Dancing Amongst Meteoric Craters: Estonian Festival I Land Sound Does Things Its Own Way

Vast and incredibly unique, the peaceful island of Saaremaa is most known for its untouched nature, incredible wildlife, and rare group of meteoric craters formed thousands of years ago. This is the setting for Paap Uspenski and Taavet Bristol’s brain child, I Land Sound.

Inspired by the Estonian club scene, the festival serves as a glistening window to Estonia’s tight-knit electronic world. Many DJs that play have other full-time jobs alongside their craft, and are insanely committed to doing what they love; which the founders feel brings a grass roots, authentic shape to the lineup. ⁠The festival attracts respected artists in the scene like Gojnea76, who played on the LED-drenched Terrace Stage, and had our break the wire rep Amy Shazam-ing the whole way through.

Rony Rex also played at the festival for the first time. When Amy met him at the festival, she asked him what his first impressions were, “There is a lot of versatility in this area, but in [the best] way, you have something that surprises you all the time.” We couldn’t agree more. Rex ended his night at a forest rave, “I don’t know who was playing but they had a bag pipe.” That’s not something you get everywhere, but at I Land Sound, anything is possible – and the quality never falters, even for a moment. 

Saaremaa is Estonia’s largest island, and getting there is easy. You can travel from Tallinn by bus or car and ferry, or take a short flight to Kuressaare on a tiny 48-seater plane. Each year, about 3,500 people flock to Saaremaa for l Land Sound's carefully curated DJs, art installations, and 360° sunset view. Estonia's electronic scene is especially intimate and diverse, which founders Paap and Taavet feel brings authenticity to the acts they select. It really is a cosy, family affair – the festival itself was born from its setting, illiku islet in Paap’s hometown of Orissaare.

Amy from the break the wire team had the pleasure of attending on our behalf, and said that illiku islet is one of the most beautiful places she’s ever been:

One of my favourite memories from the festival was swimming in the sea everyday and visiting the sauna before going to get ready to go out and enjoy the music. Because of Estonia's Northern Location, the sun sets super late and rises really really early, so there’s only a few hours of darkness – it is light literally until 12am, it was amazing to experience.

Committed to putting Saaremaa on the map, the founders’ main aim is to platform how their community sees the world, fueling Estonian opportunity and showcasing their voice. Experiencing their culture through the lens of the festival was particularly special for Amy:

In Estonia they’re really big on respect, people always take their shoes off before entering someone’s house, and they like to carry that ethos to the festival as well. So at a lot of the stages you had to take your shoes off before entering. There was a real sense of community - everyone at the festival is so welcoming and everyone that works there is like one big family (a lot of them actually are family!). Paap (one of the founders) has his whole family involved with the festival, from the logistics to the build and everything in between. It’s incredible.

I Land Sound has something truly rare to offer anyone who visits its magical location. If you fancy something different from your usual UK festival schedule, we’ll be seeing you and your lot at the next one. ⁠Their next edition takes place 15-18 July 2027.⁠ @visitestonia @ilandsoundfestival https://ilandsound.ee/en/

📝: Kelly Washington