14.07.25 NEWS ... World-renowned British photographer Jimmy Nelson, whose work was displayed at Tallinn's Fotografiska six years ago, visited Estonia once again during the 2025 Song and Dance Festival. Nelson spoke to ERR show "Ringvaade suvel" about his experience in Setomaa, why he believes humanity is losing its authenticity and more.

10.07.25 NEWS ... Celebrating Estonia's iconic Song and Dance Festival, ERR photographers Siim Lõvi and Ken Mürk present their photographers' cut — a selection of the top 100 moments capturing the spirit, color and energy of this unique heritage event.

10.07.25 NEWS ... Hundreds of Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) employees worked behind the scenes last week to bring the XXVIII Song and XXI Dance Festival "Iseoma" ("Kinship") to viewers in Estonia and beyond. Their efforts paid off, with ERR's live and online broadcasts reaching nearly half a million people.

09.07.25 NEWS ... Like many previous festivals, last week's Estonian Song and Dance Festival in Tallinn was largely muddy, leaving singers' and dancers' folk dress in need of careful cleaning. While many performers care for their own folk dress, a small cleaner's just outside Tallinn has a professional who specializes in it.

09.07.25 NEWS ... Veteran conductor Neeme Järvi is recovering in the hospital this week after a fall on the conductor's podium during the final encore of the Song Festival in Tallinn on Sunday night.

06.07.25 NEWS ... The final concert of the "Iseoma" Song and Dance Festival took place on Sunday with more than 32,000 performers and an audience of nearly 58,000 gathering at Tallinn's Song Festival Grounds.

08.07.25 NEWS ... Last weekend's 28th Song Festival "Iseoma" mostly took place in the pouring rain – and not for the first time. The Environmental Agency installed a temporary rain gauge at the Song Festival Grounds to measure how much precipitation fell.

06.07.25 NEWS ... Estonia's Song and Dance Festival culminated on Sunday with an almost seven-hour-long concert. More than 32,000 singers and musicians took part in the performance at the Song Festival Grounds in Tallinn. You can now watch the event again on ERR News.

06.07.25 NEWS ... Estonia's 28th Song Festival and 21st Dance Festival takes place this weekend, drawing more than 40,000 Estonians from across the world to Tallinn for the four-day celebration. ERR News shares the galleries from the events below.

05.07.25 NEWS ... In order for the Estonian people to truly hold the reins and bind the cords themselves, we must take care of one another and cannot stop carrying forward the wisdom and culture of our ancestors who have brought us to where we are today, President Alar Karis emphasized in his opening address at the Song Festival.

05.07.25 NEWS ... More than 31,000 singers and musicians took part in the first performance at the XXVIII Song Festival "Iseoma" on Saturday evening. You can watch the concert again on ERR News or ETV's Jupiter. The concert can be viewed with sign language here.

05.07.25 NEWS ... This week, 170,000 meal portions were prepared for participants of the Song and Dance Celebration. On Saturday, members of the Women's Voluntary Defense Organization distributed 18 tons of soup.

05.07.25 NEWS ... Yilin Wang, who is originally from China and a big fan of Estonia, said in an interview with Oliver Reimann that he really enjoys Estonia's calm pace of life and also finds the Estonian language very beautiful.

05.07.25 NEWS ... Heleri All caught up with Kätriin Vinkmann and Piret Vaughan during the Song and Dance Festival parade. Both have lived in Australia for ten years and came to the festival with the Brisbane folk dance group. For most of their time in Australia, they've also been involved in folk dancing.

05.07.25 NEWS ... Over 40,000 singers, musicians and dancers paraded through Tallinn to the Song Festival Grounds on Saturday afternoon before the start of the festival's opening concert.

05.07.25 NEWS ... This weekend, tens of thousands of singers will perform a repertoire of Estonian songs at the 28th Song Festival, one of the largest choral events in the world. ERR News explains the background to some of the most important tunes.

05.07.25 NEWS ... The Song and Dance Festival procession and concerts will close streets, reroute buses and suspend tram traffic on Saturday and Sunday.

