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World Design Capital - Helsinki 2012
» all year long
A grand ceremony on Senate Square on New Year’s Eve launches Helsinki’s year as World Design Capital. All year, a multitude of events shows off design’s impact on urban spaces, economies and citizens.
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Kuhmo Culture Celebrates Winter
» Jan 1–7
The fourth Kuhmo Culture Celebrates Winter festival offers chamber music, ballet, exhibitions, film, nature photography and more.
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DocPoint – Helsinki Documentary Film Festival
» Jan 24–29
In honour of Helsinki’s year as World Design Capital, DocPoint deals with good design that makes life smoother, from typefaces to city planning – and also bad design such as unnecessary plastic rubbish.
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Design World
» Jan 27–May 6
This exhibition at Helsinki’s Design Museum, covering themes that range from ecological and sustainable design to safety and comfort, helps celebrate the city’s year as World Design Capital.
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Design World
» Jan 27–May 6
This exhibition at Helsinki’s Design Museum, covering themes that range from ecological and sustainable design to safety and comfort, helps celebrate the city’s year as World Design Capital.
Go to the event site »
World Design Capital Helsinki’s Open Doors Weekend
» Feb 3–Feb 5
Ice lanterns, candy buildings, airport rocking chairs: Sounds like World Design Capital Helsinki’s Open Doors Weekend!
Read article »
The Magic of Lapland
» Feb 10–May 13
Korundi House of Culture in Rovaniemi, northern Finland, now hosts a show that got great reviews in Helsinki last fall. It explores the history of Finnish art since the 1800s via one theme: portrayal of Lapland.
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Ice Castle Spectacle, Mänttä and Savonlinna
» Feb 17–Mar 6
Ice Castle 2012 consists of two impressive ice sculpting events accompanied by cultural and sports programmes.
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Lahti Ski Games
» March 2–4
Globally renowned ski jumpers, cross-country skiers and Nordic combined athletes compete in eight World Cup competitions in front of tens of thousands of spectators at the 87th Lahti Ski Games.
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Ice Castle Spectacle, Mänttä and Savonlinna
» Feb 17–Mar 6
Ice Castle 2012 consists of two impressive ice sculpting events accompanied by cultural and sports programmes.
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Tampere Film Festival
» March 7–11
Finnish films and foreign films take over Finland’s third-largest city.
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Design World
» Jan 27–May 6
This exhibition at Helsinki’s Design Museum, covering themes that range from ecological and sustainable design to safety and comfort, helps celebrate the city’s year as World Design Capital.
Go to the event site »
The Magic of Lapland
» Feb 10–May 13
Korundi House of Culture in Rovaniemi, northern Finland, now hosts a show that got great reviews in Helsinki last fall. It explores the history of Finnish art since the 1800s via one theme: portrayal of Lapland.
Go to the event site »
At the opera: Purge
» Apr 20–May 25
World premiere of Sofi Oksanen’s award winning novel and play Purge. How will this moving story about painful episodes in Estonian history look and sound at the National Opera House in Helsinki?
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April Jazz
» Apr 25–29
Hear tons of new material and album release concerts from a selection of international stars in Tapiola, just west of Helsinki.
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Design World
» Jan 27–May 6
This exhibition at Helsinki’s Design Museum, covering themes that range from ecological and sustainable design to safety and comfort, helps celebrate the city’s year as World Design Capital.
Go to the event site »
The Magic of Lapland
» Feb 10–May 13
Korundi House of Culture in Rovaniemi, northern Finland, now hosts a show that got great reviews in Helsinki last fall. It explores the history of Finnish art since the 1800s via one theme: portrayal of Lapland.
Go to the event site »
Northern Governors in concert
» Mar 31–Aug 31
Who are the Northern Governors? How’s their debut album? And what does a Finnish band have to do with Nigeria?
Read article »
Design World
» Jan 27–May 6
This exhibition at Helsinki’s Design Museum, covering themes that range from ecological and sustainable design to safety and comfort, helps celebrate the city’s year as World Design Capital.
Go to the event site »
2012 Ice Hockey World Championship
» May 4–May 20
The opening rounds are held in Helsinki and Stockholm, building up to the semifinals and final in Helsinki. Finland beat Sweden and Russia to win gold in 2011.
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Helsinki Underground Art Weekend
» May 11–May 13
A festival made up of the best of urban culture, art and music, including clubs, exhibitions, bands, live painting, workshops and great people.
