11.—13. july 2025

Jäneda Õppekeskus, Lääne-Virumaa

CINEMA • ART • MUSIC

11.—13. july 2025

Jäneda Õppekeskus, Lääne-Virumaa

Artists

Music

More artists to be announced!

Gilles Peterson + Rob G (UK)

Herbert & Momoko (UK)

Nazar (AO)

Afronaut (UK)

Vaiko Eplik

Röövel Ööbik plays “Popsubterranea”

LU:K

maria kallastu

Mutant Disco

Haigla Pidu

Puhas Kräu

Naissoo Freeform Quintet

Maarja Nuut

Brodsky & Panfilov

Maria Faust

Alonette

AveMaria

Meisterjaan

The Boondocks

Vana

mariin k.

Olev Muska

Rhythm Doctor

INES DAFERRARI

Käsi

Helina The Artist

Pilot Abilene

glenwashere

Erkin Antov

Cool DJ Pinball

DJ Julius

Art

Isla Mathieson (UK)

Kris Lemsalu

DeStudio

Flo Kasearu

Artrovert Gallery

Ave Vellesalu

Fred Kotkas

Edith Karlson

Riina Varol

Cinema

The film programme features a special selection of audience favourites from Estonia’s most important independent cinema, Kino Sõprus, curated in celebration of its 70th anniversary.

In addition, highlights from the Valga Hot Shorts 2024 short film festival program will be showcased, and special buses will take visitors to explore rare films at the nearby Järva-Jaani Film Museum.

Programme

Friday (17:00 – 04:00)

Tiigi

  • 17:00
    Käsi
  • 19:00
    Alonette
  • 21:00
    The Boondocks
  • 23:00
    INES DAFERRARI

Konklaav

  • 18:00
    AveMaria
  • 20:00
    Helina The Artist
  • 22:00
    Röövel Ööbik plays “Popsubterranea”
  • 00:00
    Herbert & Momoko (UK)
  • 01:15-04:00
    Mica & sõbrad

Maatriks

  • 21:00
    Teet Majoor Liiv
  • 22:00
    Luke & Madleen
  • 00:00
    Cool DJ Pinball
  • 01:15
    LU:K
  • 02:15-04:00
    Pinball & sõbrad

Saturday (12:00 – 04:00)

Kali beach

  • 12:00
    DJ Julius
  • 15:00-22:00
    Haigla Pidu
  • 19:30
    Vana

  • 16:00
    Kaarel Valteri nimeline maleturniir
  • 12:00-20:00
    Saun Kali järve ääres

Tiigi

  • 15:00
    Vaiko Eplik
  • 17:00
    mariin k.
  • 19:00
    Pilot Abilene
  • 21:00
    maria kallastu
  • 23:00
    Meisterjaan

Konklaav

  • 18:00
    Maarja Nuut
  • 20:00
    Olev Muska
  • 22:00
    Nazar (AO)
  • 23:00-04:00
    Mutant Disco
  • 00:00
    Kris Lemsalu moeshow
  • 00:20
    Afronaut (UK)
  • 02:20
    Mutant Disco

Maatriks

  • 21:30
    glenwashere
  • 22:00
    Puhas Kräu
  • 22:00
    Noa
  • 23:30
    DJ Shore Road
  • 01:00
    rl1805
  • 02:30
    Type1 b2b Celestica

Sunday (12:00 – 23:00)

Tiigi

  • 12:00
    Erkin Antov
  • 13:00
    Rhythm Doctor
  • 14:00
    Erkin Antov
  • 15:00
    Rhythm Doctor
  • 17:00
    Brodsky & Panfilov

  • 13:15 - 15:45
    Ekskursioon Järva-Jaani kinomuuseumi

Konklaav

  • 16:00
    Naissoo Freeform Quintet
  • 18:00
    Maria Faust
  • 19:00
    Gilles Peterson + Rob G (UK)

Accommodation

Nelijärve Holiday Centre:

  • Check-in from 15:00, check-out by 12:00
  • Breakfast included (09.00-11.30)
  • Option to rent a sauna, swim in the lakes, hiking trails in the surrounding area
  • Shuttle bus between the festival grounds and the accommodation
  • Option to rent a bike or bring your own — light traffic roads connect the accommodation to the festival site

 

Lakehouse
Double room (shower/toilet in the room), 2 nights – €190
Double room (shower/toilet in the corridor), 2 nights – €170

