Magdaleena church | ~25–30 min NE | The richest interior on this list — medieval, 43.5 m tower, ceiling paintings uncovered 2012–20. Enter by appointment or summer Sundays — call ahead (koeru.eelk.ee). |
| Ambla church | ~25 min NW | The oldest surviving church in Järvamaa (13th c.). Sunday service 12:00; casual interior hours unverified. |
| Roosna-Alliku manor | ~12–15 min | Handsome Baroque manor, resembling Toompea Castle, now a village school — enjoy the exterior, park and spring-lake setting. |
| Albu manor | ~30 min | One of Estonia's oldest (from 1282), Baroque wall-painting recently uncovered; a school occupies it, so park and grounds are the freely-enjoyable part. |
Verify before you go
Drive-times are estimates. Church and manor interior hours (Koeru, Ambla, Roosna-Alliku, Albu; Purdi and Anna are drive-by only) need a call. Sunday bus timetables are sparse and unverified — check peatus.ee. Confirm the Wittenstein tower's festival-weekend opening by phone.
Confirmed meetings · Thursday 6 August
the two booked institutional hoursThese are locked; the festival names below are additive. Come in signalling you already know the PISA and digital-access story, and spend both hours on mechanisms and disagreements.
e-Estonia Briefing Centre
Free 90-minute delegation briefing near the airport. Ask specifically for digital citizenship among young people and civil digital resilience, not only the business and e-government demo.
HARNO · Tammsaare tee 47
One hour with Linda Helene Sillat and Eva Toome — two registers: framework/research, and the international interface. Full briefing in the two cards below.
Linda Helene Sillat
PhD 2023 on evidence-informed digital-competence assessment; her doctoral opponent was Rune Krumsvik of the University of Bergen — a natural Norwegian opening. In 2026 she leads the task force writing common AI-use principles for all Estonian schools plus revised competence-assessment models.
Positions to test: assessment is broken because it is generic (one questionnaire can't measure an art teacher and a maths teacher); “over-regulation and restriction are not sustainable solutions” (Õpetajate Leht, Dec 2024) — steelman Norway's phone-ban backlash to her; and “AI use is today's reality our curricula do not describe” (HARNO, Apr 2026). Youth-club hook: her team ran the EEA/Norway-funded Digital Leap in the Youth Field (2022–23), which already included an AI unit.
Eva Toome
Ran Estonia's global online course on its education system; Education Estonia serves government-level delegations, keeps the “Schools To Visit” database, and fields the questions visitors from 70+ countries repeat.
Ask what every delegation asks — and what Estonians argue about internally that no delegation reaches; and whether a visiting delegation has ever changed Estonian practice, to turn this into a standing Hamar–Estonia tie rather than a one-off visit.
Careful
Don't spend the hour on a PISA explainer, and don't assume a turf war between HARNO, the ministry and the AI Leap Foundation — ask how evidence moves between them. AI Leap's usage figures are the programme's own reporting, and they know it.
Who is actually on the programme?
confirmed names, not wishful inference“Confirmed” means named as participant, host or organiser in the live programme. It does not prevent cancellation. Taaniel Raudsepp is the official festival leader and expected to be working on site, but has no session entry.
