The Song Festival began at two in the afternoon. It lasted nearly seven hours. The rain did not stop people from coming. There were a lot of people.
Indrek and Triin came to listen to the concert with their children. They said they wanted to stay until the end of the concert. They made preparations for it. "We have blueberries and candies with us. In the morning, we bought boots to keep our feet warm," said Indrek.
The most heartfelt moments during the opening concert were the flame-lighting song and the Estonian anthem. Everyone was waiting for the boys' choir performance. "Ranitsakandja" was many people's favorite song. It was performed twice.
Conductor Mariliis Kreintaal was very happy. She said, "This is fantastic. My body is full of dopamine and adrenaline. Every singer is just amazing."
Kuldar Schüts conducted both at the opening concert and on Sunday. He said, "The boys' choir is my life and passion. I want people to listen and enjoy the music."
Karin Tuul participated in the Song Festival for the second time. Her song "Vaata ja sa näed" was performed by women's choirs. She said, "Estonian women are incredible. When many of them are together, it's a very powerful feeling."
Veiko Tubina's music was completed quickly. He said, "The piece was finished in one or two days. If the lyrics are good, it doesn't take much time."
Valter Soosalu conducted his own song. He said, "At least it's not raining. We are here, and we're not going anywhere. The quality of the Song Festival gets better every time."
Forty different pieces were performed at the Song Festival. There was a lot of new music. In total, there were nearly 90,000 people at the Song Festival Grounds.