Narva – Estonia’s Autumn Capital 2026
Every year, autumn arrives in Estonia from the east, and Narva is the first city to welcome it. But this year, we decided not to wait for astronomical autumn to make its way into the city on its own. Instead, we are kicking off the season with a big Narva weekend on September 19 and 20.
Come to Narva with the whole family on September 19, because on this day there will be a Narva for everyone.
At 10:00, the day begins in Äkkeküla with the morning wake-up hike “WAKE UP WITH THE AUTUMN CAPITAL!”, offering an opportunity to discover Äkkeküla together with the city leaders.
At 12:00, the Narva Museum invites visitors to Narva Castle for a free lecture by Petr Suškov, “Culture or Propaganda: How Music Shapes Worldview”.
At 13:00, athletes will take to the starting line at the Narva Autumn Run. At the same time, those interested in the city’s history and architecture can join a tour of Narva Town Hall together with the Chairman of the Narva City Council.
At 14:00, young people will meet at NoorteFest.
The evening continues at 19:00 at Peetri plats (Peetri Square) with ShowOn Narva, bringing together car enthusiasts and showcasing unique cars from all over Estonia.
At 19:30, an open-air concert will begin on the roof of the Joaorg beach building, offering a wonderful opportunity to enjoy an autumn evening accompanied by music.
The day will conclude at 21:00 with a journey through Narva Castle at night. This evening tour offers a chance to discover the castle and its stories in a completely different light.
The mood will change the following day, September 20, but Narva will continue to surprise you.
From 12:00 to 16:00, the Rugodiv Cultural Centre will offer an opportunity to discover the tourism possibilities of Narva and the region.
At 12:00, photographer Irina Kivimäe’s exhibition “Between Earth and Sky” will open, inviting visitors to discover moments where earth and sky, light and shadow, movement and stillness meet.
Narva can also be discovered on guided tours. At 12:00, a tour of the Kreenholm Manufacture will take visitors through the fascinating grounds of the former textile giant.
At 14:00, the “Icon Chamber” exhibition tour will offer a closer look at one of the most fascinating parts of the Narva Museum’s art collection.
The highlight of the day comes at 16:00 with the ceremonial opening of the programme “Narva – Autumn Capital of Estonia 2026” and the official handover of the Autumn Capital title to Narva. The Mayor of Narva and the Chairman of the Narva City Council will welcome guests at the ceremony.
Then you will be able to hear Narva in the literal sense of the word: the Narva City Symphony Orchestra will present the “Made in Narva” concert, dedicated to the music and creative work of Narva’s residents.
This is how autumn will begin — an autumn that will turn Narva into Estonia’s Autumn Capital for three months.
So this year, don’t wait for autumn to come to you. Come and meet it. Choose September 19–20 for your trip to Narva, spend the weekend here and discover a city that is much more interesting, welcoming and surprising than many have come to believe.