Announcing 30 artists of the XXXI Viljandi Folk Music Festival line-up
Estonia's most beloved artists Puuluup, Trad.Attack!, Zetod, and Curly Strings have promised to create the atmosphere for the Viljandi Folk Music Festival, which will take place from 25-28 July. In addition to them, Singer Vinger and Duo Ruut, who were the first to be announced, will stand for the quality of the programme, as well as a dozen other versatile Estonian bands that will perform at the festival with a special programme.
“The programme of the XXXI Viljandi Folk Music Festival is going to be excitingly varied, very rich and will bring a lot of joy to both experienced fans and those who attend our festival for the first time. Estonia's own heavyweight will be present, there will be several stunning surprises and plenty of musical discovery from many nations around the globe. I'm sincerely happy that both Trad.Attack! and Puuluup will perform this year. I'm especially pleased that the band Singer Vinger, led by Hardi Volmer, has agreed to put a special programme together for this year's festival. We're thrilled to say the least,” noted Ando Kiviberg, the head of the festival.
Among the foreign acts, the festival will highlight new additions of the award-winning Scottish group RURA, one of the Nordic countries' most prominent phenomena combining wheel lyricism, accordion and electronica, Symbio from Sweden, the authentic Nashville bluegrass group Midnight Ride, and the seasoned masters of Southern Italy, Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino. Besides the first cross-border artists Kumbia Boruka (Mexico), Gabba (Norway/Saami) and Florence Adoon (Ghana), the festival will also feature performers from Georgia, England, Canada, Lithuania, Latvia and Finland, and talks are ongoing to introduce more artists from several countries to the festival.
“Most of all, I am delighted to welcome back our old friends Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino, who have been one of the most popular ensembles at our festival over the years. They play the wild tarantella music of their region, Puglia, which should shake up even the dullest of people,” said Tarmo Noormaa, the programme manager of the festival. “I'm also looking forward to a concert by the authentic US bluegrass band Midnight Ride, who come straight from Nashville. They are master entertainers,” Noormaa added.
The theme of the XXXI Viljandi Folk Music Festival is “Patterns and Traces”, and it will focus on the distinctive sound patterns of folk music that help to strengthen and recognise the cultural diversity of different nations. The artists' profiles can be found here on the website.
The XXXI Viljandi Folk Music Festival takes place on 25th–28th July 2024 in Viljandi castle hills. Pre-booking accommodation options for the caravan park, glamping, camping and comfortable camping sites are available. More information here.
Among the foreign acts, the festival will highlight new additions of the award-winning Scottish group RURA, one of the Nordic countries' most prominent phenomena combining wheel lyricism, accordion and electronica, Symbio from Sweden, the authentic Nashville bluegrass group Midnight Ride, and the seasoned masters of Southern Italy, Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino. Besides the first cross-border artists Kumbia Boruka (Mexico), Gabba (Norway/Saami) and Florence Adoon (Ghana), the festival will also feature performers from Georgia, England, Canada, Lithuania, Latvia and Finland, and talks are ongoing to introduce more artists from several countries to the festival.
“Most of all, I am delighted to welcome back our old friends Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino, who have been one of the most popular ensembles at our festival over the years. They play the wild tarantella music of their region, Puglia, which should shake up even the dullest of people,” said Tarmo Noormaa, the programme manager of the festival. “I'm also looking forward to a concert by the authentic US bluegrass band Midnight Ride, who come straight from Nashville. They are master entertainers,” Noormaa added.
The theme of the XXXI Viljandi Folk Music Festival is “Patterns and Traces”, and it will focus on the distinctive sound patterns of folk music that help to strengthen and recognise the cultural diversity of different nations. The artists' profiles can be found here on the website.
The XXXI Viljandi Folk Music Festival takes place on 25th–28th July 2024 in Viljandi castle hills. Pre-booking accommodation options for the caravan park, glamping, camping and comfortable camping sites are available. More information here.