  • In the room: TV, bed linen, towels

 

Pääsu villa
Double room, 2 nights – €220
Double room with balcony, 2 nights – €260
Double room on the 3rd floor, 2 nights – €260

  • In the room: shower, toilet, TV, Wi-Fi, mini fridge, electric kettle, bed linen, towels

 

Cabins
2 nights for up to five people – €370

  • In the room: shower, toilet, TV, fridge, microwave, bed linen, towels
  • 2 beds, a sofa bed, and a sleeping nook

 

Accommodation on the festival grounds:

 

Tent Area
One tent spot, 2 nights – €15

  • Washing facilities and toilets available in the nearby guesthouse
  • Sauna rental available

 

Caravan Parking
One caravan spot, 2 nights – €50

  • Access to electricity
  • Washing facilities and toilets available in the nearby guesthouse
  • Sauna rental available

Transport

Jäneda Training Centre (Jäneda Õppekeskus) is just an hour’s drive from the capital Tallinn, but can also be easily reached by train on the Tallinn–Tartu or Tallinn–Aegviidu line.

A special festival shuttle runs between Aegviidu train station, Nelijärve Holiday Centre, and the festival grounds.

Additionally, you can rent a bicycle to travel between the holiday centre and the festival area — or bring your own bike.

 

 

Info and rules

The organiser reserves the right to make changes to the programme.

Festival grounds are accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. Please note that the event takes place on a grassy field.

From 11:00 PM onwards, minors may only remain in the festival area if accompanied by an adult.

It is prohibited to bring your own food and drinks onto the festival grounds, including reusable glass containers, as well as any fire, cold, or other types of weapons.

The organiser reserves the right to deny entry to anyone who is visibly intoxicated.

Both cash and card payments are accepted at the festival.

By purchasing a ticket, you are supporting the KIKUMU festival with a donation. Donations are collected by the MTÜ (NGO) Must Käsi. Donations are eligible for income tax deductions in accordance with the law.

Festival Passes

Early Bird 3-day passes for €75 are sold out!

3-day festival passes are now available at a special price of €90 until 2 July (inclusive) or subject to availability.
From 3 July, the price of a festival pass will be €105.
If purchased at the venue, the price will be €120.

Day passes are also available.

Early bird day passes at a discounted price of €40 are on sale until 2 July (inclusive) or subject to availability.
From 3 July, the price of a day pass will be €50.
If purchased at the venue, the price will be €60.

Children aged 12 and under get free entry when accompanied by an adult.

 

Location

At the heart of the festival — and one of its main attractions — is the Jäneda Training Centre, designed by renowned architect Valve Pormeister and built in 1975 as an extension to the historic Jäneda manor house. Originally a Soviet-era agricultural school, it stands as one of the most significant architectural works of its time, breathing and flowing in harmony with the surrounding natural landscape.

Right next to the festival site you’ll also find the main Jäneda manor house built in 1915, along with a tranquil pond and a lush manor park. A few minutes further lies Lake Kalijärv, complete with a sandy beach waiting for swimmers.

Isla Mathieson (UK)

At Jäneda, the works of London-based artist Isla Mathieson —who has Estonian roots— will be on display. Her photo exhibition attempts to capture the raw, unpolished energy of a new wave sweeping through Europe’s major metropolis. The images, shot on film, feature musicians, models, fashion designers, and friends. According to Mathieson, the photographs offer a glimpse into her own world and form a visual diary of the people, places, and fleeting moments that shape her everyday life.

Kris Lemsalu

Kris Lemsalu is an Estonian artist whose multidisciplinary practice blends ceramics, sculpture, costume, and performance. She creates immersive installations that explore transformation, identity, and the human condition, often collaborating with artists and musicians to build creative communities worldwide.

At KIKUMU Lemsalu will host the TEAM LOVE fashion show, where she will present handmade, silkscreen-printed oversized unisex shirts designed for everybody.

https://www.krislemsalu.org/

DeStudio

The art program also includes a comeback by DeStudio, the flagship Estonian photo collective of 1990s pop culture, led by Peeter Laurits and Herkki-Erich Merila. After a four-year hiatus, they return with new works. DeStudio’s visuals will also accompany Friday’s Röövel Ööbik concert.

