Haapsalu Early Music Festival has been taking place since 1994, every year in the first week of July. The majority of Estonian early music ensembles, best choirs and chamber orchestras have been among the festival performers. The Tallinn Baroque Orchestra has taken part every year, both in the cast of large-scale vocal compositions and with separate programmes. Oratorial works have also been performed by the Haapsalu Festival Choir that joins Estonian best young singers. Among the guests of the festival there have been outstanding conductors like Stephen Layton (London) or Howard Arman (Salzburg), the legendary viola da gamba player Wieland Kuijken (Brussels), one of the most valued baroque trumpet players Per-Olov Lindeke (Paris), English singers Charles Humphries, William Missin, James Gilchrist, Gregorian choirs from Paris and Graz, English ensemble Kontrabande etc. At the festival, the range of music is quite wide – from early medieval monastic chant to the newest works of contemporary composers (Arvo Pärt, Toivo Tulev). Therefore the festival organizers do not limit themselves to the repertoire of a certain period but want to introduce music representing the timeless spirit of European culture. The purpose for the festival organizers is the performance that is vital and actively communicating with attendance of today. At these festivals unconventional performing units are formed, ensembles are invited to participate in a "project" which lack the academic ennui of music making. Their motto is "Out of a museum!"

In 2000 for the first time Haapsalu Festival is related to the high-level master courses and organizers hope to make this association a tradition.