Tartu Student Days is the largest student festival in the Baltics, organized by the University Culture Club, which takes place in autumn and spring. In general, the festival is 7-10 days long, and every day there are events for both students and the townspeople. The festival has traditional events that have been organized at every festival for years, but new events always add excitement to the program.

In addition to other target groups, the autumn festival of Tartu Student Days also focuses on first-year students. The spring festival program includes major events, such as Students’ Night Song Festival and Walpurgis Night. The students have always been a bit crazy, but the energy and positivity they spread is a valuable part of the spirit of Tartu.

The tradition of Tartu Student Days began in the 1960s when in each autumn a group of students decided to organize events dedicated to other students. The idea grew out of annualInternational Students’ Day, which is celebrated on November 17. The first autumn festival took place from November 30 to December 2 in 1989 with 10 events in the program and almost 7,000 participants. The first spring festival took place in the same year, and there were already 10,000 participants.

Villem, the Tartu Student Days’ mascot, was born in 2002, when Kristjan Rattus, a member of the University Culture Club, drew him for the first time. Villem is an adventurous young dog who first discovered the city in 2003. In 2022, Villem celebrated his 20th birthday, but he still hasn’t lost his playfulness and energy. At the festival, the dog boy can be seen enjoying pancakes at the Pancake Morning, dancing at the Night Dance Festival or paddling at the Boat Rally.