| Person | Published appearance | Access | Best approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirke Maar | Fri 14:00 English AI/society panel; hosts Fri 18:00 AI/work panel | First English; second Estonian | Reply to existing thread; ask for 15 minutes at 15:30. |
| Henrik Roonemaa | Hosts Fri 12:30 agent-state panel; possible Sat 16:00 participant | Estonian only | Meet Fri 14:00 or Sat 17:30; Saturday slot is provisional. |
| Andres Karjus | Sat 14:00 AI and migration decisions | Estonian only | Request an English conversation at 15:30. |
| Margit Sutrop | Fri 14:00 AI footprint; Fri 16:00 AI in higher education | Estonian only | Both clash with more accessible priorities; arrange separately if needed. |
| Gerlyn Tiigemäe | Fri 16:00 AI and human rights | Estonian only | Revive the AIPowerment guest-swap for Fri 17:30 or Sat morning. |
| Riin Saadjärv | Fri 18:30 IT curriculum | Estonian only | Use as a new AI Leap/education route through existing TI-Hüpe outreach. |
| Ede Schank-Tamkivi | Sat 10:00 exile and nation | Estonian only | Ask Vabamu for an 11:30 NoVa/diaspora conversation. |
| Linnar Viik | Sat 14:00 AI-era entrepreneurship | Estonian only | Secondary to Karjus in the same slot. |
| Maarja-Leena Saar | Sat 18:00 security and democratic balance | Estonian only | Arrange before 18:00 or after 19:30 through Koostöö Kogu. |
| Triin Hertmann | Hosts Sat 14:30 digital-story workshop | Estonian only | Good English media/start-up contact outside the workshop. |
| Ründo Mülts | Fri 22:30 Wittenstein night walk | Estonian only | Confirm language and meet briefly before the walk. |
| Taaniel Raudsepp | Festival leader; no timetable entry | Confirm English | Book organiser conversation and introductions in advance. |
Recommended names not listed
ask directlyDo not describe these people as attending
Absence means only that they are not named as speaker, host or organiser. They could still visit privately.
Highest-priority absences
Jaan Aru · Kairit Tammets · Ivo Visak · Margo Loor · Teele Pehk
The earlier plan explicitly assumed several might be in Paide. The published programme does not support that assumption.
Culture and research absences
Mar Canet Solà · Maarja Vaino · Ago Luberg · Risto Järv · Mari Sarv · Anders Härm · Helen Sildna · Timo Toots
Ecosystem absences
Liis Siiroja · Sonia Sousa · Mart Laanpere · Luukas Ilves · Mihkel Solvak · Robert Krimmer · Ragnar Siil · Grettel Killing · Sandra Reivik
Luukas Ilves is a possible—not confirmed—substitute on Saturday’s digital-state panel.
New high-value contacts
created by the programmeLaura Kalda · TI-Hüpe
A more direct programme-level AI Leap contact than another generic senior-leadership follow-up. Ask Armas Riives to arrange a post-panel hello.
Youth Dialogue Lab
The strongest youth-participation practice of the weekend. Ask how the year-long programme shared agenda power, prepared facilitators and handled safeguarding.
Leen Selart + Kärt Kalvet
They organise the translated AI/activism panel and the participatory civil-society simulation. Ideal methods conversation.
Anu Viltrop + museum associations
Ask for an English debrief and, only with consent, a brief conversation with participating young people.
Janne Kareinen + Lauma Žubule
Finland and Latvia provide the Nordic-Baltic comparative layer missing from an Estonia-only visit.
Julitta Khlystun · Narva Museum
A strong route into how a border-city museum interprets culture, identity and resilience under current security pressure.
Podcast and interview priorities
ranked after programme publication- Kirke Maar
Defensible English hook: what will AI change in Estonia over five years, and what does an “agent state” owe its citizens?
- Andres Karjus
AI in culture, essay grading and migration decisions: the most concrete research interview available in Paide.
- Youth Dialogue Lab facilitators
How young people learned to lead public dialogue about AI rather than being surveyed about it.
- Gerlyn Tiigemäe
Guest-swap with AIPowerment and an English comparison of Norwegian/Estonian AI literacy.
- Maarja-Leena Saar
Dialogue Day, preventive democracy and the limits of digital participation.
- Ründo Mülts or Ede Schank-Tamkivi
Choose regional immersive history or youth-facing memory/diaspora work depending on the cultural episode.
Museums and galleries
verified hours, prices and addressesPriorities reflect this group’s actual interests: national identity, civic education, youth agency, AI/media arts, literature, social history and approaches to interpretation.
Essential
design the route around theseKumu Art Museum
Permanent Estonian visual history plus the AI exhibition. The Valge access tunnel/lift is closed 6 Jul–10 Aug; enter from Kadriorg.
