In early August, as part of the Town Days, the area near the Narva-Jõesuu lighthouse transformed for several days into a large space dedicated to youth, dance, technology, e-sports, and communication. From August 7 to 9, a youth festival took place here, uniting two independent events: the already traditional dance festival Narva-Jõesuu JAM and the technology festival Narva-Jõesuu TECH, organized for the first time. The main organizer of the events was the NGO Noorteaeg. The Narva-Jõesuu youth center and Poison Dance Studio also actively participated in the preparation and execution.
Narva-Jõesuu JAM is a modern dance festival that continues to grow
Narva-Jõesuu JAM took place for the fourth time this year. Over the course of a few years, the event has grown from a local initiative into one of the region's most prominent youth dance festivals. The first day of the festival was dedicated to workshops, where participants had the opportunity to practice together with experienced dancers and instructors.
The second day took place at the open-air area near the Narva-Jõesuu lighthouse and served as the main competition day. Various dance styles were featured in the program, and participants competed in dance battles, showcasing their personal style, musicality, technique, and improvisation skills. Participants were judged by judges and professional dancers from both Estonia and abroad. For many young participants, the festival became an opportunity not only to perform, but also to meet representatives of the dance community from other cities and countries, gain new experiences, and see different approaches to modern dance culture.
The second day took place at the open-air area near the Narva-Jõesuu lighthouse and served as the main competition day. Various dance styles were featured in the program, and participants competed in dance battles, showcasing their personal style, musicality, technique, and improvisation skills. Participants were judged by judges and professional dancers from both Estonia and abroad. For many young participants, the festival became an opportunity not only to perform, but also to meet representatives of the dance community from other cities and countries, gain new experiences, and see different approaches to modern dance culture.
For the first time in Narva-Jõesuu – Narva-Jõesuu TECH
On the following day, August 9, the area near the lighthouse changed its format. The dance floor was replaced by gaming stations, computers, robots, VR, drones, e-sports tournaments, and technological activities. The main idea of the Narva-Jõesuu TECH festival was to create an event dedicated to technology, yet without limiting it solely to professional gamers or people already interested in IT. The organizers wanted to bring completely different fields together on a single site and make technology understandable, interesting, and accessible to children, teenagers, youth, and families.
One of the central parts of the program was youth computer gaming tournaments, which generated great interest among participants from all over Estonia. Thus, one of the most popular games among youth started even before the main festival day. Participants arrived not only from Ida-Virumaa, but also from Tallinn and Tartu. Teams went through preliminary matches over the course of a week, after which the best got the opportunity to play decisive matches on the main festival stage. The winners of the competition received cups and cash prizes.
A separate part of the festival became the Red Bull gaming area. Throughout the day, visitors could play console football here, take part in a tournament, and simply enjoy the gaming atmosphere. The tournament began with a group stage, and the decisive matches—commented on by Mayor Maksim Iljin and one of the region's best football players, Mark Maksimkin—took place in front of spectators right on the main festival stage.
The second highlight of the main stage was the Just Dance tournament of the popular dancing game, which involved 16 people. The commentators for this tournament were well-known local dancers Jevgenia Seletskaja and Alina Baranova. This format clearly demonstrated one of the core ideas of Narva-Jõesuu TECH—modern technologies can unite completely different fields, including gaming, sports, education, and dance.
Interactive zones, cybersecurity, and entertainment for the whole family
Narva-Jõesuu TECH was designed as a festival where technology can not only be seen, but also tried out firsthand. Therefore, many different zones operated simultaneously across the entire area, ranging from cybersecurity and VR to games, simulators, and active entertainment. The area hosted by the Information System Authority (RIA) and ECSC Team Estonia aroused great interest. Here, young people could try their hand at cybersecurity by solving computer tasks. Among other things, participants worked on tasks that required searching for information in open sources, spotting connections, and step-by-step arriving at the correct solution. RIA representatives also spoke about learning opportunities, careers in cybersecurity, and participation in European competitions.
At the festival, visitors could try virtual reality goggles, get acquainted with FPV drones, play computer and console games, test various simulators, participate in board games and workshops, and check out airsoft.
For children, in addition to bouncy castles and other entertainment activities, inflatables were on-site, making the festival interesting not only to teenagers and youth, but also to the youngest participants.
For children, in addition to bouncy castles and other entertainment activities, inflatables were on-site, making the festival interesting not only to teenagers and youth, but also to the youngest participants.
A new space for youth expression in Narva-Jõesuu
The core idea behind the festivals Narva-Jõesuu JAM and Narva-Jõesuu TECH lay in filling an empty niche: city event programs are often aimed either at toddlers or adults. The organizers provided youth with their own modern environment where they became not just spectators, but full participants in the events.
The feedback from young people and their parents confirmed that such a format is in demand. Teenagers were glad to have spent time together and seen that high-quality modern events can take place right in our region, rather than only in the capital.
The feedback from young people and their parents confirmed that such a format is in demand. Teenagers were glad to have spent time together and seen that high-quality modern events can take place right in our region, rather than only in the capital.
For the NGO Noorteaeg team, the success became an important result of months of work. Inspired by the public's great interest, they have already started preparations for the next festival, striving to make it even better and turn it into a good tradition by attracting even more technology organizations, companies, educational institutions, participants, and guests not only from Ida-Virumaa, but also from other regions of Estonia.
The next meeting is scheduled for August 8, 2027. The project was implemented by NGO Noorteaeg and the Narva-Jõesuu youth center in cooperation with the Narva-Jõesuu City Government with the support of Kirderanniku Koostöökogu under the LEADER program "Active youth".
The next meeting is scheduled for August 8, 2027. The project was implemented by NGO Noorteaeg and the Narva-Jõesuu youth center in cooperation with the Narva-Jõesuu City Government with the support of Kirderanniku Koostöökogu under the LEADER program "Active youth".