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Pavilion: The heart of World Design Capital Helsinki
» May 12–Sep 16
Located beside the Design Museum, the Pavilion invites everyone who loves design, architecture and urban culture to participate, debate, be merry and make Helsinki an even better place to live.
Go to the event site »
The Magic of Lapland
» Feb 10–May 13
Korundi House of Culture in Rovaniemi, northern Finland, now hosts a show that got great reviews in Helsinki last fall. It explores the history of Finnish art since the 1800s via one theme: portrayal of Lapland.
Go to the event site »
At the opera: Purge
» Apr 20–May 25
World premiere of Sofi Oksanen’s award winning novel and play Purge. How will this moving story about painful episodes in Estonian history look and sound at the National Opera House in Helsinki?
Go to the event site »
World Village Festival
» May 26–27
Cultures from all over the world meet in Helsinki for a festival of world views, music, circus, dance, theatre, art and activities.
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Pavilion: The heart of World Design Capital Helsinki
» May 12–Sep 16
Located beside the Design Museum, the Pavilion invites everyone who loves design, architecture and urban culture to participate, debate, be merry and make Helsinki an even better place to live.
Go to the event site »
Midnight Sun Film Festival
» Jun 13–17
Famous directors from all over the world mingle with young filmmakers, an international audience and local villagers under the midnight sun in far-northern Sodankylä.
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Kuopio Dance Festival 2012
» Jun 14–Jun 20
Now in its 43rd year, the oldest and largest dance festival in the Nordic countries offers exciting performances from around the world, including Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo.
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Taste of Helsinki
» Jun 14–Jun 17
If you love food and drinks, you'll absolutely love The Taste of Helsinki. The event brings an outdoor food court to central Finlandia Park which is located behind the Music Centre.
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Jukola 2012 Orienteering Relay
» Jun 16–Jun 17
A true gem in Finnish sporting calendar with some 17,000 athletes from 23 countries. Men and women, amateurs and professionals – the magic of summer night in Finland makes them come back year after year.
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European Athletics Championships 2012
» Jun 27–Jul 1
See those wacky remote-controlled robot vehicles race across the grass to fetch shot puts and javelins as Europe’s top athletes compete at Helsinki Olympic Stadium.
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Pavilion: The heart of World Design Capital Helsinki
» May 12–Sep 16
Located beside the Design Museum, the Pavilion invites everyone who loves design, architecture and urban culture to participate, debate, be merry and make Helsinki an even better place to live.
Go to the event site »
Savonlinna Opera Festival
» Jul 5–Aug 4
A huge event in the world of opera, staged in a medieval castle in the beautiful lakeside town of Savonlinna in eastern Finland.
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Wife Carrying World Championships
» Jul 6–7
This event, described by organisers in the village of Sonkajärvi as 50 percent sport and 50 percent humour, has been attracting strong men and tenacious women since it was founded in 1992.
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Savcor Ballet Festival
» Jul 8–14
Savcor Ballet festival has brought the best classical and modern ballet groups from Russia to perform in Mikkeli, Finland.
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Kaustinen Folk Music Festival
» Jul 9–15
Kaustinen reigns as the biggest folk music and dance festival in the Nordic countries.
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Finnish Gold Panning Championships 2012
» Jul 26–28
The village of Tankavaara in Finnish Lapland hosts “pro” gold panners every summer for a competition with no silver medal.
Go to the event site » (in Finnish)
Pavilion: The heart of World Design Capital Helsinki
» May 12–Sep 16
Located beside the Design Museum, the Pavilion invites everyone who loves design, architecture and urban culture to participate, debate, be merry and make Helsinki an even better place to live.
Go to the event site »
Savonlinna Opera Festival
» Jul 5–Aug 4
A huge event in the world of opera, staged in a medieval castle in the beautiful lakeside town of Savonlinna in eastern Finland.
Go to the event site »
Korsholm Music Festival
» Aug 1–8
Turning 30 this year, Korsholm offers chamber music and white nights in and around Vaasa on the west coast of Finland.
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Flow Festival
» Aug 8–12
Flow Festival is a music and arts festival in Helsinki. The music includes a selection of up and coming and established artists from indie-rock to soul and jazz and from folk to contemporary club sounds, from both the Finnish and the international scene.
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Helsinki Festival
» Aug 17–Sept 2
Finland's largest arts festival is held at multiple venues in Helsinki as summer turns to autumn.
