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2d ago

Braving Rain, Estonia’s Song and Dance Celebration Unites Tens of Thousands

Performers from six to 93 years old have traveled from across Estonia, including diaspora ensembles, following months of rehearsals under a rigorous selection process.

Choir singers take part in the Estonian Song Festival, part of the "Iseoma" Song and Dance Celebration, at the Song Festival Grounds in Tallinn, Estonia, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
Choir singers take part in the Estonian Song Festival, part of the "Iseoma" Song and Dance Celebration, at the Song Festival Grounds in Tallinn, Estonia, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
Artistic director of the Song Celebration Heli Jurgenson, seen on the screens, attending the Estonian Song Festival, part of the "Iseoma" Song and Dance Celebration, at the Song Festival Grounds in Tallinn, Estonia, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
A participant rides a scooter ahead of the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration "Iseoma" at the Kalev Stadium in Tallinn, Estonia, Friday, July 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Overview

  • Over 21,000 choir singers raised their voices in rainy conditions at Tallinn’s Song Festival Grounds on Saturday.
  • More than 10,000 dancers staged stadium performances during the four-day festival.
  • Main concert tickets sold out weeks in advance for Sunday’s seven-hour song festival.
  • Themed around dialects and regional languages, the repertoire blends folk songs, patriotic anthems and new compositions.
  • The celebration will culminate in a 32,000-voice rendition of “My Fatherland is My Love” as its emotional finale.