Mayor of Tartu Urmas Klaas (3rd R) receives the Tartu Song Festival torch in front of a government building in Tartu, Estonia, June 22, 2019. The three-day celebration of the 150th anniversary of Estonia's Tartu Song Festival at its birthplace climaxed with the procession of singers and musicians and the main concert at the Song Festival Grounds in Estonia's second largest city of Tartu on Saturday. (Xinhua/Guo Chunju)
TARTU, Estonia, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The three-day celebration of the 150th anniversary of Estonia's Tartu Song Festival at its birthplace climaxed with the procession of singers and musicians and the main concert at the Song Festival Grounds in Estonia's second largest city of Tartu on Saturday.
Over 8,500 singers of different ages participated in the procession from the city center following a ceremony, during which Mayor of Tartu Urmas Klaas received the Tartu Song Festival torch in front of the city government building.
At the Song Festival Grounds, Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid in traditional costume greeted the participants of the procession, which also includes Latvian and Finnish groups of singers.
Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas, also in traditional costume, was present at the main concert held under the arch of the Tartu Song Festival Grounds.
On Friday, a grand folk dance performance titled "Here to Stay" was held at Toomemagi Park near the University of Tartu.
The celebration started on Thursday as the concert day of combined song festivals taking the audience onto a journey from the very beginning of the festival right up to spring 2019 at the official festival church.
Estonia's first nationwide song festival was held in Tartu in 1869.
