A bill on the Song and Dance Festival is being considered in the Estonian parliament, and while leaders of choirs and dance groups support the decision, politicians are divided, writes ERR News.
The bill, submitted by the opposition in the spring, was adopted in its first reading. For more than 150 years, the Estonian Song and Dance Festival has been held based on a civil agreement, but now an initiative has been launched to include it in legislation. The idea has both passionate supporters and detractors.
Work on enshrining the tradition in law began in March, when former Minister of Culture, now MP Tõnis Lukas, submitted the bill to parliament. He wants the law to come into force as early as 2026: “Currently people come and participate mainly for two reasons: one is national enthusiasm, the other is the quality. Effort is needed to maintain this.”
The upcoming law will determine the festival’s status and organization, ensuring continuity and financial support, and will list the types of choirs participating in the festival. The bill also stipulates that one third of the repertoire must belong to the classical music of Estonian choirs and orchestras, and must be performed in Estonian and its dialects. The dance repertoire, even in original works, must be based on folk dance forms.
Kadri Tali, a member of the Parliament’s Committee on Culture, believes that
such a narrow view will stifle the spirit of the festival.
She pointed out that the law is unnecessary and populist, and a law that introduces such artistic restrictions and, in a sense, censorship will limit the freedom of tradition.
Meanwhile, leaders of choral music and dance groups believe that a law is needed.
Kaie Tanner, the head of the Estonian Choir Association, pointed out that such events need regulation. She said: “Is it necessary to regulate even which choir types participate and what the structure of the repertoire should be? At some point you do need to define what the song festival is that you’re regulating with this law. In that sense, I think it’s reasonable.”
Karel Johannes Vähi, the head of the Estonian Folk Dance and Folk Music Society, said that there has been a discussion in the Cultural Affairs Committee about whether it is necessary to specify the percentage distribution of the repertoire, but no one doubts that
the law outlines the conditions under which work is already being done.
The government does not support the creation of a law. Current Minister of Culture Heidy Purga has indicated that the Estonian state supports the Song and Dance Festival and will continue to do so without a law. “We should avoid overregulation. These problems can be solved through sectoral agreements, support measures, development programs, and raising awareness among local governments and educational institutions,” the minister said. She added that by subjecting the Song and Dance Festival to law, it will lose its dynamism and will not be able to change with the times.
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