Best Thursday late-evening use and the trip’s strongest AI/culture institution.
Vabamu
Occupation, exile, restored freedom and democratic responsibility. NoVa combines self-directed learning, youth content, hackathons and media-literacy lessons.
Kalamaja Museum
Residents supplied the concept, objects and stories. Winner of the 2024 EMYA Silletto Prize for participation and inclusion. Not wheelchair accessible.
Under and Tuglas house museum
Writerly home, garden, archive, salon history and research institute. English guide included; request via muuseum@instlit.ee.
Estonian Children’s Literature Centre
National archive and methodology centre, public children’s library, book museum and illustration galleries. No ordinary admission price is published.
Wittenstein
Time travel across eight eras, embodied craft, food, workshops and a special 2026 Estonian-book-history display.
Tallinn Literary Centre
Literary homes as active institutions, supported by education curators, walking routes and the Literary Street Festival.
Maarjamäe Palace + Children’s Republic
A century of the republic, Soviet monuments and nearby memorial landscape. Children elect a president, make laws and budgets and use a court.
Strong additions
choose by theme and geographyGreat Guild Hall
Medieval Tallinn, archaeology, Hanseatic commerce and merchant society inside the guild building.
EKKM
Artist-run museum/DIY institution; strong for authorship, young practitioners, internships and community garden.
Kai Art Center
Exhibition, cinema and residency infrastructure. Norwegian–Estonian Exploded View closes 9 August.
Theatre and Music Museum
Reopened in 2026; theatre, instruments, collective music-making and hands-on children’s exhibition.
Applied Art and Design Museum
Design history, material culture and creative industry.
Song Festival Grounds
Song Celebration, Singing Revolution and UNESCO City of Music. Confirm reopening after closure through 5 August.
Miiamilla Children’s Museum
Co-created with children and shortlisted for European Museum of the Year 2026. Maximum visit two hours.
People’s Museum of Tallinn
Multi-ethnic Tallinn, migration and cultural autonomy. Residents pitch exhibitions and the public votes on which are realised.
National Archives, Endla
Paper and audiovisual records, digitisation, born-digital memory and public access in the new Tallinn centre.
History, society and archaeology
reserve list| Institution | Best reason | Address · hours · adult price |
|---|---|---|
| Tallinn City Life Museum | Everyday urban and domestic life in a merchant house. | Vene 17 · daily 11–18 · €10 |
| Kiek in de Kök | Four towers, wall and bastion passages; physical urban/military archaeology. | Komandandi tee 2 · daily 11–18 · €16 |
| Open Air Museum | Long-duration rural and vernacular society, including Seto, Russian and Soviet collective-farm life. | Vabaõhumuuseumi tee 12 · daily, buildings 10–18 · €18 |
| Seaplane Harbour | Maritime society through large objects and polished interaction design. | Vesilennuki 6 · daily 10–19 · €22 |
| Fat Margaret | Maritime trade and navigation in an Old Town tower. | Pikk 70 · daily 10–19 · maritime combo €30 |
| Estonian War Museum | War of Independence and military formation of the state. | Mõisa tee 1, Viimsi · Wed–Sun 11–18 · €7 |
| Health Museum | Education-heavy treatment of the body, sexuality, addiction and health. | Lai 30 · daily 10–18 · €12 |
| Natural History Museum | Final months of the old museum; new inclusive multisensory Nature House opens 2027. | Lai 29a · daily 10–17 · €12 |
| Architecture Museum | Soviet/restored city and strong model collection. | Ahtri 2 · Tue–Sun 11–18, Thu to 20 · €12 |
| Eesti Pank Museum | Money, Soviet economic life, monetary reform and euro adoption. | Estonia pst 11 · Tue–Fri 12–17, Sat 11–16 · free |
