From July 1–5 2026, the Baltoscandal festival in Rakvere will present 16 performances, installations, and films. One of the oldest and most significant performing arts festivals in the Baltic and Nordic regions, Baltoscandal brings together internationally acclaimed creators as well as a bright new generation of artists.
The festival also offers a real treat for Estonian theatre professionals: this year’s program features one of the leading figures of contemporary theatre—one of Europe’s most highly regarded directors and theatre figures, Milo Rau—with his production “LA LETTRE.”
Over the course of five days, the festival atmosphere will spread throughout the entire city of Rakvere. In addition to familiar theatre venues, the festival will take visitors on a journey across the city: to the Hõõg party hangar on the outskirts of Rakvere, the Rahu Hall sports venue, a private house on Pikk Street, the State Gymnasium, and the newly opened Ukuaru Music House.
Once again, the fourth wall between audience and artist will be broken. Visitors are invited to gather at the bar, follow instructions hidden in boxes, explore new worlds through virtual reality headsets, and entrust their problems to artists to solve. It’s worth slipping a one-euro coin into your pocket—you never know when it might be needed to activate a performance.
The program is available and tickets on sale on the festival website.
Internationally renowned creators – Milo Rau and Julia Masli
Curated by Priit Raud, the festival brings to Rakvere a production by one of the most influential theatre-makers of our time, Milo Rau. His piece “LA LETTRE” premiered at the Avignon Festival in 2025 and intertwines personal stories with theatre history and sharp social questions. For the first time, Estonian audiences will have the opportunity to experience Rau’s work live.
London-based Estonian artist Julia Masli presents “ha ha ha ha ha ha ha,” an award-winning performance proving that the most serious topics can appear in the most unexpected forms. On stage, the clown Julia attempts to solve the audience’s problems—doing so in ways that are both strange and deeply moving. The production was nominated for Best Comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe. It was directed by Kim Noble, already familiar to Estonian audiences.
Performances from distant lands – expanding beyond Europe
This year, Baltoscandal’s reach extends further than ever. Artists from Japan, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Vietnam bring their stories to Rakvere.
The artistic collective orangcosong presents “IsLand Bar,” inviting audiences to gather at a bar where cocktails blend with personal narratives. Each drink carries a fragment of identity and journey—stories told by Asian migrant artists living in Europe.
Artists Eisa Jocson (Philippines) and Venuri Perera (Sri Lanka) bring the ritual dance performance “Magic Maids” to the stage. Here, the broom—both tool and symbol—becomes an extension of the body, embodying feminist resistance against oppression.
Unique theatre experiences
In several performances, the audience is not merely a spectator but the initiator of events. The Belgian collective Ontroerend Goed presents “Handle with Care,” returning theatre to its essence: on stage, there is only a box and the audience. The performance begins the moment a viewer opens it.
Unexpected venues
Baltoscandal has a talent for discovering places in Rakvere you might never associate with theatre.
In a house in disrepair on Pikk Street, visitors can experience Basel Zaraa’s installation “Dear Laila,” an intimate one-on-one encounter where personal objects and memories tell a story of exile.
At the State Gymnasium, audiences can see the Portuguese duo Jonas&Lander’s “Coin Operated,” a performance that literally starts when a coin drops.
In the Hõõg hangar, Courtney May Robertson’s “HUNTER – OFF RECORD!!!” unfolds—a hyperreal and slightly unhinged world where grotesque, body, and identity intertwine. The same venue will also host Mart Kangro’s “Medium.”
At the Ukuaru Music House, Liis Vares and Taavet Jansen present “I Have Been Mixing It Up,” where the audience can construct their own experience and field of meaning.
Theatrical films and audiovisual art
In addition to stage performances, several strong films will be screened during the festival. Among them is the documentary “In Hell with Ivo,” portraying Bulgarian artist Ivo Dimchev, who will also give a midnight concert at the festival. Another screening is Lola Arias’s “Reas,” which takes viewers into a Buenos Aires women’s prison in the form of a surreal musical.
Audiovisual art is represented by Amelie Duchow’s “LOGOS MATER,” which explores the boundaries of sound, space, and visual perception.
Estonian artists and free program
In addition to Liis Vares and Taavet Jansen, Estonian performers include Mart Kangro with his solo piece “Medium,”where body and screen intersect, and Maike Lond’s “Three Ballads, a Story and My Mother’s Estate,” telling the story of a mother and son moving apart and moving forward.
The free program includes Martin Messier’s installation “Sewing Machine Orchestra,” where Singer sewing machines perform like an independent orchestra—precisely controlled yet surprisingly alive.
