Kick-off of KESKfEST - join us out in front of KESKUS to celebrate!
Thu, Aug 20
|KESKUS International Estonian Centre
Join us for the official kickoff of KESKfEST! Celebrate the 'veidi veel' unveiling of KESKUS and 35 years of restored Estonian independence. Note: This is a FREE EVENT, standing (11–12:30). Tickets not required. RSVP is for reserved seating for those who require it for accessibility/physical needs.
Time & Location
Aug 20, 2026, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
KESKUS International Estonian Centre, 9 Madison Ave, Toronto, ON M5R 2S2, Canada
About the event
This is a free and open event for all, tickets not required. It is a standing event, 11:00am-12:30pm. RSVP is for reserved seating for those who require it for accessibility/physical needs.
Join us for a special outdoor gathering to celebrate a long-awaited milestone in the journey of KESKUS and the community that has brought it to life.
Our Veidi Veel Unveiling is a moment to celebrate where we have come from, what we have built together, and what lies just ahead. We are honoured to welcome Estonia’s Minister of Education and Research, Kristina Kallas, who will share her perspective as we mark this milestone and look ahead to the role KESKUS will play in connecting Estonia with communities and future generations around the world.
Music carries our story across generations and across the world:
In 1991, Estonian folk band Ukulele came to Canada to participate in Estonian Arts Centre's "7 Arts Retreat" (Seitse kunsti laager). Little did they know how historic their trip would be: on August 20, while the band was visiting, Estonia restored its independence. The following evening, Ukulele took the stage at Toronto Eesti Maja, as emotion ran high and as Estonians worldwide were absorbing the enormity of a moment they had waited a lifetime to see.
Now, 35 years later, Ukulele returns to Canada. Reuniting especially for the occasion, the band will perform in a homecoming that connects one chapter in our community’s history with the beginning of another.
We also welcome Tallinna Kammerkoor (Tallinn Chamber Choir) from Estonia, with conductor Heli Jürgenson bringing to us the Canadian premiere of Jonas Tarm’s “Kauge kaja” (“Distant Echo”). "Kauge kaja" evokes the echoes of home carried across distance — the songs, language, memories and traditions that travelled with Estonians around the world and continued to resonate from one generation to the next. At KESKUS, those echoes meet up again.
KESKUS will be a spectacular building. Moreover, KESKUS is a celebration of the people, stories and connections that are making it possible.
We’re almost there. Veidi veel. Come mark this moment with us.
