Hendrik Toompere Jr.'s production "Rahamaa," which premiered this June at Tartu's Kammivabrik, has become a hit with audiences and received praise from many critics. The production will return to Tartu next June, but tickets were only available to those who managed to queue on the theater's website before sales opened.

"At the peak, there were about 7,000 people simultaneously active on our site," said Tanel Tomson, communications manager for the Estonian Drama Theater. "We've seen similar numbers when tickets for new months go on sale, but this is a record for a single moment."

According to Tomson, the demand was so high that tickets for all 16 performances of "Rahamaa" sold out within four to five minutes. Prices were higher than this summer, starting at €70 compared to the previous range of €55-60.

"This is due to the significant overall costs of preparing and staging the production," Tomson explained. "We pay for venue rental, build a stage and audience area in an empty factory space, rent grandstands and extensive technical equipment – lighting, sound, video – fly musicians in from Denmark and Norway and cover transport, catering and accommodation for a 50-member team for a month."

To meet demand from those willing to pay more, the theater has introduced a premium seating section of 56 spots at the front of the hall, with supporter tickets priced at €150 each.

Despite the high ticket prices, "Rahamaa" is such a large-scale project that, according to Tomson, the theater has not yet recouped the production costs, even with the support received as part of this summer's European Capital of Culture program, which won't be available next year.

The frenzy for tickets continues on social media, where hopeful fans are seeking ways to purchase "Rahamaa" tickets on the resale market.

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