Tallinn mulling whether to take over organization of Christmas market or outsource
Tallinn's Christmas market has long stayed the same — mulled wine, blood sausages, sweets, fur hats and amber jewelry — but the city may soon take over.
Tallinn's Christmas market will open on Town Hall Square (Raekoja plats) on November 21 this year and remain there until December 28.
For more than a decade, the market has been organized by 5+ Capital, a private limited company owned by Igor Semjonov and registered to an apartment in Õismäe. The most recent contract was signed for three years and expires after this season, meaning the city will need to decide how to proceed going forward.
In recent years, the Christmas market has been known for increasingly wallet-unfriendly prices and a selection of goods leaning toward kitsch. Whether mulled wine and blood sausages will be even more expensive this year remains unclear.
"Rental prices for vendors are set by the organizer and the city district has no involvement in that," said Marika Pärn, a business specialist at Tallinn's Property Department, speaking to ERR.
It is also still unknown who will organize next year's market. Last year, then–Kesklinn district elder Sander Andla promised that once the current contract ended, a public call for ideas would be held to invite competing concepts. But according to Pärn, no decisions have yet been made.
"As of today, it's still undecided whether the city will take over organizing the Christmas market after the current contract ends or if a new organizer will be selected through procurement — possibly with a revised concept," she said.
Still, Pärn confirmed the matter is actively under discussion and a decision is expected before the end of the year.
Despite having no employees, 5+ Capital turned a profit of €269,315 on €769,508 in revenue in 2023. It's unclear how the company performed last year, as it has not yet filed its annual report, which was due on June 30.
This is not unusual for 5+ Capital, which has previously received four warnings over missing reports — either fines or notices of possible removal from the business register.
Pärn noted, however, that the company has successfully managed the event so far and the city district has had no complaints.
The city government signed the three-year contract with 5+ Capital in the summer of 2023 for a total of €216,369.
--
Editor: Marcus Turovski
