Organizers seek place for signing choirs at 2028 Song Festival
Friday 18th September 2026 on 09:45 in
Estonia
Organizers are seeking a suitable way for signing choirs to participate in the 2028 Song Festival, artistic director Riivo Jõgi said in an interview with ERR’s Vikerhommik programme.
The 2028 celebrations will run from June 30 to July 9 and combine the youth song and dance festival tradition with the general song festival tradition. Jõgi said the decision followed the coronavirus pandemic and made the event significantly longer than in previous years.
The festival will be called “Olemise viis,” or “Way of Being.” Jõgi said the title was chosen because it has multiple meanings and a philosophical dimension, including the idea of what it means to be Estonian over time.
The Song Festival will take place over three days, from Friday to Sunday, rather than the traditional Saturday and Sunday schedule. Jõgi said the passage of time was an inspiring idea for the programme.
Each day will have a different focus. Friday will feature communal singing, Saturday will bring adult choir groups together with wind orchestras under the song arch, and Sunday will focus on children’s choir groups. Singers who performed on the previous days will also join the final combined choir.
Jõgi said taking part in the Song Festival requires considerable work, but added that everyone could ultimately participate in some way, either by performing under the song arch or attending as an audience member.
Organizers have already met with signing choirs and will continue discussions in the autumn. “We are trying to find a suitable way for them to participate in the Song Festival,” Jõgi said.
Other changes will include separating mixed choirs from youth mixed choirs, as well as separating girls’ and women’s choirs. A wind orchestra will accompany Friday’s programme, while a symphony orchestra will be used on Saturday and Sunday.
A children’s combined choir will also be formed for the first time, bringing together boys’ choirs, children’s choirs for younger pupils and children’s choirs.