The Tartu Youth Work Brigade’s anniversary summer kicks off with a parade and an evening of work brigade songs

June 15, 2026

Today, June 15, Tartu will kick off the 30th summer of the Tartu Youth Work Camp, which will bring together 238 young people this year. The opening event of this anniversary year begins at 4:30 p.m. in the courtyard of the Anne Youth Center and proceeds with a parade to Town Hall Square, where the start of the work camp season will be celebrated with a speech by Mayor Urmas Klaas and the taking of the work camp oath. The opening ceremony will be followed at 7:00 p.m. by an evening of work camp songs in the courtyard of the Tartu City Museum.

“This year’s opening of the work camp season is more special than ever before. We are celebrating our 30th anniversary, which gives us an opportunity to look back on the history of the Tartu Youth Work Camp, and at the same time, the evening of work camp songs creates a unique moment where different generations come together to spend time together, share memories, and exchange experiences,” said Margit Kink, director of the Tartu Youth Work Center.

The camp’s opening ceremony will begin in the courtyard of the Anne Youth Center, where all camp groups will gather and, led by the camp leaders, will jointly plant a flower bed to symbolically mark the start of the camp season. Afterward, a parade will proceed along the banks of the Emajõgi River to Town Hall Square, where the camp participants will be greeted by Tartu Mayor Urmas Klaas and Margit Kink, director of the Tartu Youth Work Center. The camp oath will also be administered at Town Hall Square .

After the opening ceremony, everyone is welcome to join the evening of military camp songs and stories, featuring both old and new songs related to military camp life. Performing on stage will be InBoil and Mait Trink, who will look back on their days in the youth camp, as well as the youth band C ongi vitamiin. All former and current youth camp members, as well as other interested parties, are welcome to listen to and sing along with the youth camp songs. A youth café will also be open, serving modern classics of the youth camp groups, such as Nutella burgers. The evening of youth camp songs begins at 7 p.m. in the courtyard of the Tartu City Museum and is free for everyone.

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