Tartuff 2026: a free open-air cinema in Tartu city centre
8–15 August 2026 turns Tartu Raekoja plats into a large open-air cinema for eight evenings. The PÖFF love film festival Tartuff is taking place for the 21th time this year, and all festival screenings are free for visitors.
New international films, beloved classics and, for the first time, a full short-film programme are shown on the large screen in Raekoja plats. Documentaries and youth films are shown to audiences at Tartu Elektriteater.
Tartuff official website:
https://tartuff.ee/
Tartuff 2026 full schedule:
https://tartuff.ee/otsi_seanssi/
Tartuff 2026 at a glance
When: 8–15 August 2026
Where: Tartu Raekoja plats and Tartu Elektriteater
Tickets: all film screenings are free
Programme: 13 feature-length open-air films, eight short films, documentaries and a youth screening
Organiser: Pimedate Ööde filmifestival
Presenters: Elisa and Tartu linn
This year, the festival lasts eight days instead of the usual six, from Saturday to Saturday. This means Tartuff can be visited over two consecutive summer weekends.
Tartuff turns Raekoja plats into a large cinema
The central part of Tartuff takes place right on Tartu’s historic Raekoja plats. In the evenings, a large open-air screen is set up there, and the usual city square turns into a free cinema.
Love is at the heart of the festival, but not only in the romantic sense. The films also explore family, friendship, loneliness, belonging, complicated relationships and new beginnings.
This year, the Raekoja plats programme includes a total of 13 feature-length films and eight short films. According to the organisers, this is a wider selection of films than Tartuff has ever had before.
The complete, regularly updated programme can be found in the festival’s official schedule:
View the official Tartuff 2026 schedule
The festival opens with “Gohan – valge koer”
Tartuff 2026 opens on Saturday, 8 August with the Thai drama “Gohan – valge koer”.
This heartwarming film follows a street dog’s journey from puppyhood to old age. Gohan enters the lives of different people and affects them all in his own way. The film explores compassion, loneliness, animals and the need to belong somewhere.
The film consists of three chapters, directed by Chayanop Boonprakob, Baz Poonpiriya and Atta Hemwadee. The film’s distribution rights have been sold to more than 40 countries.
Watch the official introduction to the film “Gohan – valge koer”
Jackie Chan in a completely different role
One of the programme’s most noteworthy films is the Chinese dramedy „Mängime kodu”.
This time, Jackie Chan does not play a martial arts master, but a man suffering from dementia who regards the strangers gathered around him as his family. The film is directed by Li Taiyan.
According to the official description of *Tartuff*, the film aims to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease, its recognition and understanding of those living with the condition.
New international films
The Tartuffi open-air programme features films from a wide variety of countries and cultures.
‘The Wedding’
This Croatian-Serbian co-production tells the story of a Croatian girl and a Serbian boy who wish to get married. However, the young couple’s plans are thwarted by the political, religious and cultural differences between their two families.
The result is a whirlwind Balkan comedy, which the festival organisers compare to a modern-day version of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
We are blessed
In this Maltese musical drama, a young woman who wishes to leave her homeland meets an elderly folk singer. His music helps her rediscover Malta, the local culture and her own roots.
The film features the 82-year-old Maltese folk singer Nenu Borg.
‘A Second Life’
In Drake Doremus’s romantic drama, a jazz singer discovers parallel worlds in which her relationships and life choices unfold in different ways.
The film stars Emilia Clarke and Edgar Ramírez.
“Long live life!”
This Spanish drama centres on a woman who has overcome a serious illness and wishes to live life to the full. She finds herself in relationships with two very different men and must come to terms with her desires, feelings and choices for the future.
The film’s director and lead actress is Aina Clotet.
“Think positively”
This Franco-Belgian drama begins with what appears to be an ideal relationship. Soon, however, the man’s constant talk of positive thinking becomes controlling, and the woman begins to feel that her life and freedom of choice are slipping away.
The film was directed by Géraldine Nakache.