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Pavilion: The heart of World Design Capital Helsinki
» May 12–Sep 16
Located beside the Design Museum, the Pavilion invites everyone who loves design, architecture and urban culture to participate, debate, be merry and make Helsinki an even better place to live.
Go to the event site »
Helsinki Festival
» Aug 17–Sept 2
Finland's largest arts festival is held at multiple venues in Helsinki as summer turns to autumn.
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Manifesti Factory Festival
» Sept 6–16
Performances and art exhibitions fill Manilla, a 19th-century factory-building-turned-cultural-centre in the southwestern city of Turku.
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World of Tango Festival
» Sept 7–16
The 6th annual World of Tango Festival in the southern-central city of Tampere explores and celebrates the theme “the birth of tango” with dance courses, concerts, wine tastings, performances and more.
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Floating World
» Sept 7–Jan 20
Contemporary works by Finnish artists explore the peculiar concept of time, at Korundi House of Culture in Rovaniemi.
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25th Helsinki International Film Festival: Love and Anarchy
» Sept 20–30
Around 120 feature films and 80 shorts are showing at this year’s Love and Anarchy, an event that has grown massively since its humble beginnings in 1988.
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Nordisk Panorama: 5 Cities Film Festival
» Sept 21–26
Best of Nordic documentary and short films in an event that rotates between Aarhus, Denmark; Bergen, Norway; Reykjavik, Iceland; Malmö, Sweden; and, this year, the northern Finnish city of Oulu.
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Floating World
» Until Jan 20
Contemporary works by Finnish artists explore the peculiar concept of time, at Korundi House of Culture in Rovaniemi.
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Finlandia Trophy
» Oct 5–7
The 17th Finlandia Trophy International Figure Skating Competition takes place at the Barona Arena in Espoo.
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Herring Market
» Oct 7–13
Herring, herring and still more herring! Held on Helsinki’s Market Square, the annual Herring Market was first organised in 1743, making it the city’s longest-running event.
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Helsinki Oktoberfest
» Oct 11–21
Helsinki’s first official Oktoberfest offers Tyrolean music, one-litre beer glasses and Lederhosen in an authentic Bavarian beer hall.
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Choral Espoo Festival
» Oct 12–17
Held every other year in Espoo, just outside Helsinki, this international festival focuses on music for choirs and vocal ensembles.
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Carnival of Light
» Oct 13–14 and 17–21
The Carnival of Light forms the season finale at Helsinki’s Linnanmäki Amusement Park, with free music, performers, festive lights and fireworks.
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Helsinki International Horse Show
» Oct 18–21
Horses, horses and still more horses! This event gathers top riders from 20 different countries, as well as Finnish stars and an audience of 40,000.
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Tampere Illuminations
» Oct 28–Jan 6
Trumpets, fireworks and a fire show are all part of the programme when this event kicks off on Oct 28 on Tampere’s Central Square.
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Blast of Finnish jazz staves off winter
» Nov 1–18
In Finland and England, exhilarating constellations of Finnish jazz talent pump up four November festivals.
See article on thisisFINLAND »
Floating World
» Until Jan 20
Contemporary works by Finnish artists explore the peculiar concept of time, at Korundi House of Culture in Rovaniemi.
Go to event site »
Kaamosjazz
» Nov 22–25
Kaamosjazz is annual event held in Finnish Lapland, in Tankavaara and the hotels and restaurants of nearby Saariselkä.
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TopGear Live
» Nov 23–25
The world's biggest automotive theatre show will be coming to Finland in November 2012.
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Wonderwater
» Jan 1–Dec 31
Wonderwater develops projects around the world aimed at raising awareness of global water issues and design for a sustainable future. The first Wonderwater programme takes place in and around Helsinki in 2012.
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Christmas in Fiskars Village
» Dec 1–Dec 31
During the Christmas season Fiskars Village is filled with warm atmosphere, delicious food and many things to see and do.
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Christmas World, Helsinki
» Dec 1–Jan 6
This Christmas market offers shopping, music and activities in downtown Helsinki for residents and tourists alike. You might even bump into Santa Claus!
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Floating World
» Until Jan 20
Contemporary works by Finnish artists explore the peculiar concept of time, at Korundi House of Culture in Rovaniemi.
Go to event site »
52 Souls
» Until Feb 17
Ateneum Art Museum in Helsinki presents a major exhibition of symbolist landscapes painted between 1880 and 1910 by 52 famous Finnish and international artists.
Go to event site »
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Published by the Finland Promotion Board
Produced by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Department for Communications and Culture