| Jewish Museum | Jewish life, cultural autonomy, Holocaust and re-established community; library/archive. | Karu 16 · Mon–Thu 11–17, Sun 11–15 · free, pre-register one day |
Art, image and independent culture
gallery circuit| Institution | What it adds | Address · hours · price |
|---|---|---|
| Fotografiska | International photography, regional artists, active public programme. Free English tour Sun 14:00 with ticket. | Telliskivi 60a-8 · Mon–Thu 9–20, Fri to midnight, Sat 10–20, Sun 10–18 · €14–17 |
| Tallinn Art Hall, Lasnamäe | Maria Kapajeva’s identity/migration exhibition in Russian-speaking Lasnamäe. | Jaan Koorti 24 · Wed–Sun 12–18 · free |
| Niguliste | Major medieval ecclesiastical art. | Niguliste 3 · daily 10–18 · €15 |
| Kadriorg Art Museum | European/Russian art and imperial Baltic context in Peter the Great’s palace. | Weizenbergi 37 · Mon–Tue/Thu–Sun 10–18, Wed to 20 · €15 |
| Museum of Photography | Estonian photographic history in a former town jail. | Raekoja 6 · Wed–Sun 11–18 · €8 |
| EKA Gallery | Student/research-facing exhibitions inside the Academy of Arts. | Kotzebue 1 · Tue–Sat 12–18, Sun 12–16 · free |
| Temnikova & Kasela | Leading commercial gallery and international circulation of Estonian artists. | Peetri 12 · Wed–Fri 13–18, Sat 14–18 · free |
| PROTO | VR, invention history and maker challenges; strong experience design, less cultural depth. | Peetri 10 · Tue–Sun 11–18 · €16 weekday / €20 weekend |
| Energy Discovery Centre | Science centre in a former power station; student engineering/incubation through EnerHUB. | Põhja pst 29 · Mon–Thu 10–16, Fri–Sat 10–18 · €12 |
Unavailable during the trip
Patarei remains closed for renovation until 2027. Banned Books Museum is on holiday 2–11 August. Use Vabamu, KGB Prison Cells and the Maarjamäe memorial landscape instead.
Interpretation practices to study
formidlingDemocracy as role-play
Children’s Republic turns ministries, law, budgets, elections and courts into a playable polity.
Community authorship
Kalamaja begins with residents’ objects and stories; People’s Museum lets citizens propose and vote on exhibitions.
Youth produce civic media
Vabamu/NoVa combines history, verification, hackathons, badges and self-directed learning.
A home stays alive
Under–Tuglas and Tallinn Literary Centre connect memorial rooms to salons, walks, gardens, archives and education.
Libraries lend capacities
Tools, instruments, seeds, museum passes, robots, making and digitisation—not only books.
Immersion with consequences
Compare Wittenstein’s spectacular time travel with Vabamu’s quieter personal-story guide: what becomes memorable, and what becomes flat?
Book hunt
Russian · German · Latin · old Estonian imprintsThe verdict
Three physical stops, one pre-order.
Raamatukoi is the best central browse, REaD is the best pure used-book shop, and Balti Jaama Turg is the likeliest €1–3 Soviet-Russian tier. Before flying, order verified foreign-language stock from vanaraamat.ee to a Tallinn parcel locker or hotel.
Best targetLatin, interwar school editions, Baltic-German material
Weak targetGreek and cheap French
Sunday routeBalti Jaam → REaD → Raamatukoi
Big trapMr. Kolk closed in 2023; old guides are wrong
Shops ranked
walk-in realityRaamatukoi
Separate foreign-language room with Russian, German and English, including Soviet-era literature, maps and postcards. The room is not represented in the online catalogue.
Prices: roughly €1.60–6 at the budget end, €10–27 mid-range. Ask explicitly for Latin.
REaD
Stock comes largely from Soviet-era home libraries; English, Finnish, Russian, German and French are reported. Weekend opening may be 11:00 rather than 10:00—arrive at 11.
Prices: €2–31, recurring 50% campaigns and €1 outdoor stalls.
