Three major events in Tallinn lead to soaring accommodation prices
Tens of thousands of concert goers are converging in Tallinn over the next two weekends, leading to soaring accommodation prices and fully-booked hotels. Two major concerts are taking place at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds, while this weekend the crowds will be further boosted by the Ironman triathlon taking place in the capital.
This Sunday, Tallinn hosts veteran English pop act Depeche Mode, long immortalized in Tallinn's Old Town by the presence of a bar wholly dedicated to the band (or, until a few years ago, two such bars in close proximity), appear at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds (Tallinna lauluväljak).
Also taking place this weekend is the Tallinn Ironman Triathlon, as well as a concert at Pirita Klooster, forming part of the Birgitta Festival.
The following weekend sees Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd take the stage, again at the Song Festival Grounds, on Saturday, August 12.
Events like these are healthy for hotels, with room prices often several times higher than during a quieter weekend at this time of year, and vacancies unheard of in the days leading up to this weekend and the following.
CEO of the Oru Hub Hotel Kristel Mäenurm told ETV news show "Aktuaalne kaamera" (AK) that: "Both domestic tourists and foreign tourists are staying here, and above all from Latvia, Lithuania.
The hotel is located quite close tot he Song Festival Grounds, East of the city center.
Many guests are also from Germany, Finland and France, among other nations, Mäenurm went on.
"The high demand for hotels has indeed increased the prices, but nevertheless all the rooms have been sold out and people's interest was high, very high," she added.
Larger hotels such as Tallink, in central Tallinn, have doubled prices on thei 790 guest rooms, while again, the hotel is practically fully booked.
Tallink Hotels board member Ave Svarts said that the upcoming events should set a precedent for large concerts and the ensuing large guest numbers, whle Svarts praised concert promoter Live Nation for organizing the Depeche Mode and The Weeknd gigs.
Over 10,000 people are coming from Finland for the Weeknd concert, with "significant" numbers coming from Lithuania.
Live Nation CEO Eva Palm says more than half of the spectators will be from outside Estonia, with 40,000 expected for Depeche Mode and nearly 55,000 for The Weeknd.
"In addition, we have a total of nearly 2,000 people working in connection with the two concerts. After both shows are over, it will have been almost like the Laulupidu," Palm told AK.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Marko Tooming
Source: 'Aktuaalne kaamera', reporter Katre-Liis Võhma.
