Estonia’s biggest oyster festival is taking place in Tallinn: the programme also includes an oyster-shucking championship
5. On 2026 September, the Austerium Oyster and Seafood Festival will take place in Tallinn city centre. In the courtyard of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, you can sample a variety of oysters and seafood, watch an oyster-shucking competition featuring Estonian restaurants, and, if you wish, try your hand at it yourself. Admission to the festival is free.
Austerium will take place on Saturday, 5 September at 12.00–20.00in the courtyard of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre at Tatari 13. The organisers describe it as Estonia’s biggest oyster festival, and this year marks the event’s sixth edition.
This is not just a food festival. One of the day’s main events isthe Estonian Restaurant Oyster-Opening Cup, in which professionals compete to open oysters quickly and correctly.
Estonian restaurants are competing to find the best oyster shucker
The qualifying round of the competition will beginat 15.30 in accordance with the published schedule,and the final will take place at 17.00. The winner will be announced at 18.00.
The competitors’ entries will be judged by an international jury comprising judges from the United Kingdom, France, Finland and Estonia.
The festival is led by oyster sommelier Anti Lepik, whom Visit Tallinn describes as a six-time world champion in oyster shucking. Throughout the day, practical tips on shucking, serving and enjoying oysters will also be shared.
However, you don’t have to just watch. At 14.30 and 18.30, there’ll be an ‘Open and Eat’ oyster competition for guests, where festival-goers can also put their skills to the test. At 15.00, there will be ‘Oyster Minutes’, where we’ll take a closer look at how to open and enjoy oysters properly.
The selection includes a variety of oysters and other seafood
However, the competition isn’t the only reason to come to the festival. There are several pop-up restaurants and bars operating on site.
According to the published programme,the Austerium oyster bar will be bringing 12 different varieties of oysters to the festival. In addition, Austerium’s seafood grill, Toidunauti’s seafood café and a pop-up serving seafood paella will be in operation, along with several other food outlets.from the Famille Boutrais oyster farm in France will also be in attendance.A representative
As well as oysters, seafood lovers can also enjoy caviar, grilled seafood and Norwegian seafood, for example. For those for whom oysters are not the first choice, the JAHU Tänavagurmee pizza bar is also among the confirmed participants.
Entry to the festival site is free, but food and drink must be purchased separately on site.
You can also just come along to the festival to have a look round
The oyster-opening championship makes the event interesting even for those who aren’t big oyster fans themselves. Professional oyster shucking is a skill in its own right: it’s not just about speed, but also ensuring that the oyster is opened correctly and ready to serve.
As well as the competition, the programme includesbuilding a tower out of oyster shells, music and performances, and a range of activities for festival guests. The music will be provided by DJ Zaks Arcers, and the programme also features a performance by a young violinist.
The organisers have also thought of families: the festival programme featuresactivities for children involving oyster shells.
Austerium Austrian and Seafood Festival 2026 programme
Key events in the published programme:
- 12.00 – start of the festival
- 14.30 – ‘Open and Eat’ oyster-eating competition for guests
- 15.00 – ‘Oyster Minutes’: how to enjoy oysters
- 15.30 – Qualifying round for the Estonian Restaurant Oyster-Opening Cup
- 16.30 – building a tower out of oyster shells
- 16.45 – a performance by a young violinist
- 17.00 – the final of the oyster-opening competition
- 18.00 – announcement of the winner
- 18.30 – ‘Open and Eat’ oyster competition for guests
- 19.00 – activities involving oysters for festival guests
- 20.00 – the end of the festival
The organisers note that the programme may be subject to further changes.
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When and where?
Austerium – 6. Oyster and Seafood Festival 2026
📅 5. September 2026
⏰ 12.00–20.00
📍Courtyard of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, Tatari 13, Tallinn
🎟Free entry
🔗 Official event page
Austerium is ideal for those who want to try a variety of oysters and seafood, as well as for visitors looking for a slightly different culinary and city event in Tallinn at the start of September.
Artificial intelligence was used to prepare the article. Although the data has been verified using public sources, the text may contain inaccuracies or information that has become outdated due to subsequent changes.