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Estonia’s delegation returned from WOMEX 2025 in Tampere, Finland last week having delivered a programme that positioned the country’s artists and industry at the forefront of Nordic-Baltic music collaboration. Over four days from 23–26 October, three showcase performances on the Northern Connections stage, strategic networking events, and targeted industry dialogues demonstrated Estonia’s distinctive approach to international music exchange—one that balances creative innovation with deep regional partnerships.

Estonian artists OOPUS and Kass-Talsi-Minn, alongside The Baltic Sisters, captivated audiences while extensive industry activities—including the Meet Estonia reception, Nordic-Baltic meetings, conference panels, and a Music Moves Europe dialogue—fostered connections that extended well beyond the festival’s four days.

The programme was coordinated by Music Estonia in partnership with the Estonian Traditional Music Center and Tallinn Music Week, with support from the Ministry of Culture of Estonia, the Embassy of the Republic of Estonia in Helsinki, and Studio Sound.

Showcases Deliver Impact on Northern Connections Stage

Estonian performances on the Northern Connections stage at Tampere Hall drew enthusiastic responses from audiences and industry professionals alike. The Baltic Sisters’ pan-Baltic polyphony opened Thursday’s programme, weaving Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian voices into harmonies that ranged from haunting sutartinės to layered Seto textures.

Audiovisual folktronica collective OOPUS captivated late-night Friday crowds with their fusion of ancient melodies, pulsing beats, and immersive visuals rooted in Finno-Ugric mythology. Genre-bending ensemble Kass-Talsi-Minn closed Saturday to acclaim, their distinctive blend of jazz, folk, and early music creating Nordic minimalism where Renaissance-era English compositions met vibrant folk melodies.

Celebrating Friendship While Forging Future Collaborations

Beyond the showcase stage, Estonia’s presence at WOMEX focused on building and strengthening regional and global industry relationships. Music Estonia and Tallinn Music Week opened the activities with the Meet Estonia Reception at the legendary culture hub Kulttuuritalo Telakka, supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Estonia in Helsinki. The buzzing gathering brought together international professionals and a delegation of Estonian music companies, organisations and artists to explore Estonia’s music ecosystem and connect with the people driving it forward.

A highlight of the evening came when the Estonian delegation honoured Tapio Korjus, founder of Rockadillo Group, co-founder of Finnish Music Export Office, and producer for WOMEX 2025 Tampere, for his decades-long contribution to Estonia–Finland cultural relations. Musician Mari Kalkun performed a special runo song dedicated to Korjus, who was presented with a commemorative DIY poster featuring “bootleg” versions of Rockadillo album art.’

Tapio Korjus was delighted to see such a strong delegation and presence from Estonia: “The Meet Estonia reception at Telakka on Thursday evening was absolutely packed with people from all over the world and really memorable. It showed how committed the Estonian delegates and organisations were to maximising the visibility of Estonian artists and companies at WOMEX.” He adds: “I was of course overwhelmed by the warm special attention I received for my decades-long work with Estonian artists and companies. It was definitely my personal highlight of this year’s WOMEX.”

The Nordic-Baltic joint area in Tampere Hall represented a strategic collaboration across eight countries—Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—pooling resources and networks to amplify regional visibility. Friday’s speed meetings connected professionals from across the Baltic and Nordic music industries in targeted exchanges designed to spark tours, co-productions, and collaborative projects, while the afternoon gathering offered space for delegates to deepen connections across the region.

The conference panel “Navigating the Baltic Music Ecosystem”, moderated by Director of Music Estonia Ave Sophia Demelemester, explored how the three Baltic nations form a strong regional circuit. Music Moves Europe Dialogue Session brought together Tallinn Music Week with ESNS, Reeperbahn Festival, Linecheck, EEMC, and MaMA to explore lifelong learning in the evolving music landscape.

“WOMEX in Tampere gave us the perfect opportunity to demonstrate what makes our approach distinctive,” says Ave Sophia Demelemester. “The connections forged this week go far beyond business cards exchanged. We’ve seen festival programmers already discussing 2026 bookings, and touring networks taking shape across Baltic and Nordic markets. Having WOMEX in neighbouring Finland allowed us to bring a larger delegation, which means more Estonian artists and professionals are now plugged into international networks that will bear fruit for years to come.”

About the project partners

The Estonian presence at WOMEX 2025 was coordinated by Music Estonia, the national music industry development centre and export office representing over 100 music companies. Music Estonia is a member of EMEE, Live DMA, and EMMA.

Estonian Traditional Music Center is a nationwide NGO supporting traditional music education and promoting live performance, serving as an information hub for traditional music ensembles and enthusiasts across Estonia.

Tallinn Music Week is one of Europe’s most acclaimed new music discovery festivals and networking events for creative industry professionals. TMW is a co-founder of The Federation of International Music Conferences (FoMC), a member of the European Talent Exchange, Keychange, and global music network UPBEAT.

The programme was supported by the Ministry of Culture of Estonia, the Embassy of Estonia in Helsinki, Studio Sound, the Latvian Music Information Centre, the Lithuanian Music Information Centre, and the Nordic music export offices: Music Finland, Export Music Sweden, Music Norway, TEMPI, and Iceland Music.