Just Over a Month Until Tallinn Music Week, Praised by the BBC
Text: Timo Raussi Photo TMW / Taavi Tommy Pärnsalu
Tallinn Music Week, Estonia’s most internationally known festival—recently listed by BBC Travel as one of “the world’s seven most interesting music events”—will take place this year from 9 to 12 April. The festival’s musical programme is concentrated between Thursday and Saturday, with Sunday serving mainly as a general culture and family day organised in cooperation with the City of Tallinn.
As in the previous spring, TMW focuses heavily on the Telliskivi Creative City area, as well as on the Paavli Culture Factory located between Telliskivi and Kopli, and the HALL venue at the Noblessner waterfront. Individual concerts, events and theme nights will also be organised at the Uus Laine club next to the Balti Jaam Market, at St John’s Church on Freedom Square, and at the Nordic Forum Hotel’s conference facilities, which will host the two-day seminar for music industry professionals.
A total of 186 artists and bands from 38 countries will perform on the festival’s stages. TMW is a springboard for many emerging Estonian bands, 80 of which have been selected for this year’s programme. There are also well-known performers such as Duo Ruut, SADU—which rose to public popularity from the ashes of Trad.Attack!—soul diva Rita Ray, and J.M.K.E., the eternal engine of Estonian punk celebrating its 40th anniversary.
Three Days of Music
Among the international performers, the largest groups by number are the Finns at 26, Canadians at 11, and artists from Sweden, Latvia and France with 9 each. The TMW programme is divided by event day, venue, and theme as follows:
Thursday 9 April brings to the stage heavy metal pounders, representatives of the Finno-Ugric musical family, and curated soul and rock’n’roll acts from around the world. Also seeking new fans are ensembles combining classical and contemporary music, gems of indie and avant-garde, and pioneers of experimental sound. Finnish colours are added through an evening dedicated to Stupido Records’ punk, noise and power-pop bands at Von Krahl Bar, as well as a “Welcome to Finland”-themed event held in F-Hoone’s black hall.
Friday 10 April highlights folk stars seen or soon to be seen in Viljandi, rising talents from Canada, masters of British-style garage and indie pop, and Estonian, Finnish, and Latvian performers who blend music with other art forms. Internationality is further boosted by post-punk, metal, and avant-garde acts selected by the Finnish alternative festival Blowup, hot prospects from the Swedish music scene, performers from UNESCO’s network of music heritage cities across Europe, and virtuoso jazz improvisers. The night ends with old-meets-new folktronica rhythms at HALL and LGBTQ-friendly raves at the Paavli Culture Factory.
Saturday 11 April begins with record fairs at the Balti Jaam Market and with two choir and orchestra-focused concerts. In the evening, contestants of the Estonia Heavy Music Band Battle compete for attention, while artists from across the Baltics, performers of African-inspired music, Europe’s musical free-thinkers, and a colourful mix of genres from indie to pop, almost like warm-ups for the summer Võnge Festival, take the stage. Also featured on Saturday are special theme nights for fans of funk, experimental electronic music, jazz, hip-hop wordsmiths, and Estonian–Ukrainian performers appearing in a preview of the I Land Sound Festival.
Tickets for individual theme nights and discounted festival passes available before the event week can be purchased here. Full programme details and artist descriptions can be found here.
To learn more about this and similar topicsConcert events Festivals music Tallinn Tallinn Music Week
