Tallinn Music Week confirmed for August after Estonia eases coronavirus restrictions

Estonian festival Tallinn Music Week (TMW) will be staged in August following its initial postponement as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

The 12th edition of the new music showcase and cultural conference event was originally scheduled to run from March 25–29, but was postponed just over two weeks before the festival was due to get underway.

• Read more: Coronavirus: every cancelled gig, festival and tour – and how to get your ticket refund

TMW has today (May 13) confirmed that they will stage their annual event from August 26-30 following the decision by the Estonian government this week to allow public events with restricted attendance in the country from July.

The relatively low spread of the coronavirus in Estonia has led to this loosening of restrictions, with museums and galleries having been reopened in the country this week. Public drive-in events are also set to be permitted from Friday (May 15), while sports events without spectators can take place from Monday (May 18).

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?? We are glad to announce that according to the decision of the Government of the Republic of Estonia crisis management committee on 12 May, which allows the public events with restricted attendance from July in Estonia, Tallinn Music Week reconfirms the festival dates on 26 – 30 August. Tallinn Music Week 2020 music programme, scheduled to take place from 27 to 29 August, can be adjusted according to the agreed restrictions that set the maximum attendance for open-air events at 1,000, and attendance for indoor events at 500. The same restrictions apply to the TMW conference and the free city programme. All programme elements will be adapted during the given period by the festival team according to the emergency restrictions. The updated festival programme will be published in June. Read more at tmw.ee. Photo by Tõnu Tunnel: Finnish jazz band Elifantree preparing to perform at TMW 2016 City Stage in Homeart. . ?? Meil on hea meal teatada, et vastavalt Eesti Vabariigi Valitsuse Kriisikomisjoni otsusele eile, 12. mail, mis võimaldab osalejate piiranguga avalike sise- ja väliürituste toimumist juulis ja augustis, kinnitab Tallinn Music Week (TMW) festivali toimumist 26.–30. augustil. Tallinn Music Week 2020 muusikaprogramm koosneb 27.–29. augustile jaotatud eraldi kontserdiõhtutest Tallinna klubides ja kontserdisaalides ning on kohandatav vastavalt otsuses sätestatud piiranguile, mille kohaselt võib väliüritusi pidada kuni 1000 inimesele ja siseruumides toimuvaid üritusi kuni 500 inimesele. Samuti on võimalik korraldada TMW konverentsi ja tasuta linnaprogrammi piiratud mahus üritusi. Piirangutega seotud muudatused festivali korralduses avalikustatakse juunikuus. Loe lisa meie kodulehelt tmw.ee. Foto: Tõnu Tunnel. Soome džässibänd Elifantree valmistumas esinemiseks TMW 2016 linnalaval Homearti poes.

A post shared by Tallinn Music Week (@tallinnmusicweek) on May 13, 2020 at 3:05am PDT

TMW’s music programme will be adjusted to meet these new regulations, ensuring that the maximum attendance for open-air events will be limited to 1000 attendees while only 500 people will be permitted to attend indoor events. The festival plans to be flexible with their programme given the changing nature of the situation, while also following appropriate measures to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

TMW say that they will “take into account the health and travel regulations abroad”, noting that restrictions on border crossings between Estonia and Finland will be eased this week and that the free movement of Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian residents and people legally residing in these countries will also resume.

• Read more: UK festivals talk social distancing, cancellations and what the future may hold

The measure, which is creating a so-called Baltic “travel bubble”, follows on from reports that the European Commission will recommend that EU countries reopen their borders to countries with similar coronavirus risk profiles in order to help revive the tourist industry.

“One of the most essential goals for our team is to figure out how this year’s TMW can provide maximum benefit to musicians and the whole ecosystem serving music events – from sound rental companies to hotels,” the director of TMW, Helen Sildna, said.

“This season will give the entire cultural and events sector an opportunity to be smart and responsible, and to prove that we are able to provide value and new quality even in challenging circumstances. It’s essential to inject optimism to artists, the whole sector and our audience.”

You can find out more information about Tallinn Music Week here.

In the UK, a new report has warned that independent music festivals in Britain are at risk of collapsing after the coronavirus crisis forced many organisers to cancel their 2020 editions.