"I was approached by the Song and Dance Festival Foundation and the artistic team of the Song Festival. I am very pleased that they found this opportunity to come and discuss a sensitive issue that has resonated in society at this time. After the meeting, I am pleased that there is a desire to find a solution," said Estonian Minister of Culture Heidy Purga.

The minister said she has confidence that the artistic team and the foundation will find a way for the issue related to the participation of the EPIK (Estonian Chamber of Disabled People) choir in the 2025 Song Festival to be resolved.

Asked why the minister had raised the issue at an inconvenient time for the organizers, Purga said accessibility is an issue that needs to be addressed by all sectors, including the Ministry of Culture.

"Up to now, the Song and Dance Festival Foundation has also dealt with this issue," Purga said. "I think that once this year's Song and Dance Festival has taken place, we will be able to discuss together how to improve accessibility for future editions," the minister said.

Purga stressed that the rules for the 2028 festival will be set by the foundation and the artistic committee.

According to the minister, the reason she raised questions regarding the EPIK choir and their ability to participate in the festival, was due to the issue being addressed on ETV's investigative show "Pealtnägija."

"It was a reflection of the program shown on ERR and this has also been a subject that concerned me personally," Purga said.

Song Festival chief: Sign language singers can join in with anthem

Margus Toomla, head of the Estonian Song and Dance Festival Foundation and the festival's choreographer, said one solution to the issue would be for the foundation to find a way for people who can perform in sign language to join in with the Estonian national anthem during this year's festival.

This would not only apply to the EPIK choir, but also to others using sign language. The sign language performers would not be under the singing arch, but elsewhere in the arena.

"We are starting to look at ways to do this, perhaps in cooperation with ERR. It's now a matter of thought and then development. How things will go, I don't know," Toomla said.

According to Toomla, it is not yet been established whether the EPIK choir or other choirs of sign language singers will be able to perform at the next edition of the Song Festival, in 2028.

"At the moment, we are preparing for this year's festival. The aim is to get together with all the Estonian people and have a great party. After that, we will see what happens in 2028. It's too early to talk about that now," said Toomla.

The issue of the EPIK choir's exclusion from the Song Festival came to the attention of the broader public when choir conductor Edmar Tuul sought an assessment of the issue from Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise. Madise ruled that people with disabilities should have the opportunity to perform at the Song Festival.

However, the festival organizers maintained that the absence of evaluation criteria prevents them from assessing the choir and their suitability to take part before the 2028 festival.

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