Relay of the Flame 2019

Relay of the Flame of the XXVII Song and XX Dance Celebration “My Fatherland is My Love” 2019

June 1st to July 4th 2019

The Relay of the Flame of the XXVII Song and XX Dance Celebration is the prelude to the jubilee celebration, which carries the values and power of the Song and Dance Celebration to every corner of Estonia. This tradition will turn 50 in 2019 – the first nationwide relay of the flame took place in 1969 as part of the celebrations of the 100th jubilee of the Song Celebration.

According to the guiding principle of this Song and Dance Celebration “My Fatherland is My Love”, the torch in 2019 will be kept and carried again by the counties, just as it was in 1969. The Relay of the Flame is always a very emotional and memorable event. This time, as the torch moves from one county to another, a lot of people will get the chance to partake in the relay through their personal commitment. We really hope that the organisation of the journey of the torch is a great opportunity for counties to introduce their identities and for (re-)discovering the cultural history of their home regions so they can remember and notice the people who have contributed the most to our culture yesterday and today.

The journey of the torch will start on 1 June in Tartu, where the artistic committees of the XXVII Song and XX Dance Celebration “My Fatherland is My Love” will light the torch in the park of the Estonian National Museum at midday. Counties will be keeping the torch alive for the next 33 days as it moves through Estonia. The journey of the torch will start in Saaremaa and end in the evening of 4 July on the Kalev Central Stadium, where the first performance of the XX Dance Celebration will start at 7 pm.

Each county will pass the torch on to the next with a celebration ritual held at 10 am on the border of the two counties. The torch will spend up to three days in each county. The Relay of the Flame will be organised by the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration Foundation in cooperation with all Estonian counties.

Map of The Relay of the Flame can be found here.