Thursday, 3 July 2025, marks the grand opening of the XXVIII Song Festival and XXI Dance Festival, affectionately titled “Kinship” (Iseoma). The celebrations will sweep across Tallinn until Sunday, 6 July, and trust us – it’s unmissable, even from across the globe!
You can feel the festival in the air
Every five years, Estonia bursts into song and dance like nowhere else on Earth – and this year is no exception. If you’ve made the trip to Tallinn, chances are you already feel it: joyful choirs, rehearsing dancers, festival posters plastered everywhere, and of course… Estonians from Australia popping up on every corner!
Honestly, it’s been a delightful surprise seeing so many familiar Aussie Estonian faces. Whether it’s because we’ve got a particularly passionate folk scene or simply because we just can’t resist a good laulupidu, it feels like a reunion of sorts over here.
Over the past week, I’ve walked past spontaneous dance practices in schoolyards, spotted festival guides at tram stops, and caught snippets of familiar accents on nearly every Tallinn street.
Australian Estonian folk dance groups in the spotlight
If you haven’t already, catch the pride and joy of our Aussie Estonian community on screen! Our incredible dance groups Virmalised and Folkroos have been featured on Estonian TV and media:
- TV3 aired a piece on Virmalised on 20 June. You can watch it here (in Estonian).
- ERR published a lovely article by Tõnn Viik highlighting Folkroos and others who’ve travelled far and wide to take part. Read it here (in English).
They’re repping us Down Under with pride – let’s cheer them on!
Aussie Estonians taking over Tallinn
As someone who lives in Melbourne now but was raised in Estonia, I’ve gotten used to flying under the radar when I visit home. Not this time. Whether it’s Leo from my folk dance group bumping into me at Elisa while sorting out a SIM card, or Ingrid from the Estonian Society popping in right after him – Tallinn feels like one big Estonian Australian meetup!
At Raekoja plats, I caught up with a friend at a concert and in just half an hour, no fewer than four Aussie groups waved hello in passing. And let’s not even get started on the Global Estonians networking event last Tuesday – the Aussie crowd was out in force!
Just yesterday, I posed proudly in front of the Estonian and Australian flags alongside friends from Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and beyond. There’s no better time to be an Estonian Australian in Estonia!
How to watch the festival from Australia
Couldn’t make the trip this year? No worries – you can still be part of the magic from your couch!
All the main events will be broadcast live on ERR, so grab a blanket, brew a cup of herbal tea (or crack open a Saku if you’re going full local), and settle in.
🕐 Remember to convert to your local time zone! All listed times are in Estonian time (EEST).
👉 Watch everything live via ERR’s streaming platform.
| When? | What? | Watch here |
| Thursday, 3 July at 2pm | Dance festival dress rehearsal (Kalev Stadium) | Vikerraadio, Jupiter |
| Thursday, 3 July at 7pm | First dance festival performance (Kalev Stadium) | Vikerraadio, Jupiter |
| Friday, 4 July at 2pm | Folk music concert (Freedom Square) | ETV, Jupiter |
| Friday, 4 July at 6pm | Dance Festival III performance (Kalev Stadium) | ETV, ETV+, Jupiter |
| Saturday, 5 July at 1pm | Grand procession (to Lauluväljak) | ETV, ETV2, ETV+, Jupiter, Vikerraadio, Klassikaraadio, Raadio 4 |
| Saturday, 5 July at 7.30pm | Opening concert of the Song Festival (Lauluväljak) | ETV, ETV2, Jupiter, Vikerraadio, Klassikaraadio, Raadio 4 |
| Sunday, 6 July at 2pm | Song Festival Grand Concert (Lauluväljak) | ETV, ETV2, ETV+, Jupiter, Vikerraadio, Klassikaraadio |
By the numbers – a festival of epic proportions
Here’s a glimpse into the scale of this year’s celebration:
41,192 performers in total (!)
11,613 dancers, including 10,938 performing across three shows
32,022 singers
765 musicians from 88 folk groups
45 foreign song groups (1,500 participants)
38 foreign dance groups (600 dancers)
550 regional rehearsals led up to this magical weekend.
Whether you’re dancing in Tallinn or dancing in your living room, this weekend is all about celebrating our kinship — with Estonia, with music, and with each other.
Tantsime ja laulame koos! 💙🖤🤍
Read more
Read about all things Song and Dance Festival here