Flo Kasearu

Estonian artist Flo Kasearu will present her installation “Party Next Door” at the Jäneda study center. Inspired by stairwell bulletin boards in Soviet-era apartment buildings, the installation transforms the entrance of the former sovkhoz technical school into a noticeboard full of offers and wishes—messages that might even end up in the festival organizers’ mailbox.

The installation is interactive, inviting festival visitors to contribute and become part of the evolving artwork.

Artrovert Gallery

In addition, the contemporary art gallery Artrovert will present a pop-up exhibition at the Jäneda study center. Curated by gallery director Siim Raie, the show features works by four artists: Kiwa’s robots, Marleen Suvi’s flies, Kadri Toom’s experimental graphics, and Mihkel Maripuu’s flowing techno-organics. All of the works resonate both with the festival’s program and with the legendary architecture of Valve Pormeister.

Ave Vellesalu

KIKUMU festival will also showcase Ave Vellesalu’s spatial installation “Rodeo”, inspired by the ethics of work culture.

Fred Kotkas

Fred Kotkas will present new paintings, created with new techniques, in a garage deep in the forests of Hiiumaa.

Edith Karlson

Edith Karlson brings to life a world of animals and humans through her sculptures, using a variety of materials and techniques to create impressive, large-scale installations. Her works feature a range of mythical and natural creatures, forming complex stories that invite viewers to reflect on the connection between humans and animals.

At KIKUMU, her mythological world arrives at the one of a kind Jäneda training centre’s atrium-style garden through an improvisational, site-specific installation.

Riina Varol

On view as well is Riina Varol’smonumental work “Promised Land”.

Gilles Peterson + Rob G (UK)

Also performing at the first-ever KIKUMU festival is Gilles Peterson — legendary DJ and lifelong music obsessive. He got his start as a teenager on pirate radio before making his way onto the BBC airwaves in the 1980s, becoming a key figure in the acid jazz movement. These days, Peterson hosts a hugely popular weekend show on BBC Radio 6 Music and runs his own independent label, Brownswood Recordings. He’s also the founder of Worldwide FM — an online radio station dedicated to alternative music and culture of all kinds. Fun fact: the station, curated by Peterson himself, also features in the hit video game GTA V.

Joining him on stage will be his longtime friend, songwriter and DJ Rob G from the band Galliano — the first act ever released on Peterson’s pioneering Acid Jazz label.

Herbert & Momoko (UK)

Herbert, who has been active for nearly 30 years, and is best known as a microhouse producer who creates sounds of out of everyday items, and vocalist and percussionist Momoko are coming from the UK to Jäneda to present their joint album Clay at the Kikumu Festival.

Nazar (AO)

Nazar is an Angolan producer who grew up in Belgium until his late teens, when he returned to Angola following the civil war. He’s now based in Europe. Nazar coined the term rough kuduro on his SoundCloud page — his own take on the Angolan music and dance style — ‘weaponising’ it on his debut EP Enclave, released in late 2018. By twisting kuduro’s usually upbeat rhythms, he exposed the harsher, more unsettling sides of what he experienced in Angola.

On his striking 2020 debut album Guerrilla, Nazar uses rough kuduro to sensitively explore and digitise his family’s collective memory and the country’s past. He threads together oral histories, political realities, and — most poignantly — reimaginings of lived trauma. Each track on Guerrilla tells a personal story from the war and its aftermath, unfolding in detailed, episodic form.

In April 2025, Nazar returned with his second album on Hyperdub, Demilitarize. Like Guerrilla, it builds a deep and immersive sonic world — but this time, instead of grit and rawness, Demilitarize is genuinely dreamy. The album traces a journey of shedding the armour of trauma and surrendering to a new emotional space. One of its most unexpected and striking features is Nazar’s own soft, submerged vocal — insistent and mantra-like — calling to mind echoes of Elizabeth Fraser, Arthur Russell and Frank Ocean. The music responds in kind: fragile, hazy, and hauntingly beautiful.

Afronaut (UK)

Afronaut — co-founder of the Bugz in the Attic collective — began DJing in London’s late ’80s warehouse and pirate radio scene. A key figure in the broken beat genre, he’s known for the classic track Transcend Me and the album Shapin’ Fluid, both celebrated for their soulful, jazz-driven rhythms. His recent work includes sought-after remixes and hypnotic, bass-heavy bruk jazz jams that continue to define his unique sound. Strictly for tha headz!

At KIKUMU he will join the legendary local Mutant Disco DJs on Saturday!

