Beats from the Baltics: Estonia's contemporary music scene
Music is everywhere in Estonia — at concerts, festivals, bars, and clubs. The local scene awaits music lovers looking to listen to something new!
It is said that Estonians "sang themselves free."
Music, especially folk music, was one way to express national identity leading up to Estonia's first independence in 1918. Then, music again brought the country together during the "Singing Revolution" to push back against Soviet occupation.
Every five years, the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration attracts about 30,000 performers and tens of thousands of spectators. Annual music festivals like Tallinn Music Week, Jazzkaar, and Viljandi Folk attract international visitors to Estonian stages, and Eurovision brings Estonian artists to the global stage. Estonia's musical landscape is truly more colorful than ever.
Estonia & Eurovision
Estonia hosted Eurovision once, in 2002, after Tanel Padar, Dave Benton, and 2XL won the 2001 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Everybody.
Making it to the main event
Eesti Laul is Estonia’s national competition for selecting its representative for the Eurovision Song Contest. The competition focuses on emerging and established Estonian musicians and showcases diverse genres. Not only is Eesti Laul a gateway to Eurovision, but it has also significantly contributed to the growth of Estonia’s music industry.
Recent Eestilaul winners
- In 2024, folk duo Puuluup and hip hop artists 5MIINUST won Eestilaul with their song (nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi, an Estonian-language song featuring the talharpa (also known as a hiiu kannel), a traditional instrument played in Estonia's Coastal Swedish communities.
- Tommy Cash won the Eesti Laul this year with his song Espresso Macchiato and will represent Estonia in Eurovision 2025.
Photo author: Puuluup and 5MIINUST, Maanus Kullamaa/Tartu 2024
Estonian musicians to add to your playlist
In addition to the artists already mentioned, here are some more to check out before your trip. There's a little bit of everything, from pop to rock, electronic, funk, nu-folk, and hip-hop. Start listening and find a new favorite!
- NÖEP
- Bonus: Check out his sunrise set for Visit Estonia!
- Duo Ruut
- Bedwetters
- Mari Kalkun
- Curly Strings
- nublu
- YASMYN
- Lexsoul DanceMachine
- Trad Attack!
- Rita Ray
- Kitty Florentine
- Púr Múdd
- Stefan
- ALIKA
- Jüri Pootsmann
Photo author: Bedwetters, Visit Pärnu
Tallinn Music Week
The festival for tomorrow's music and ideas
The international new music and city festival Tallinn Music Week (TMW) will fill the Estonian capital with music and art again from 3-6 April 2025.
Attended by 20,000 festival-goers and 1,000 industry professionals, TMW is the key networking event for musicians and music industry professionals of the Nordic-Baltic region and across Europe, with a track record for helping emerging acts break into the international scene.
Reaching from trendy Telliskivi Creative City to Old Town, the music program presents the best Estonian artists, notable newcomers, and established acts, including more than 180 artists of various genres from Europe, North and South America, Canada, Africa, and the Middle East.
TMW’s city program offers free daytime explorations of art, cuisine, music, and children's programs while inviting the public to participate in discussions and learn more about Tallinn's diverse neighborhoods and venues.
Photo author: Mari Kalkun, Tallinn Music Week
Jazzkaar
The largest jazz festival in the Baltics
The 36th Tallinn International Festival Jazzkaar will take place from 20 April to 1 May 2025 and feature over 30 concerts across Estonia. Since its beginning in 1990, Jazzkaar has established itself as a cornerstone of the Estonian music scene. The festival's main hub is Telliskivi Creative City, but performances will also be held in Tartu, Pärnu, Viljandi, Otepää, and Ida-Viru County.
This year’s lineup includes rising Estonian talents and internationally renowned jazz artists from 14 countries. In addition to the scheduled concerts, Jazzkaar enlivens Estonia’s urban spaces with pop-up performances around town, including on public transport, in shopping centers, and on the streets of Tallinn’s Old Town.
Photo author: maria kallastu, Raul Ollo/Jazzkaar
Venues for catching live music in Tallinn
Summer music events in Estonia
Estonia's white nights come alive with music.
In addition to music festivals around the country, a record number of big-name international artists will perform in Estonia this year!
Photo author: NÖEP, Silver Gutmann/Tartu 2024
Festivals to look forward to this summer
Listen to a rock band in a forest, a DJ on a village street, or a serenade by the sea.
Guess who's coming to Estonia this summer?!
Get inspired
Last updated
31.03.2025