03.07.25 NEWS ... On Thursday (July 3), the first performance of the XXVIII Song and XXI Dance Festival "Iseoma" took place with 11,000 dancers at the Kalev Central Stadium in Tallinn. You can watch the show again on ERR News.

05.07.25 NEWS ... The Song and Dance Festival's Folk Music concert took place on Friday (July 4) with more than 750 musicians from across Estonia. You can rewatch the event on ERR News.

04.07.25 NEWS ... This year, for the first time, the Hiiu kannel or talharpa will be played on stage during the Estonian Song and Dance Festival. Musicians Marko Veisson and Ramo Teder who, as zombie-folk duo Puuluup, have contributed significantly to the traditional instrument's revival from the brink of disappearance told ERR of their pride at its resurgence.

04.07.25 NEWS ... On Thursday morning, the Song Festival Grounds team was met with a surprise: overnight, street artist Edward von Lõngus had created several new works of art on the ticket booths.

04.07.25 NEWS ... Rainy and cool weather is expected in Tallinn over the weekend, so those attending the Song Festival are advised to bring a raincoat and warmer clothing.

04.07.25 NEWS ... This weekend, tens of thousands of Estonians from every corner of the country will flock to the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds for the 28th laulupidu (Song Festival). ERR News outlines the history of the beloved event.

03.07.25 NEWS ... Sustainability measures and "green ambassadors" are in place at this year's Song and Dance Festival and excess food will be given to the Food Bank, which will distribute it to those in need.

03.07.25 NEWS ... At 7 a.m. on Thursday morning, the Estonian blue-black-white flag was raised at Pikk Hermann Tower to mark the start of the Song and Dance Festival. The festival flame also arrived at Toompea in the morning.

03.07.25 NEWS ... Estonia's Song and Dance festival takes place this weekend, bringing together thousands of Estonians from across the world. But there will also be plenty of non-Estonians under the singing stage's arch. ERR News spoke to three long-term residents to understand why they want to participate and what the event means to them.

02.07.25 NEWS ... On Wednesday, the Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir from California arrived in Tallinn to take part in the 2025 Song and Dance Festival. Eric Tuan, the choir's conductor, who is participating in the Song Festival for the fifth time, said the event is all about a peaceful sense of national identity – something currently lacking in the choir's home country.

02.07.25 NEWS ... For all those who are in Tartu this week and can't make it up to Tallinn, the main performances from the 2025 Song and Dance Festival will be shown live on a big screen in Pirogov Park. Guests are advised that bringing joyful spirit is compulsory, while chairs, picnic blankets, raincoats and snacks are recommended but optional.

02.07.25 NEWS ... Rehearsals are in full swing for the 2025 Dance Festival at the Kalev Central Stadium in Tallinn. Photographer Kaupo Kalda has already captured a number of drone photos.

18.06.25 NEWS ... Since its lighting in Tartu on June 15, the ceremonial Song and Dance Festival flame has been making its way across Estonia — warmly welcomed by dancers, singers and well-wishers along the route as the country gears up to celebrate the nationwide festival in Tallinn on July 3–6.

02.07.25 NEWS ... Fifty-three schools across the capital have become temporary accommodation for thousands of singers and dancers as Estonia gears up for the Song and Dance Festival this weekend.

01.07.25 NEWS ... Ahead of the 2025 Song and Dance Festival, ERR spoke to participants who have made the short trip from Finland to take part as well as others who have traveled halfway around the world from Australia. The motivation of the Estonian groups from abroad is high, as folk culture is close to the hearts of Estonians all over the world.

29.06.25 NEWS ... On Sunday, nearly 10,500 dancers will arrive in Tallinn to prepare together for the performances of the Dance Festival "Iseoma." ERR photographer Siim Lõvi captured images of dancers from Põlvamaa as they arrived in the capital.

26.06.25 NEWS ... The 2025 Estonian Song and Dance Festival is set to take place from July 3 to 6 in Tallinn. All the performances can be viewed and listened to live on ERR's TV and radio channels or by following the links in this article.

