thisisFINLAND

Life & society Finland

21 x Finland

An international group of young journalists was invited to experience different aspects of Finnish life and society. Here’s what made an impression on them.

Arts & culture Design

Bringing up new designers

Helsinki Design Week presents design from a number of fields as well as fashion, architecture and urban culture, also for children.

Life & society Society

Experiencing the Finnish sauna

Sauna is a huge deal for the Finns, and a favourite topic. An American in Finland recounts sauna highlights and stories.

Arts & culture Music

Flow Festival 2015 – Top 9 Finnish acts

Helsinki’s Flow Festival in August is THE festival for urban music lovers. Here are our local picks for 2015.

Business & innovation Music

Loudspeaker design booms in Finland

Finnish speaker makers have long been held in high esteem. We visit new Helsinki companies attuned to fresh aesthetics.

Business & innovation Energy

Finland reaches for the solar switch

FinSolar is spotlighting solar power. If you thought Finland wasn’t ideal for solar panels, you have to read this.

Arts & culture Music

Heavy metal pilgrim hits Finnish festival

The first time I heard heavy metal music, I knew I had to visit Finland. The dream comes true with a trip to Helsinki’s Tuska Festival, where I connect with Finnish people and culture through a common love of metal music.

Arts & culture Music

Now trending globally: Finnish metal music

Why are Finnish heavy metal bands so popular around the world? It originates in the music’s complexity and rich emotional content.

Life & society Sports

Gymnaestrada makes Helsinki move and shake

The world’s largest gymnastics event happens in Helsinki from July 12 to 18, 2015. It invites gymnasts to perform rather than compete.

Business & innovation Technology

Do Finnish androids dream of electric dumpsters?

From cars to trash cans, objects are now online. We meet two Finnish firms that are creating uses for the Internet of Things.

Arts & culture Cuisine

Exploring the Finnish affinity for coffee

Did you know that the Finns are among the biggest coffee drinkers in the world? We ask a few of them why that is.

Life & society Politics

New Finnish government tests the waters

A Helsinki political reporter predicts what the Finland’s new government coalition may or may not accomplish.

Arts & culture Music

Finnish punk music is alive and kicking

We look at the surprisingly colourful, rude story of Finnish punk, from the 1970s to the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest and beyond.

Arts & culture Visual arts

An artist’s mark on the story of Finland

From political paintings to modern-day tattoos: We explore artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela’s great influence on Finnish society.

Arts & culture Literature

Finnish author writes memories of the future

With elements of sci-fi and mystery, Emmi Itäranta’s book Memory of Water takes place in the future but comments on the present.

Arts & culture Music

Finnish band PKN storms punk’s final frontier

We talk with Finnish punk band PKN about how it feels to be an unusual entrant in the kitsch-laden Eurovision Song Contest.

Life & society Politics

After Finnish election, anything can happen

In the 2015 Finnish parliamentary election, the Centre and the Greens bounced back. So did guesses about the next coalition.