Balti Jaama Turg, second floor
Antiques and vintage stalls with old books and postcards. Best chance of unsorted €1–3 Soviet-Russian material, although in-store book prices are unverified.
Aigrette Antiik
Real pre-revolutionary and wartime Russian émigré material, but collector prices (€25–150). Call before walking.
Rüütel & Matilda
Second-hand English books, five minutes from Raamatukoi. Hours derive from older reporting and should be confirmed.
Uuskasutuskeskus
Bargain lottery. Lasnamäe branches at Mahtra 5 and Punane 50 are likeliest for Russian household libraries; Liivalaia 29 and Tatari 64 are central.
Raamaturinglus
Small NGO operation with thin explicit Russian/German webshop sections. Phone first; closed over the festival weekend.
Südalinna Library sale
Withdrawn stock from €0.15, the lowest verified price. Use as a ten-minute stop rather than a destination.
Online pre-order
the stock is outside Tallinnvanaraamat.ee
Measured catalogue: 1,040 Russian titles and 397 German titles, plus interwar Latin school editions. Visa/Mastercard accepted; parcel machine €2.80–3.30 or hotel courier €5.50.
vanajahea.ee
Roughly 1,763 Russian titles, €4.55–29.90, and PayPal—the most foreigner-proof payment option found.
Raamatukoi online
Easy free pickup at Harju 1, but “Vene kirjandus” means Russian literature translated into Estonian, not Russian-language stock. Browse the physical foreign-language room instead.
Dead or misleading listings
Mr. Kolk/Raamatuantikvariaat was struck from the register in 2023. Slothrop’s closed in 2015. Kasutatud Raamat at Tammsaare tee 121 is online-only in a residential block. The National Library is not a book-hunt stop during reconstruction.
Sunday book route
the free day alternative10:00–11:15
Balti Jaama Turg, second floorStart with the cheapest and least predictable stock.
11:30–13:30
REaD, Ankru 10Serious second-hand browse; eat nearby at Põhjala tehas.
14:30–17:00
Raamatukoi, Harju 1Hard closing time. Work the foreign-language room and ask staff.
Optional
Rüütel & MatildaEnglish-language stop five minutes away, if confirmed open.
Libraries and specialist collections
open, closed and appointment-only| Library / collection | Why it matters | Trip-date access |
|---|---|---|
| National Library | Future knowledge centre and national library-development institution. | Tõnismägi 2 closed to ordinary visitors until May 2027. Solaris embassy Mon–Sat 10–19, Sun closed. |
| Südalinna Library | Estonian literature, children/youth, music, instruments, robots and “borrow anything” services. | Estonia pst 8 · Mon–Fri 10–20, Sat 10–17 · free. |
| Kännukuke Innovation Lab | 3D printing, laser cutting, vinyl, VR and youth access with guardian consent. | E. Vilde tee 72 · Tue–Wed/Fri 11–18, Thu 12–19, Sat 10–17 · book equipment. |
| Kalamaja Memory Lab | Citizens digitise family material and learn Kivike, MuIS, archives and genealogy. | Kotzebue 9 · free · book via kalamaja@tln.lib.ee. |
| Liivalaia Library | Principal foreign-language collection in the public system. | Liivalaia 40 · Mon–Fri 10–19, Sat 10–17 · free. |
| Tallinn University Academic Library | Baltica, rare books and humanities research. | Rävala pst 10 · summer Mon–Fri 11–17; closed Thu 6 Aug · register. |
| Expatriate Estonian Literature Centre | 40,000+ exile/emigration publications and digitised newspapers. | TLU library, 3rd floor · summer hours · email tlulib@tlulib.ee. |
| Archaeological Research Collection | Estonia’s largest archaeological research collection and specialist library. | Rüütli 8/10 + Ankru 4a · research access by prior arrangement. |
