Dispute over Haapsalu's popular Italian music festival: former mayor accuses organizers of appropriation

A row has erupted in Haapsalu after the beloved Italian music festival that ran for years did not take place this year, and a new festival was created under the name Festival Itaaliat in its stead. Former Haapsalu mayor Urmas Sukles accuses the new organizers of appropriating the event.

Sharp disputes have raged in Haapsalu since the beginning of the year after it became clear that the popular Italian music festival, which had been held in the town for years, would not take place this year. Rather than the festival simply ending, a new organizing team created their own event called Festival Itaaliat.

Former Haapsalu mayor Urmas Sukles makes no secret of his displeasure and is highly critical of what has occurred. "It's nothing short of theft—the appropriation of an entire event!" he said, adding that in his view the new festival is essentially "some village party under an Italian banner."

At the heart of the dispute is the question of who owns the festival's legacy, reputation, and audience. The original festival organizers and the creators of the new event are clearly at odds, and no compromise has been reached between them so far.

Those who follow Haapsalu's cultural life have taken notice of the incident, as the Italian music festival had become one of the town's best-known summer experiences, attracting both local residents and visitors from further afield. The new festival's organizers, for their part, have emphasized that they wish to continue and develop the tradition, not destroy it.