thisisFINLAND

Young Brazilian wins trip to Finland in Capital of Metal contest

Checking his email in early June 2018, a Brazilian student named João Vieira couldn’t believe his eyes: He’d won the Capital of Metal contest. He and a friend would go to Finland to attend the Tuska Open Air heavy metal festival in Helsinki.

Life & society Finland 100

Viewing Finland from afar

What do Finnish people notice if they look at Finland from a distance, and what views do they take with them when visiting other countries? We ask five Finnish journalists who have extensive experience working abroad.

Arts & culture Music

Finnish summer festivals bring music to your ears

Five famous Finns reveal their festival faves. During the summer months in Finland, you can visit a different festival almost every day, and the events calendar continues into the autumn and beyond.

Arts & culture Travel

Inviting accommodation in Finland

This selection of hotel accommodation ranges from Finland’s southernmost shores all the way to Finnish Lapland in the north, with something for every season.

Arts & culture Visual arts

Finnish photographer excels at depicting metal music

Perhaps it’s no surprise that Tina Korhonen, a photographer known for her portrayals of metal and rock culture (see slideshow), comes from Finland, a hub for metal music. She was nominated for Best Photographer in the 2018 Heavy Music Awards.

Life & society Sports

World Cup next door: Finnish fans enjoy summer feast of football

While Finland isn’t known as a top football country, Finnish soccer fans have plenty of cause for excitement as the 2018 World Cup plays out in neighbouring Russia.

Arts & culture Music

Helsinki rocks both Pride and heavy metal fest on same weekend

Two annual traditions happen at the same time in the Finnish capital in late June or early July: Helsinki Pride, with its rainbow-coloured parade, and Tuska Open Air Metal Festival, where the dominant colour is black. See our slideshow.

Arts & culture Webpick

Sebastian Fagerlund – portrait of a composer from Europe in 2017

Composer Sebastian Fagerlund’s new opera Höstsonaten (Autumn Sonata) got its premiere at the Finnish National Opera and Ballet.

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