| Tallinn City Archives | Municipal records and specialist library for urban/social history. | Tolli 6 · Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 9–15, Wed 11–19 · order in advance. |
| Art Museum of Estonia Library | 47,000+ titles on Estonian artists, photography, print and intermedia. | Inside Kumu · Mon–Fri 10–17; summer closure ends Aug 2 · free. |
| EKA Library | Art, architecture, design, conservation and visual culture. | Põhja pst 7 · 2026 summer hours not exposed reliably; email library@artun.ee. |
| Music and Theatre Academy Library | Scores, recordings and music/theatre scholarship. | Tatari 13 / Toom-Kooli 4 · summer exception unpublished; confirm rmtk@eamt.ee. |
| Children’s Literature Centre collections | Archive and reader collections plus original illustration art. | Pikk 73 · Mon–Fri 10–17 · research copies used on site. |
| Jewish Museum library/archive | Documents, photographs and specialist material on Jewish life in Estonia. | Karu 16 · free · pre-register at least one day via museum@jewish.ee. |
| Under–Tuglas Literature Centre | Literary archive/research setting attached to the house museum. | Väikese Illimari 12 · Mon–Fri by notice; museum visit €5. |
Who to contact · prioritised
one master list, with live festival statusThe single source of truth for outreach. In Paide = named in the 2026 programme, so meet them at the festival; Not on programme = arrange a Tallinn meeting or a call; Booked = locked. Festival status was re-verified 27 July 2026 against the live programme dataset (296 sessions). Verified addresses and phones are in the two contact sheets below.
| Priority | Person / target | Festival status | Best route | The ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booked | e-Estonia Briefing Centre | Meeting Thu 10:00 · conf. 2606-24036 | — | Youth digital citizenship + civil resilience, not only e-gov. |
| Booked | Linda Helene Sillat + Eva Toome · HARNO | Meeting Thu 13:00, Tammsaare tee 47 | eva.toome@harno.ee | See the full briefing in the People tab. |
| P1 | Kirke Maar · eesti.ai | In Paide · panelist Fri 14:00 (English) + moderates Fri 18:00 | Reply to thread · call +372 5349 4492 | Grab 15 min after her 14:00 panel; agent-state + the “most AI-savvy nation” skills flagship. |
| P1 | AI Leap / TI-Hüpe · Tali, Visak, Kalda | Laura Kalda listed Fri 16:00 · Tali & Visak not on programme | kristel@tihupe.ee · mari-liis@tihupe.ee · armas.riives@tihupe.ee | Custom school visit (May cohort closed) or a Paide hello with Kalda + Saadjärv. Tali is the visit coordinator, not the CEO. |
| P1 | Jaan Aru · Univ. Tartu | Not on programme | jaan.aru@ut.ee (yours — still unsent) | Researcher-to-researcher on the AI Leap impact study; ask if he'll be in Paide privately. |
| P1 | Taaniel Raudsepp + Getriin Teär · festival leads | Run the festival · no session slot | taaniel.raudsepp@arvamusfestival.ee · getriin.tear@arvamusfestival.ee | On-site recording, translation logistics, and introductions. |
| P2 | Henrik Roonemaa · eesti.ai | In Paide · moderates Fri 12:30 (agent-state) + panelist Sat 16:00 | Meet Fri 14:00 · call +372 5699 3247 | Agent-state + the tech-media graph; landing him opens Viik and Kotka. |
| P2 | Andres Karjus · CUDAN/TLU | In Paide · Sat 14:00 (AI & migration) | Request English conversation at 15:30 | AI in culture and essay grading — the most concrete research interview in Paide. |
| P2 | Kairit Tammets · Tallinn University | Not on programme | kairit.tammets@tlu.ee · +372 640 9355 | Thu after 15:00 in Tallinn; teacher–AI complementarity; she supervised Sillat. |
