The festival was held in Tartu again – it was a song festival to thank Emperor Alexander III on the 10th anniversary of his reign. The national movement had been growing strongly in the meantime. For the first time, the president of the song festival was an Estonian – Johann Köler. Folk song arrangements became popular. This time, mixed choirs also took part in proper concerts and string orchestras appeared at the festival for the first time.

CONDUCTORS:

Karl August Hermann (mixed and joint choirs), Robert Julius Erlemann (male choirs), David Otto Wirkhaus (string orchestras), Joosep Heinrich Wirkhaus (string orchestras) and Aleksander Läte (conducted his own songs).

170 choirs and orchestras with more than 2700 performers, or as many as the total in all previous festivals, took part this time. There were almost 1400 singers in mixed choirs, 900 in male choirs and 400 brass orchestra members. The audience amounted to 15,000.