STF 2026 passes and tickets are on sale
From October 8–17, STF 2026 takes place in Tallinn, bringing internationally recognized contemporary dance choreographers and their work to the stage of Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava (STL) and various locations across the city. Against the backdrop of a turbulent world, STF 2026 pauses time for a moment to turn attention to the possibility and necessity of being together.
This year, the festival focuses on the question of how dance helps restore a connection with oneself, other bodies, and everything around us at a time when the ability to be together is a disappearing phenomenon. At STF, contemporary choreography takes on a broader meaning, allowing the art of dance to be experienced socially, physically, and collectively.
“STF 2026 approaches dance above all through shared experience and physical presence. Based on participation in international festivals and cooperation networks, the collective of Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava has curated the STF program and invited choreographers who share an interest in how the body can create trust, attention, and a collective sense of security. The festival’s productions do not treat choreography merely as an aesthetic expression, but as a means through which to explore the human need to gather, move, and experience something together. STF deliberately creates a space where the art of being together is not just a theme on stage, but an immediate experience between the audience and performers. Recent neuroscientific research from University College London also confirms that sharing the experience of a dance performance can synchronize the thinking and emotional perception of people present in the same space. STF sees in this an increasingly important cultural and social potential for today’s society,” describes Triinu Aron, artistic director of STL.
Over the ten festival days, eleven productions will be performed. The diverse side program offers discussions at the Choreo Café, which examine current topics in the field of choreography and contemporary society in general. There will be post-performance artist talks and movement workshops for both professionals and those who wish to become more familiar with the distinctive movement language of the performances. The festival will conclude with a rave, which creates an opportunity to celebrate the art of togetherness through dancing.
STF 2026 takes place all across Tallinn, bringing contemporary choreography both into theater halls and to spaces where movement activates the space in a new way. Performances will take place at Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava, Von Krahl Theatre, Paavli Kultuurivabrik, Kai Art Center, Linnahall, and Meriton Aqua and Sauna Centre.
STF is a contemporary choreography festival curated and organized by Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava / STL, consisting of Triinu Aron, Annika Ader, Kärt Kelder, Pille-Triinu Maiste, Cristo Madissoo, and Sirli Oot. The festival focuses on the diversity and genre richness of contemporary choreography, by bringing the works of internationally recognized and notable choreographers to Estonia and introducing new aesthetics and formats in the field.