Vaiko Eplik

Since his days in the Britpop-inspired band Claire’s Birthday and the punk group Koer (Dog), Vaiko Eplik has spent over 30 years cementing his status as one of the most legendary, influential, and prolific singer-songwriters in modern Estonian pop music. He has inspired generations while constantly finding new ways to reinvent himself—the most recent example being a fresh collaborative EP with Estonia’s biggest pop-rap star, Nublu. At KIKUMU, Vaiko Eplik will take the stage with just his guitar and a seemingly endless list of songs that most Estonians know by heart.

Röövel Ööbik plays “Popsubterranea”

Röövel Ööbik started in 1984 as a noise-punk-avant-garde-experimental unit. After vocalist Tõnu Pedaru joined in 1987, their sound shifted more toward indie pop/rock, while still keeping a healthy dose of eclectic experimentation. Their 1989 debut Ilu clocked in at an hour and a half and was stylistically almost wall-to-wall underground. It was followed by the post-pop EP History of the USSR, recorded for Finnish label Stupido.

In 1992 Röövel Ööbik’s sophomore album Popsubterranea came out — the first Estonian album released on CD, and also the local indie scene’s first properly shoegazey release.  Two years later, the band released what was meant to be their final album, Psychikosmos (1994), which received critical acclaim for its electronic textures and sample-heavy soundscapes.

A cassette sent by post to British DJ John Peel ended up getting airplay on BBC Radio and kicked off a special connection with the legendary broadcaster. In 1993, the band finally made the pilgrimage to London to record a Peel session. Peel`s favorite Eastern European band ended up staying at Peel’s country house for several weeks. In order to get the blokes back to Estonia, the legendary DJ had to sell a couple of his records to buy their bus tickets back to Tallinn!

After a 10-year hiatus, the band reunited in 2004, driven by the creative energy of musician and producer Sten Sheripov. In 2005, they returned with the more guitar-driven, rock-oriented album Supersymmetry, followed by their most successful release to date, Ringrada (2009), issued under Universal Music Estonia.

In 2024, Röövel Ööbik made a second comeback of sorts with Transcent, which comfortably landed in the Top 10 of several local year-end album lists.

LU:K

Since hearing the first breakbeats via the Finnish radio nightly shows introducing the burgeoning UK scene, Virko Veskoja, later head figure of Lu:k, was completely swept away by this new technological language that sounded like machines trying to initiate contact with people. The fluttering rhythm patterns, strings and vocal lines haunting the pathways of the infinite network.

Reimagining it all in mid-90’s Estonia, a fresh and dirt-poor republic newly welcomed to the family of sovereign states on the outskirts of Eastern Europe, was challenging, to say the least. Finally, with the help of entry level music programs, custom-made soundcards and self-built computers by the other Lu:k-head Tõnis Valk, Lu:k took the first tentative steps in the history of Estonian jungle.

In May 2025, the record label Memme Vaev compiled eight Lu:k cuts into a handy selection — a true sign of the times, when uncertainty was accompanied by a sense of hope and optimism: new territories to chart, new frontiers to conquer. It’s clear that Lu:k’s adventures are just as exciting today as they were 30 years ago — and at the KIKUMU Festival, he will prove it himself.

maria kallastu

Maria Kallastu is a breath of fresh air in Estonian pop music. Her silky R’n’B vocals are infused with dreamy textures, ear-tingling harmonies, and a heavy, head-nodding groove. As both singer and producer — roles she values equally — Kallastu is able to express herself with complete freedom and authenticity.

Her debut EP WHITENOISE, released in autumn 2023, quickly landed on year-end best-of lists across local music publications. “Expertly produced and refined just enough — I’m not ashamed to mention her in the same breath as Doja Cat or SZA,” wrote Kaspar Viilup for Müürileht.

The breakout moment came in 2024 with the chart-dominating hit push it, a collaboration with Estonian rap star nublu, which firmly established Kallastu as one of the region’s most exciting new voices.

Mutant Disco

Legendary Tallinn club night Mutant Disco began in 1997 from the friendship between two key underground DJs and fellow house music lovers — Estonia’s Raul Saaremets and the UK’s Rhythm Doctor. They were later joined by DJ and music journalist Siim Nestor, and the trio went on to host monthly club nights for 20 years, welcoming many dance music icons before wrapping things up in 2017. Since then, they haven’t lost their edge, turning up where and when they’re most needed — dedicating one-off sets and events to everything from deep house classics and trap music to amapiano and Brazilian grooves. What exactly they’ll bring to KIKUMU remains to be heard — at KIKUMU.

