Kukerpillid plan nationwide gratitude tour, but rule out a repeat

Estonian band Kukerpillid will give 15 concerts across the country’s counties in spring 2027 as part of a gratitude tour, ERR reported after an interview on the programme “Hommik Anuga.” Band member Ike Volkov said there would be one concert in each county, with a local performer joining the band at every stop. All those performers will come together for the final concert at Alexela Concert Hall.

The tour, titled “One Last Time,” will take place in less than a month. Volkov said its title did not mean the band was preparing to stop performing, but that it would not undertake another tour on this scale. He said the group had agreed to the ambitious schedule because of its respect for the Estonian public.

The band is preparing physically, Volkov said, with workouts, weight training, running in the forest and chopping wood. He joked that chopping wood provided three rounds of exercise: sawing, splitting and carrying it.

Allan Jakobi joined Kukerpillid a year and a half ago, taking over from Arne Haasma, who had played with the band for more than 35 years but could no longer play the accordion because of health problems. Band member Toomas Kõrvits said the tour was a tribute to the people who had supported the group. He added that hearing from fans who had listened to Kukerpillid since childhood brought the band joy and a sense that it had found its place in Estonian culture.