25.06.25 NEWS ... Tickets for the main concert of the 2025 Song and Dance Festival on July 6 have sold out, but the organizers say the reason is not due to their being fewer on sale than in previous years but the overwhelming level of interest.

22.06.25 NEWS ... The flame of the Song and Dance Festival "Iseoma" was lit at sunrise on June 15 near the Estonian National Museum in Tartu and traveled through Pärnu County yesterday.

15.06.25 NEWS ... On Sunday morning, the flame for the XXVIII Song and XXI Dance Festival "Iseoma" was lit in the park of the Estonian National Museum in Tartu. The sunrise ceremony marked the beginning of an 18-day journey for the flame through Estonia's counties. It will arrive in Tallinn on July 2.

14.06.25 NEWS ... In just a few weeks, a total of 41 choirs, 38 dance troupes and four wind ensembles from abroad will take part in the Estonian Song and Dance Festival, including ensembles from both within and outside diaspora communities. Eneli Vaasna, the festival's curator for foreign groups, says what unites these groups is a deep love for Estonia.

12.06.25 NEWS ... Japanese high schoolers Musubi Miyashita and Jiu Miura came to Estonia as exchange students after being captivated by the Song and Dance Festival. In just ten months, the two teens learned to speak Estonian — and will be singing in the Song Festival next month.

11.06.25 NEWS ... Public transport will be free to use in the capital city during this summer's song and dance festivals.

10.06.25 NEWS ... Tallinn will increase public transport capacity around the Song Festival Grounds during major summer events to improve access and ensure convenient travel to and from concerts and festivals. Night bus services will also run more frequently on weekends with large events.

02.06.25 NEWS ... In a month's time, the Song and Dance Festival is set to take place, bringing thousands of dancers, singers and musicians to the Estonian capital. With safety of paramount importance, the festival's medical team will be on hand to help anyone who feels unwell during the event.

23.05.25 NEWS ... This week marked the end of auditions for singers and musicians participating in the Song Festival, and according to preliminary data, a total of 41,384 singers, orchestra members, dancers and folk musicians from 1,869 groups will take the stage at the XXVIII Song and XXI Dance Festival "Iseoma."

08.05.25 NEWS ... Following a rigorous audition, Kõku Keerutajad, an Estonian folk dance troupe of hard of hearing members, has earned a coveted spot on the field at this summer's XXI Dance Festival "Kinship" in Tallinn.

14.04.25 NEWS ... After years of preparation and a series of rigorous auditions, the dance troupes selected to take part in the XXI Dance Festival "Kinship" were confirmed Friday morning. This year's festival will feature regional categories of dancers, including a dedicated category for troupes from the Estonian diaspora.

27.03.25 NEWS ... This Tuesday marked the start of the final 100-day countdown to the XXVIII Song and XXI Dance Festival "Kinship" in Tallinn. With just over three months to go, participants have a busy schedule ahead, including rehearsals, seminars, meetings, the journey of the Song and Dance Festival flame, and the ESTO SING concert in Narva.

19.02.25 NEWS ... Like dancers and singers, wind instrument players are also preparing for this summer's national Song and Dance Festival in Tallinn. Organizers say keeping the wind music tradition alive depends largely on how widely and successfully it can be promoted among young people and other enthusiasts.

17.02.25 NEWS ... Following a meeting on Monday, Estonian Minister of Culture Heidy Purga (Reform) and Song and Dance Festival chief Margus Toomla said a solution to include sign language singers from the EPIK mixed choir in this summer's event has not yet been found. Toomla said a way will be found for sign language performers to participate in the festival during the national anthem.

13.02.25 NEWS ... An episode of ETV show "Pealtnägija," portraying a sign language choir, saw many Estonian politicians, including Minister of Culture Heidy Purga, reach out to Song Festival organizers with pleas to allow the choir to participate in the 2025 Song Festival.

25.01.25 NEWS ... While rehearsals for the XXVIII Song Festival have been underway since mid-January, this week saw the first round of regional and provincial try-outs for the XXI Dance Festival. In Pärnu County, 30 dance groups are hoping to make it to the festival this June.