The festival takes place every July in the castle park and centre of Viljandi. It is the strongest expression of a special mindset originating from the early 1990s. This mindset values tradition, heritage, and a local identity and tries to adapt the spiritual values collected over hundreds and thousands of years with the modern way of living – all of this to keep the traditions alive and thereby strengthen our national characteristics. 
Viljandi Folk Music Festival has become one of the largest festivals of this kind in the Baltic and Nordic countries over the years.