You've been reading us, so you know that singing is a long-standing tradition in the Baltic states, central to their national identities. This has come to life through song festivals in each country, where thousands of performers sing songs about the freedom of their nation, joined by big crowds of people.

This weekend, both Estonia’s Song and Dance Festival and Latvia’s School Youth Song and Dance Festival (not to be confused with Latvia's nationwide song and dance festival held every five years) are taking place. Both events consist of many different performances and will attract big crowds – in Latvia they expect 38,000 participants, while Estonia’s national festival will draw more than 100,000 spectators. The Estonian organisers have reported that tickets have been selling out at record speed, and attributed this to a renewed hunger for unity and meaning in uncertain times.