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The first-ever Baltic Focus at Ireland Music Week (IMW)—held in Dublin from 1–4 October 2025—marked a collaborative export venture uniting the music industries and talent of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The initiative brought over thirty Baltic music professionals and three showcase artists—mariin k., Vultura and Plié—to the Irish capital, introducing fresh sounds, innovative ideas and a spirit of regional collaboration. Baltic culture ministries’ representatives held strategic meetings with Culture Ireland and Irish cultural policymakers as part of the programme.

Co-hosted by Music Estonia, Music Latvia and the Lithuanian Music Business Association, the Baltic Focus highlighted the region’s creative voice on the European stage whilst forging enduring connections with Ireland’s thriving music community. Supported by the Baltic Culture Fund and the embassies of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in Dublin, the programme showcased the three Baltic nations’ shared spirit of independence, innovation and artistic collaboration.

The conference panel “Baltic Beat: The Sound of Connection, The Pulse of Tomorrow”, held on 2 October in the Lost Lane Library room, offered IMW delegates an in-depth look at the Baltic music ecosystem. Director of Music Estonia Ave Sophia Demelemester, Executive Director of Music Latvia Agnese Cimuška-Rekke and Director of the Lithuanian Music Business Association Vaidas Stackevičius provided a crash course through their countries’ music scenes, covering artistic trends and practical realities such as touring, media coverage and international collaborations. Industry professionals from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania—Roman Demtšenko, Bruno Roze and Victor Diawara—shared insights from the live, promotion and label sectors, illustrating how creative vision and strategic networking drive the Baltic music scene. Moderated by Irish artist manager and consultant James Byrne, the session blended practical guidance with a compelling narrative of a region punching above its weight.

The panel was preceded by a keynote from Tallinn Music Week’s Head of PR & Communications Ingrid Kohtla, “The Baltic Identity–Shared Roots, Distinct Branches”, accompanied by the short film It’s Baltic!. She depicted the Balts as “small nations, loud in surround sound”, tracing a path from the Singing Revolution to underground raves and digital dreams, and casting the region as both resilient and inventive.

Late that night, Dublin’s venues came alive with Baltic sounds. Estonian rising shoegazers mariin k. filled the Grand Social Loft with waves of reverb that nodded to the city’s legacy as the birthplace of My Bloody Valentine, whilst showcasing their own distinctive jangle-pop melodies. At the Grand Social Ballroom, Latvian act Vultura delivered a mix of drum’n’bass, darkwave and pop, radiating a youthful all-for-one energy. Closing the night at the Workman’s Club, Lithuania’s Plié delivered a relentless set of hardcore and industrial, their hypnotic performance a commanding, visceral experience.

Reflecting on the mission, Executive Director of Music Latvia Agnese Cimuška-Rekke describes the Baltic Focus as a breakthrough: “Having a dedicated focus at Ireland Music Week is an important step in strengthening our region’s visibility within the European music market. This collaboration between the three Baltic music export offices demonstrates how much can be achieved when we join forces and think strategically towards shared goals.”

Director of Music Estonia Ave Sophia Demelemester emphasises the event’s cross-regional impact: “It was a truly special experience. Through such focus initiatives, we spark interest and jointly introduce the state of our music industry and its distinctive character. Bringing together over 30 Baltic professionals sent a strong signal about our close cooperation, creative excellence and shared values. Ireland’s approach to valuing culture as a pillar of national identity was inspiring and will influence our future collaborations.”

Director of the Lithuanian Music Business Association Vaidas Stackevičius highlights the tangible outcomes: “This mission was successful on many levels—from new professional connections with Irish, UK and US media to strengthened collaboration between our Baltic partners. The sense of unity and mutual support was exemplary.”

Director of IMW Angela Dorgan highlighted the unprecedented nature of the Baltic focus in her opening address, noting that for an event which traditionally spotlights Irish talent, spotlighting the Baltic region represented a unique moment—one that recognised the region’s determination and resilience in making its mark on the European music landscape.

Throughout the event, the Baltic presence extended beyond the venues and panels. A Baltic reception for the international music industry featured welcome speeches by Estonian Ambassador to Dublin Kairi Künka, Lithuanian Ambassador to Ireland Jonas Grinevičius, and Latvian Ambassador to Ireland Juris Štālmeistars. Additionally, Baltic delegates visited their countries’ embassies and held speed meetings with Irish artists. 

Representatives from the Baltic cultural ministries met with representatives from Culture Ireland, the Irish cultural export support organisation, and other local cultural policymakers to discuss strategies for artist mobility, developing music exports, and sustainable funding. For the Baltic teams, Ireland’s pioneering Basic Income for the Arts scheme and structured support system for the music industry at different development levels stood out as an inspiring model for creators.

By the IMW finale, conversations had already turned to the future—new joint projects, artist exchanges, delegate mobility and reciprocal showcases are planned for Riga Music Week in Latvia (November 2025), Murmurs in Lithuania (February 2026) and Tallinn Music Week (April 2026).

The Baltic Focus programme at IMW was a joint effort of Music Latvia, Music Estonia and the Lithuanian Music Business Association. Core partners in Estonia were Tallinn Music Week and e-Residency, media partner Postimees Culture. Core partners in Latvia were Riga Music Week and Every Little Thing, media partner LSM – Public Broadcasting of Latvia. Core partners in Lithuania were Murmurs and Lithuanian Council for Culture, media partner LRT – Lithuanian National Radio and Television.

The initiative was supported by the Baltic Culture Fund, Estonian Embassy in Dublin, Embassy of Latvia in Ireland and Embassy of Lithuania in Ireland.

Baltic Focus at IMW2025 photos by Owen Humphreys
Baltic Delegation | Baltic Reception
mariin k. | Vultura | Plié