Two big Estonian anniversaries, four days of celebrations and quite a few bills to pay. Here’s how you can help make Eesti Päevad 2027 happen — with prizes!
In April 2027, Sydney will host a rather extraordinary Estonian gathering. The Estonian Society of Sydney (Sydney Eesti Selts) is turning 100, and the 30th Australian Estonian Festival (Eesti Päevad) will take place from 8–11 April. That’s a century of community life, thirty festivals and a very good excuse to gather Estonians from across Australia and beyond in one place.
We’re planning four days of music, dance, theatre, film, art and activities for all ages. The opening ceremony will take place at Sydney Town Hall, and an impressive collection of performers is already assembling. If you’re curious about who’s coming, have a peek at the festival’s artists and performers page. You might recognise a few familiar faces — or discover someone new to add to your must-see list.
And while the full program is still being finalised, one thing is certain: organising a festival of this size takes more than enthusiasm, good intentions and an impressive supply of coffee. It takes money, too. Quite a bit of it, actually.
Behind every good celebration is a spreadsheet
Ah yes, the less glamorous side of bringing hundreds of Australian Estonians together. Someone has to organise the venues, coordinate the performers, arrange equipment, manage production costs and make sure everything runs reasonably smoothly. And preferably without the organising committee collectively losing its mind somewhere around March.
We’re working to make the celebrations accessible and affordable, including for families and younger participants. Donations and sponsorship will help cover the practical costs of bringing the festival to life, while allowing as many people as possible to take part.
The good news? You don’t need to be a millionaire, own a business or have a distant wealthy relative to contribute. There are several ways to help.
Donate, support the festival and perhaps win a prize!
Here’s where things get interesting. We’ve launched a fundraising raffle, and every donation comes with a chance to win something in return. So, while you’re helping make Eesti Päevad 2027 happen, you might also find yourself planning an unexpected family outing.
For every $10 you donate, you’ll receive one raffle ticket. Donate $20, and you’ll get two tickets. Feeling particularly generous? A $100 donation gets you ten chances to win — and helps bring the festival celebrations to life.
Prizes include:
- A family pass to Australia Zoo
- Eesti Päevad 2027 festival tickets
- EP2027 T-shirts and commemorative pins
- Other surprises!
The prize draws will take place at two Sydney Estonian community events:
- 6 December 2026 — Estonian House Christmas Lunch
- February 2027 — Estonian Independence Day celebration
And here’s the good news: if your ticket doesn’t win in the first draw, it automatically goes into the second draw. Two chances to win — what’s not to like?
Winners will be contacted by email to arrange collection of their prizes. Alternatively, prizes can be collected in Sydney on the morning of 8 April 2027, just in time for the festival.
And there’s an extra thank you for the festival’s largest donor, who will be recognised on the festival website and invited to a special sponsors’ event.
Make a donation and enter the raffle. We’re not suggesting you donate purely because you fancy meeting a koala, but if supporting Estonian culture happens to result in a family trip to Australia Zoo, who’s going to complain?
Feeling particularly generous? There’s a sponsorship package for that!
Perhaps you’re running a business, representing an organisation or simply in a position to make a larger contribution. We would be delighted to hear from you, and we’ve put together four sponsorship packages. We’ve even given them rather grand names. Because if you’re going to support a festival, why not do it in Platinum style?
Sponsorship packages:
- Platinum — $8,000
- Gold — $5,000
- Silver — $3,000
- Shout-out — $1,000
Depending on the package, sponsors can receive recognition on the festival website and social media, advertising opportunities in the festival booklet, tickets to festival events and invitations to an exclusive gathering with performers and organisers.
There are also opportunities to sponsor individual events. This allows supporters to direct their contributions towards a particular part of the festival, rather than the event as a whole.
And for those who prefer to do good things quietly, anonymous sponsorship is welcome too. No speeches, no fuss, no awkward moment when someone unexpectedly hands you a microphone.
Explore the sponsorship packages and benefits, and see our current list of sponsors here.
For sponsorship enquiries, contact the organising committee at festival@eesti.org.au.
A hundred years of showing up
Eesti Päevad (The Australian Estonian Festival) brings together Estonians and friends of Estonia from across Australia and beyond. The 2027 festival will be particularly special as Estonian Society of Sydney celebrates its 100th anniversary, alongside the 30th Eesti Päevad in Australia.
Here’s something worth thinking about. A hundred years of Estonian community life in Sydney didn’t happen because someone wrote a particularly impressive strategic plan and then sat back to admire it. It happened because people kept showing up. They organised gatherings, taught children, sang songs, cooked meals, volunteered, raised money and occasionally persuaded their friends to buy raffle tickets.
And here we are, a century later, preparing for another celebration. Eesti Päevad 2027 is another chapter in that story, and this time, we all have an opportunity to help write it. Whether that’s through a raffle entry, sponsorship, volunteering or simply spreading the word, every contribution helps. Thank you!
Questions?
📩 Send an email to: festival@eesti.org.au
Read more
Eesti Päevad website | Facebook | Instagram
Acknowledgement
Information supplied and approved by the Eesti Päevad 2027 organising committee. Thank you, Ave Nukki!
