Viljandi Repair Festival unveils this year's workshops – first Repair World Championship to take place

The Viljandi Repair Festival, celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, has announced its programme of 35 hands-on workshops. The festival will take place on 19 September at the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy's Vilma building and courtyard. One of this year's highlights will be the inaugural Repair World Championship.

According to Ave Matsin, Head of the Native Crafts Curriculum at the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy and organiser of the festival, the event has grown over the past five years into Estonia's largest festival promoting repair, reuse and sustainable craftsmanship.

"As the Heritage City of Viljandi is part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of Crafts and Folk Art, the connection with repair is only natural. Throwing things away is actually a very recent and unfamiliar phenomenon in our culture. For centuries, people repaired objects and found new ways to use them instead. Through the festival, we aim to keep this tradition alive and help it continue to evolve," said Matsin.

This year's workshops are divided into five themes: food, textiles, metal, wood and other materials. Food is also the annual theme of Heritage City Viljandi in 2026. As part of the festival, City Craftsperson Gea Valner will lead a workshop on traditional food fermentation.

Adding to the excitement this year is the first-ever Repair World Championship, where participants will be given the same object to repair by hand. Entries will be judged on the quality and originality of the repair rather than speed. Anyone interested is welcome to compete for the title of Repair World Champion.

The Viljandi Repair Festival takes place alongside the events of Viljandi's birthday weekend. Activities organised under the Heritage City Viljandi initiative are carried out in cooperation between the City of Viljandi, the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy and the city's cultural institutions.

The full workshop programme is available at viljandi.ut.ee/en/repair-festival.