Haigla Pidu

Rooted in local skate culture, the Haigla Pidu commando — made up of DJs Ats Luik, Kristopher Luigend, and Jan Tomson — has been hauling their flashing red light and smoke machine across countless Estonian clubs and festivals for the past 13 years. The guest list has been impressive, and genre boundaries have never been respected. This year, they’ll be adding the inaugural KIKUMU festival to their list.

Puhas Kräu

Puhas Kräu (loosely translated as Pure Bender) is a club night series launched in August 2023 by a small but ambitious young team with the aim of diversifying the electronic music scene in Tartu, the university town of Southern Estonia. At Puhas Kräu, a wide spectrum of contemporary club genres collide — from post-club, baile funk and Latin club to techno, trance, hyperpop, gabber and beyond.

Initially based mainly in Tartu, Puhas Kräu made its way to Tallinn in the summer of 2024, bringing with it international names like Latin-electronic maestro João Lágrima De Ouro, as well as Estonia’s very own hyperpop star, Umru.

Puhas Kräu is known for its inclusive and playful atmosphere, combining diverse line-ups with carefully curated lighting and stage design. The young team’s dedication to thoughtful curation and fearless experimentation ensures that every night is a one-of-a-kind experience.

Naissoo Freeform Quintet

Born in 1951 in Soviet-occupied Estonia, Tõnu Naissoo has become one of the most legendary mainstays in Estonian jazz. After graduating from Tallinn Music School and the State Conservatory, he further honed his skills at Berklee College of Music in Boston in the late ’80s.

Throughout his career, Naissoo has performed both as a solo artist and in various ensembles, as well as serving as a keyboardist in numerous Estonian bands. In addition to appearing at the biggest jazz festivals in the former Soviet Union, he has brought his vision of jazz to Debrecen, the Le Mans Europa Jazz Festival, and beyond — including concerts in the USA and Japan. His musical résumé includes collaborations with Jens Winther, Bob Moses, Dennis Rowland, and many others.

At KIKUMU, the maestro presents his latest project, Naissoo Freeform Quintet. Recorded in Tallinn during two electrifying, improvisational sessions in July 2024, the quintet’s self-titled LP captures the infectious energy of funk and the adventurous spirit of free jazz, infused with a nostalgic nod to the psychedelic era.

This album is a celebration of dynamic percussive rhythms and the exploratory sounds of bass clarinet, Rhodes, Moog Source, and ARP Odyssey, offering a unique blend of past and future musical influences.

Join the Naissoo Freeform Quintet on this cosmic expedition and discover the infinite possibilities of sound that await in the astral realms of plate reverb and tape delay.

Maarja Nuut

Maarja Nuut is a singer, violinist, electronic artist, and composer whose work spans a vast range of rich musical worlds. Classically trained, she has since delved into a variety of disparate genres: Hindustani classical music while studying in New Delhi, Estonian archival sounds and dance, ethnomusicological research, and, more recently, the outer limits of looping and electronic experimentation.

Fuelled by instinct and curiosity, Nuut’s exploration stems from an inner need — a desire to probe each world’s musical language, techniques, and expressive qualities — elements she swirls into her own mesmerising art.

Maarja Nuut’s third solo album, Hinged, released in August 2021 received widespread critical acclaim while reinforcing her reputation as one of Europe’s most innovative musical artists, always looking to dive deeper (Future Music).

Brodsky & Panfilov

Cosmic composers hailing from Tallinn, pianist Volodja Brodsky and guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Misha Panfilov step away from their usual realms of jazz and krautrock to present an intimate, semi-improvised live set. Their music blends hypnotic, drone-like compositions with an electroacoustic sound, slow-moving tempos, and a contemplative atmosphere. Expect a meditative fusion of minimalism, folk, and cosmic soundscapes – a journey meant for deep listening and inner exploration.

Maria Faust

Saxophonist and composer Maria Faust is renowned and respected worldwide for her award-winning ensembles Sacrum Facere, Machina, and Jazz Catastrophe. Although her unique musical language as a composer and singular improvising style are easily identified, she is difficult to place in the kanon of contemporary jazz and composition. This is partly due to the broad spectrum of her influences and also because her music goes beyond stylistic definitions and into the realm of the deeply personal.

