Hanna-Liina Võsa credits connections for her festival summer

Speaking to ERR’s Terevisioon, musical theatre star Hanna-Liina Võsa said her festival summer came about through personal connections and that she enjoys volunteering and helping behind the scenes.

Maarja-Liis Ilus invited her to Õllesummer, while Liisi Koikson needed a driver to return from Haapsalu after Taff:fest.

Võsa said her festival summer began at Sõru Jazz, which she has attended since the festival’s early years and considers her favourite. She described it as a large gathering of musicians, similar to a family reunion.

“I like being able to do something useful there. This time I picked flowers to decorate the stage and made pancakes for the musicians in the morning,” Võsa said.

She attended the festivals with her son Otto. “This summer was shaped by my child experiencing festivals,” she said.

At times, her volunteer work has meant missing concerts because they were sold out and no tickets were available.

Võsa said Õllesummer also brought back memories of the summer tours she attended with Ilus when they were 13 to 15 years old. She described the experience as a journey back to childhood.

She said festivals often reflect the character of their organisers. At Taff:fest, she was more interested in being a link between performers and the audience than in performing herself.

“I like watching how things work and I want to volunteer,” Võsa said.

She went to the Kikumu festival unexpectedly after her child wanted to attend with a friend. Võsa said it became her favourite festival of the summer because everything felt fresh and unpredictable. She also attended Treski fest and the Meelte Videvik experience festival.