Beloved classic films are coming to the big screen
Tartuff isn’t limited to new films alone. Six well-known classics and audience favourites will also be screened on Town Hall Square:
- Baz Luhrmann’s *Moulin Rouge*;
- Pedro Almodóvar’s ‘Seo mind! Ahelda mind!’;
- Rob Reiner’s *Be with Me*;
- Martin Scorsese’s *Cape Fear*;
- Jacques Deray’s *Bassein*;
- Thea Sharrock’s *Me Before You*.
‘Me Before You’ marks the tenth anniversary of ‘The Cape of Fear’ 35 and ‘Stay with Me’ 40. The festival will conclude on 15 August with *Moulin Rouge*, the premiere of which marks its 25th anniversary this year.
Descriptions of all the films can be found in the official film catalogue:
The first ever screening of a full programme of short films
For the first time, the Tartuff Open-Air Cinema programme features a dedicated short film screening entitled‘Shorts@Tartuff: Short Films, with Love’.
The programme comprises eight feature films, animated films and documentaries made over the past 2019–2024 years. They explore love, intimacy, desires and relationships from a wide variety of perspectives.
Documentary films at the Tartu Elektriteater
Eight documentary films will be screened at the Tartu Elektriteater, covering topics ranging from family and friendship to war, identity, music and love stories across different cultures.
The programme includes, amongst other things:
- ‘Soap Fever’, which explores the extraordinary popularity of the series ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ in Finland;
- ‘In Motion’, which showcases Juliette Binoche’s work as a dancer;
- ‘Amadou and Mariam: A Blind Couple from Mali’, which tells the story of the famous Malian musicians;
- ‘Birds of the Revolution’, which traces a love story through 13 years, war and exile;
- ‘The Boy and the Insect’, a story about a boy’s unexpected friendship with an insect.
Elektriteater will also be hosting a Just Film youth screening, featuring the Estonian youth films *The Idiot* and *Sauna Time*.
The official website of Tartu Elektriteater
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Does Tartuffe need a ticket?
No. All screenings of *Tartuffe*, both at Tartu Town Hall Square and at the Tartu Elektriteater, are free of charge.
Seats are not numbered and cannot be booked in advance. When you leave your seat, it becomes available and may be taken by the next visitor. Please note that, at the Elektriteater, latecomers will not be admitted once the auditorium is full.
The festival’s official rules for visitors:
See the Tartuffe programme notes
What should you take with you to an open-air cinema?
Even a warm August day can be followed by a cool evening. It’s therefore a good idea to bring a warmer jacket, jumper or blanket with you.
In the event of rain, the organisers ask that you use a rain cover rather than an umbrella. This way, umbrellas will not block the screen from other spectators.
Glass bottles are not permitted at screenings. Visitors are asked to keep their seats clean, switch their mobile phones to silent mode and refrain from smoking during the film. Evening screenings at Raekoja plats are not recommended for children under 16 years of age.
Why is Tartuffe worth a visit?
Tartuff combines free cinema, international films and the summer atmosphere of Tartu’s Old Town. You don’t need to buy a ticket or go to a traditional cinema to watch the films — the screen, the audience and the whole festival experience are right in the heart of the city.
The festival is ideal for film enthusiasts, couples, groups of friends and anyone looking for a reason to visit Tartu in August.
Frequently asked questions
When is *Tartuff* 2026 taking place?
The festival takes place from 8–15 August 2026.
Where is *Tartuff* being performed?
The main open-air screenings will take place on Tartu Town Hall Square. Documentaries and youth films will be screened at the Tartu Elektriteater.
Is Tartuff free?
Yes. All film screenings at Tartuff are free of charge.
Can seats be booked?
No. Seats are not reserved in advance, and it’s worth arriving early for the more popular screenings.
Where can I find the Tartuff 2026 timetable?
The full and official programme can be found on the Tartuff website:
https://tartuff.ee/otsi_seanssi/
Tartuff 2026 official links
- Tartuffi’s official website
- Tartuff 2026 full programme
- All the films at the festival
- Official presentation of the Tartuff 2026 programme
- A guide for visitors and rules for visitors
- The official website of Tartu Elektriteater
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