| P2 | Youth Dialogue Lab · Estonian Dialogue Academy | In Paide · Sat 12:00 (English, youth-led) | hello@eda.ee | Observe the public session; interview a facilitator on agenda power + safeguarding. |
| P2 | Gerlyn Tiigemäe · AIPowerment | In Paide · Fri 16:00 (AI & human rights) | podcast@aipowerment.ee | Revive the guest-swap for a Norwegian–Estonian crossover episode. |
| P2 | Riin Saadjärv | In Paide · Fri 18:30 (IT curriculum) | via TI-Hüpe | An AI Leap / education route around the unanswered outreach. |
| P2 | Maarja-Leena Saar · Koostöö Kogu | In Paide · Sat 18:00 (securitisation) | via hello@dd.foundation / Koostöö Kogu | Dialogue Day, preventive democracy, limits of digital participation. |
| P2 | Ragnar Siil · Creativity Lab | Not on programme | info@creativitylab.ee · LinkedIn | Coordinated Tallinn's UNESCO City of Music bid; creative-industries policy. |
| P2 | Grettel Killing · UNESCO City of Music | Not on programme | grettel.killing@tallinnlv.ee · +372 5698 2247 | The city-to-city channel: Hamar (Media Arts) ↔ Tallinn (Music). |
| P2 | Margo Loor · Citizen OS | Not on programme | margo@citizenos.com | “ChatGPT cannot do democracy”; ask directly whether he'll be in Paide. |
| P2 | Teele Pehk · DD / Rahvakogu | Not on programme — but her Hea Elu Rahvakogu has a follow-up session Fri 13:30 | hello@dd.foundation · teele.pehk@praxis.ee | Ten years of citizens' assemblies; ask if she'll attend the Rahvakogu follow-up. |
| P3 | Liis Siiroja · EdTech Estonia | Not on programme | liis@edtechestonia.ee | Whether she'd convene a small ed-tech meetup around 5–6 Aug. |
| P3 | Marek Kohv · ICDS | Not on programme | info@icds.ee (address to him) | Resilience / beredskap; is AI competence in the civil-defence doctrine? |
| P3 | Linnar Viik | In Paide · Sat 14:00 (per programme) — clashes with Karjus | via eesti.ai / LinkedIn | Tiger Leap → AI Leap; secondary to Karjus in the same slot. |
| P3 | Taavi Kotka | Not on programme | LinkedIn · via Roonemaa (Ettemõte podcast) | e-Residency, “country as a service”, digital identity for AI agents. |
| P3 | Anu-Maaja Pallok · Min. of Culture | Not on programme | anu-maaja.pallok@kul.ee · +372 628 2234 | Creative economy beyond the capital — a fit for an Innlandet delegation. |
| P3 | Ede Schank-Tamkivi · Vabamu/NoVa | In Paide · Sat 10:00 (exile & nation) | via Vabamu · info@vabamu.ee | Diaspora education + NoVa youth media; English conversation at 11:30. |
The 48-panel caveat
Of 296 programme items, ~48 still list panelists as “täpsustamisel” (TBC). Anyone marked “not on programme” could still surface as an unlisted panelist — but they are confirmed absent from every fully-populated session and from all moderator/organiser roles.
Send first
exact asks beat broad introductions- Taaniel Raudsepp + Getriin Teär · Opinion Festival
Ask about short on-site recordings, simultaneous-translation logistics, a 20-minute organiser conversation, and introductions to Kirke Maar, Maarja-Leena Saar and Youth Dialogue Lab. Also ask whether Margo Loor, Teele Pehk, Jaan Aru or Kairit Tammets are expected privately.
- Kirke Maar
Reply to the existing unanswered thread with the exact English panel and offer Fri 15:30 for 15 minutes.
- Andres Karjus
Request Sat 15:30 immediately after his panel; explicitly ask for an English conversation, not session translation.
- Estonian Dialogue Academy
Ask to observe the Sat 12:00 public session and interview a facilitator about agenda power, training, safeguarding and evaluation.
- Wittenstein
Confirm English accommodation for the Fri 22:30 walk and ask for 15 minutes with Ründo Mülts beforehand.