Today Maria Faust is one of the most celebrated and established Estonian musicians of all time, recipient of numerous awards and prizes from Estonia and Denmark (where she resides), but also a celebrated artist all over Europe and slowly but surely catching the attention of American audiences.

Having already released two albums this year, Maria Faust brings to the KIKUMU Festival an improvisational reflection of the moment — from higher realms. According to the artist, the final outcome depends heavily on the setting, the vibe, the audience, and their emotions, so what you’ll hear in Jäneda is guaranteed to be one of a kind.

Alonette

Alonette is the alter ego of singer-songwriter Anett Tamm, who first emerged on the Estonian music scene with a fresh take on jazz. On her 2025 debut album Compass as Alonette, she reimagines the classic pop of the ‘60s and ‘70s through her own lens, citing Joni Mitchell, Weyes Blood and Nick Drake as influences. Alonette guides the listeners through themes of introspection and societal pressures, woven into intimate songs with a nostalgic yet colourfoul sound. On stage, Alonette fronts a five-piece band featuring Erki Pärnoja — one of Estonia’s leading guitarists, known for his work with Ewert and the Two Dragons.

AveMaria

Influenced by Siberian punk, fairytales, the worst day of your life, and your favourite 2010s indie song, Avemaria makes music for people who like public transport, sitting in the sun, and washing dishes at parties. Music that makes you want to do everything and do everything and do everything and do everything and do everything and do everything.

Meisterjaan

As one of the most elusive tricksters on the Estonian music scene, Meisterjaan moves fluidly between full improvisation and his signature sound worlds, creating buzzing sonic landscapes with jaw harp, voice, guitar, looper, and live electronics. Expect anything from techno-infused beats and noise to flickers of country — sometimes all in the same set.

Exactly what Meisterjaan will bring to the stage is never fully known until the moment arrives — but one thing’s certain: he’ll do whatever is necessary!

The Boondocks

Inspired by British guitar pop, post-punk, and early R&B, The Boondocks is an indie rock band that playfully flirts with old-school rock’n’roll in all its richness and variety. By playing with the sounds and ideas of past decades, The Boondocks bring the timeless charm and energy they find there into the present.

Hailing from Pärnu, the band has released five studio albums over the course of 11 years and earned recognition from both listeners and critics alike — taking home the Rock Album of the Year award at the 2022 Estonian Music Awards for their fourth album, Soup Can Pop Band.

Their fifth studio album, Silver Buzz, released in March 2025, is their most ambitious and expansive work to date, showcasing a richer and more inventive sonic palette. On their latest musical journey they were joined for the first time by an orchestra, a move inspired by the group’s shared love of cinema and film scores.

Vana

Edith Karlson and Raul Saaremets are Vana.

mariin k.

mariin k. began as the solo project of guitarist and songwriter Mariin Kallikorm, best known for her work as a guitarist with Tricky and Wyldest, but has since grown into a full-band dream pop project — dreamlike music made for fellow dreamers.

Her stunning 2025 debut, rose skin — written and produced by Kallikorm, with Pia Fraus’ Rein Fuks on drums — is an intimate blend of shoegaze soundscapes and mesmerizing melodies. “rose skin is about embracing your vulnerabilities while learning how to protect yourself,” Kallikorm explains. “The songs reflect on turning weaknesses into strengths, navigating love and heartbreak, and facing yourself without fear.”

Olev Muska

Born and raised in Australia, Olev Muska — of Estonian and Russian heritage — is best known for his unique interpretations of Estonian and Finno-Ugric folk music. Inspired by both Veljo Tormis and Kraftwerk, Muska became the first Estonian artist to create fully electronic music, working out of his home studio in Western Sydney. His debut vinyl single, Tuljak!, was released as early as 1980.

Muska’s 1985 album Old Estonian Waltzes marks a pivotal moment in Estonian music history — it was simultaneously the first fully electronic folk music album and the first Estonian electronic dance music record.

He last visited Estonia in 2019, and this year returns with a new album and a brand-new audiovisual performance that spans both folktronica and contemporary abstract electronic music.

