Tallinn Music Week to still go ahead in August

The music festival and conference was due to take place from 25-29 March in the Estonian capital Tallinn, but was rescheduled for August in light of the coronavirus outbreak.

Organisers were still unsure if the festival was due to ahead in August, with the pandemic still happening around the world.

While many countries are yet to lift a ban on public events, particularly ones in indoor venues, Tallinn Music Week has announced that the event will go ahead in August. In a statement, organisers write, "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 (TMW) reconfirms the festival dates on 26 – 30 August."

They also explain the event has to adhere to some restrictions on numbers of attendees to prevent another spike in cases, "The TMW 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, while also following all the rules in force, which help to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Being an international event, TMW also takes into account the health and travel regulations abroad."

Tallinn Music Week director Helen Sildna says, "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. 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."