- TI-Hüpe through Armas Riives
Ask for one joint Paide conversation with Laura Kalda and/or Riin Saadjärv rather than another institutional scheduling round in Tallinn.
- Ede Schank-Tamkivi through Vabamu
Offer Sat 11:30; connect NoVa, diaspora education and the planned Wednesday museum visit.
- Estonian Museum Association
Ask for an English debrief after the youth-led museum-access discussion, and approach youth participants only through the organisers and with consent.
- Margo Loor + Teele Pehk
Ask directly whether they will be in Paide. They are not named in the programme and should not be treated as confirmed.
- Museum/literary first wave
Maarja Vaino/Mari Vapper, Kristi Paatsi, Anders Härm/Kumu team, Under–Tuglas and Children’s Literature Centre require exact Tallinn windows.
Contact sheet
verified or existing project routesCitizen OSmargo@citizenos.com
DD Democracy Centrehello@dd.foundation
Vabamuinfo@vabamu.ee
Kalamaja Museumkalamaja@linnamuuseum.ee
Kumukumu@ekm.ee
History Museum educationhelery.spitsmeister@ajaloomuuseum.ee
Direct lines — people to reach off the programme
verified emails for the names not in PaideThe people below are not on the festival programme (see the People tab), so these are direct-outreach routes. Every address here is published on an official or primary source and was re-verified 27 July 2026.
eesti.ai: call, don't email a third time
Kirke Maar and Henrik Roonemaa were emailed 25 June with no reply. The government domain is @riigikantselei.ee, not the @riik.ee in the older notes (unverified). The phone numbers are the plain-text-verified route: Maar +372 5349 4492, Roonemaa +372 5699 3247. Unblocking Roonemaa also opens Linnar Viik and Taavi Kotka, who route through his office.
Grettel Killing · UNESCO City of Musicgrettel.killing@tallinnlv.ee
+372 5698 2247 · city-to-city channel
+372 5698 2247 · city-to-city channel
Liis Siiroja · EdTech Estonialiis@edtechestonia.ee
Anu-Maaja Pallok · Min. of Cultureanu-maaja.pallok@kul.ee
+372 628 2234 · creative-industries adviser
+372 628 2234 · creative-industries adviser
Before departure
operational checklistReserve
- Festival pass for each person
- Under–Tuglas English visit
- Jewish Museum if selected
- Miiamilla timed ticket if selected
- Any archive or specialist-library material
- Tallinn–Paide transport
Confirm
- Translation direction/headset point for marked sessions
- Wittenstein night-walk language and admission
- Song Grounds visitor-centre reopening
- Raamatukoi and REaD Sunday hours
- EKA/EAMT summer library hours if visiting
Do not plan
- Patarei or Banned Books Museum
- National Library main building
- TLU Academic Library on Thu 6 Aug
- Vargamäe theatre without a cancellation ticket
- REaD on departure Monday
Bring
- Small recorder and consent language
- Headphones for live interpretation if permitted
- Power bank and rain layer
- Exact one-sentence Norwegian/English project introduction
- Parcel-locker/hotel details for pre-ordered books
Primary sources
checked 27 July 2026- Opinion Festival live 2026 programme — times, language, translation, stage, participants, organisers and registration fields
- Opinion Festival culture programme — concerts, poetry slam and comedy
- Festival pass — free/self-selected contribution
- Festival team — Taaniel Raudsepp and Getriin Teär
- Youth Dialogue Lab — programme model and public-dialogue context
- Kumu AI exhibition
- Vabamu visitor information
- Kalamaja Museum visitor information
- Under and Tuglas museum
- Estonian Children’s Literature Centre
- Wittenstein festival programme
- National Library relocation
- Patarei current visitor status
- Banned Books Museum holiday notice
Verification rule
Hours and prices shown are the adult walk-in rates published by institutions for the trip period. Where a reliable 2026 summer exception was absent, the uncertainty is stated instead of substituting term-time hours.