Rhythm Doctor

Rhythm Doctor has been DJing since 1978, starting with punk, reggae, and dub before evolving into jazz, funk, disco, and house. A key figure in the UK’s underground scene, he performed alongside legends like Lonnie Liston Smith and co-founded London’s Artists Against Apartheid club with Jerry Dammers of The Specials. His music reached the top of Capitol Radio’s dance chart and the Billboard Top 10, and he later launched his own label, Mama Records. Since 1997, he’s been based in Tallinn, where he founded the influential Mutant Disco series and Spirit club, bringing artists like Moodymann, Louie Vega, and Basement Jaxx to Estonia.

On Sunday, he will bring a top-shelf selection of jazz to the KIKUMU Festival!

INES DAFERRARI

Tallinn’s number one princess, Ines Daferrari (formerly known as Flumen), is instantly recognisable – whether it’s for her Christmas-flavoured tunes or her more risqué, less family-friendly lyrics. Known across Estonia’s rap scene as an Insta-baddie, Ines has lit up stages both big and small, always leaving the crowd anything but dry by the end of the night.

So – if you’re into beautiful and naive women with a wild side, Ines and her dancers invite you straight to the dancefloor.

Käsi

The rhythm comes from train wheels, the background from factory smoke, the melody from the treetops, and the groove from far-off Southeast. That’s how one might imagine the music that fills the stage when the band Käsi from the small town of Kehra performs. Käsi is a particularly special fit for the KIKUMU film, art, and music festival, as it checks two boxes at once — one of its members is Tõnis Pill, director of Fränk, the most successful Estonian film of the year.

Helina The Artist

Unapologetic badass bish vibes! Helina The Artist is Estonia’s long-lost daughter, bringing designer vibes straight from Byron Bay, Australia, and returning home this summer to set the stage on fire. Locals know her best as Henny Whiskey from the BÄM! dragstravaganza party series, or through the dance scene – choreographer, dancer, you name it.

But don’t try to put Helina in a box. A true slow-burn success, she’s now making serious moves as an artist, cooking up fresh music in Australia with no signs of slowing down. The oven’s hot – and the music just keeps coming.

Following her 2022 debut BUSY the ALBUM, Helina dropped her latest EP DRIV3 in February 2025. She’s currently working on new material with producer Ethan Rebel – and it’s fire. So hot, it might just burn your lips. Expect high-energy live sets packed with dance, vocals, rap, and a whole lot of good vibes.

Pilot Abilene

Pilot Abilene is a brand-new international band with no publicly released tracks — which makes the KIKUMU Festival a truly exclusive opportunity to hear their genre-fluid music live for the very first time. The fresh lineup features Lauri Raus, Zody Burke, Gert Gutmann, Meelik Samel, and Sven Liba.

glenwashere

Glenwashere is a new-generation Estonian artist who moves fluidly between music, visual art, and performative self-expression. His sonic palette blends hyperpop, trance, dreampop, and cloud – dreamy and emotionally charged, with effects-drenched vocals soaring through autotune like echoes from childhood.

Nostalgia and identity play are central themes in Glenwashere’s work: he takes the listener back to familiar yet skewed memories, while his theatrical concerts create immersive spaces where sound, light, and visuals merge into one.

Erkin Antov

Erkin Antov is a digger, DJ, and radio host who has spent most of his conscious life behind the turntables. His record bag spans everything from jazz-funk, samba rock, and disco to soul, reggae, fresh electronic sounds, and house. And if that’s not enough, he adds extra flavor with gems from the Balearics and the Caribbean. In the summer, he travels across Europe for inspiration at music festivals, while back home he spins records on IDA Radio and runs the event series Lost & Found.

Cool DJ Pinball

There are those who know Cool DJ Pinball from behind the counter at a record store or from the rosters of the labels Skorpioni and Top Billin, but there are certainly also those who remember him from various jungle parties. And if you’ve kept up with those, you probably remember very well — no hostages are taken there. The same dangerously intense jungle is exactly what Cool DJ Pinball will be bringing to the KIKUMU Festival on Friday.

DJ Julius

DJ Julius might just be one of the best-kept secrets of the Estonian underground dance music scene. Though originally a boy from the Lasnamäe microdistrict of Tallinn, he has spent most of his adult life in the United States, lighting up dancefloors in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Richmond, San Francisco, and beyond—starting as early as the early ’90s.

His musical selections are diverse and eclectic, spanning downtempo oddities, funk, disco, house, broken beat, and drum & bass, often peppered with rare gems like Tunisian or South African reissues or obscure minimal wave cuts.