In a ceremony broadcast live by EBU Members Estonian Television and Estonian Radio and on Euroradio 2See, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President of Estonia, will deliver the opening remarks at the 37^th Euroradio Folk Festival (EFF), to be held from 28 to 31 July. Taking place in Estonia for the first time ever, this annual EBU event, launched in 1980, will be held in conjunction with the 24th Viljandi Folk Festival, presenting the best of folk and traditional music from Europe and well beyond.

Other featured speakers at the opening ceremony will include the CEO of Estonian Public Broadcasting, Margus Allikmaa, and the Euroradio Head of Music, Pascale Labrie.

Some 50 artists/bands will perform in Viljandi. Of that total, the EFF is represented by 27 groups entered by 21 EBU Members and Associates and selected by Estonian Public Broadcasting to be recorded and offered as part of the Euroradio concert exchange. Acts include the world of Hungarian folk music as vividly recreated by Marta Sebéstyén; the yodeling and Alpine roots repertory of Switzerland's Landstreichmusik; Laoise Kelly, one of Ireland’s foremost traditional harpers; the fascinating encounter of the Senegalese kora player, Solo Cissokho, and the Lithuanian kanklės player, Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė. The guest list also features artists from as far afield as South Korea.

All concerts will be recorded by Estonian Radio and made available in August to EBU Members and Associates via the Euroradio music exchange (M2M) under reference FM/16/06/02/01-27.

Participating broadcasters:

AMPR (Armenia)
BNR (Bulgaria)
CR (Czech Republic)
ERR (Estonia)
HRTR (Croatia)
KBS (South Korea)
LR (Latvia)
LRT (Lithuania)
MTVA (Hungary)
NRK (Norway)
NTU (Ukraine)
PR (Poland)
RTÉ (Ireland)
RTP (Portugal)
RTR (Russia)
RTS/RTR (Switzerland)
RTVE (Spain)
RTVSLO (Slovenia)
RÚV (Iceland)
SR (Sweden)
YLE (Finland)