Tallinn's weekly event guide: from a Cossack choir to a one-string guitar virtuoso
From 5 to 11 October, Tallinn hosts five contrasting events, ranging from a sacred choral concert and an AI business conference to an improvisational healing performance, an English comedy night and a Jamaican musician's show.
This week, from 5 to 11 October, Tallinn's cultural calendar spans everything from historical choral music to a business conference on artificial intelligence.
A choir born in exile
On Wednesday, 7 October, St John's Church hosts the Don Cossack Choir, an ensemble founded in 1920 near Istanbul by Serge Jaroff, a Cossack officer who had fled Bolshevik rule. The choir debuted at Vienna's Hofburg in 1923 and went on to earn worldwide recognition over subsequent decades. Its traditions were later preserved and expanded by Wanja Hlibka, one of the original soloists, who revived the ensemble in the 1980s and 1990s. Since 2023 the choir has entered a renewed phase, now made up almost entirely of Ukrainian singers performing a mix of traditional, Ukrainian folk, sacred and contemporary repertoire.
Trust and technology
On Thursday, 8 October, the Tallinn Cruise Terminal hosts the Atea Action 2026 conference, bringing together technology and business figures to discuss building trust in artificial intelligence. The programme covers four themes: practical AI implementation, the combination of human and AI capability, responsible AI and cybersecurity, and building data-driven organisations.
Music, comedy and an unlikely instrument
On Friday, 9 October, musician and healer Poranguí performs an improvisational, alcohol- and drug-free sound experience at Kultuurikeskus Kaja, accompanied by co-facilitator Ashley Klein with live visual projections. On Saturday, 10 October, Fonoteek hosts the Telliskivi Komöödiaklubi's first-ever English-language comedy showcase, featuring five local comedians, recommended for ages 16 and up. The week closes on Sunday, 11 October, with Jamaican musician Brushy One String performing at Paavli Kultuurivabrik, blending reggae, folk and blues on a handmade single-string guitar — an instrument he turned to after breaking five of a guitar's six strings.
