Naissaar has an unlikely second life as a stage. The conductor Tõnu Kaljuste, founder of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and a Grammy winner, has a home on the island, and in 2006 he launched the Nargenfestival here, named after the island’s old German name.
Its island venue is Omari Küün — the Omari barn — a large timber building in the south of the island fitted out as a rustic concert hall. Over the summer it hosts chamber opera, choral concerts, theatre and jazz. The audience arrives by boat from Tallinn, rides across the island, and sails home in the long northern dusk.
Top things to do: Omari Küün & Nargenfestival
See a performance
The programme changes every year and is announced in spring. Tickets for island performances are normally sold as a package with the boat from Tallinn and transport across the island. Popular nights sell out, so book as soon as dates appear.
Make a day of it
On performance days you can often take an earlier boat, spend the afternoon on the beaches or at Lõunaküla, and finish at the barn.
Hear Estonian music where it is made
Kaljuste is one of the foremost interpreters of Arvo Pärt, and the wider festival includes “Pärt Days” devoted to the composer’s music, held in venues on the mainland as well as on the island.
How to get to Omari Küün & Nargenfestival
- On performance days: special boats are laid on from Tallinn, timed around the show, with trucks or the train carrying the audience from the harbour to the barn.
- At other times: the barn is a private venue and is closed when nothing is on; you will pass it on the way to the south of the island.
- Tickets: buy from the festival’s own website or Estonian ticket agencies — performances are not sold on GetYourGuide.
Insider tips
- The barn is unheated and the boat home is late. Bring warm layers even after a hot day.
- Performances are mostly in Estonian or are purely musical; check the programme notes if language matters to you.
- Mosquitoes enjoy summer evenings as much as audiences do. Pack repellent.
- If you want to stay over after a concert, arrange island accommodation well ahead — there is very little of it.
