According to event organizer Emil Oja, organizers have to deal with increasingly higher risks while costs keep rising and sponsorship money is shrinking.

Oja mentioned that in Estonia, the weather is always one of the main factors influencing whether people decide to attend an event. Another major reason attendance is uneven is people's ability to make ends meet financially.

According to him, Estonian audiences have become more price-sensitive, particularly outside Tallinn. "In the southern regions, people simply don't have as much cash on hand as they do around Tallinn," he said.

The most popular ticket price is still free admission. "It works and it's a magnet. But once tickets are €20 or €25 and above, it starts to feel expensive," Oja noted.

However, organizers are not able to significantly lower ticket prices because input costs continue to rise.

"The whole landscape is changing. Where in the past there might have been two summer tours in June, July, and August, some of those formats are just disappearing — people are attending fewer large events. If a global star comes to the Song Festival Grounds, people will go see them, but the days when you could tour all over Estonia with a summer lineup — that's over," he said.

According to Oja, ticket sales have become the most important source of revenue for events, as sponsorship money has largely dried up, with companies also tightening their budgets.

"That's where the weather risk comes in. And people don't really buy tickets in advance anymore. Advance purchases are mostly for international artists or for more expensive tickets with some kind of discount. But if a ticket costs €20–€25, people check the weather forecast about a week ahead and then decide whether to buy," Oja explained.

In Oja's view, the cultural sector needs more support from the state. "Culture is always the last to receive support and the first to lose it. People are very sensitive. They first buy food, pay their bills, and only then go to an event if there's anything left in their wallet. I always say: if they don't have money, they watch the TV show 'Reporter'; if they do, they come to the event and buy a ticket."

He also believes more attention should be paid to the distribution of subsidies. "Often, this should also be handled at the local government level — how support is allocated. Going through the process to get funding, there are certain institutions and events that receive money every year, but there simply isn't enough to go around for others. And overall, funding has dried up significantly," Oja said.

According to the organizer, performers' fees have not decreased despite the difficult economic situation. He noted that some better-known bands may charge around €10,000 per band for a summer tour.

"Unfortunately, it seems bands haven't really grasped the economic situation — they keep raising their fees a little every year. I'm afraid the end result could be that if there are fewer organizers and events start collapsing, there will be a backlash. Clubs and pubs are already limiting live performances because people aren't coming, money is tight, and there are fewer gigs," Oja said.

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