Festivals - thisisFINLAND

Finnish lightscapes: Festivals light up the night in Finland

Every winter, Finnish cities shine with light festivals showcasing works by both Finnish and international artists. You can see what they’re all about in our video.

Pop, rap, techno and yoik: Festival in the far north of Finland spotlights Sámi music, culture and languages

The annual festival Ijahis Idja (Nightless Night) in the very northern town of Inari showcases modern and traditional music by Sámi Indigenous people. We talk with several performers about their music and heritage.

Arts & culture Cuisine

Food first: Finnish festival cuisine emphasises sustainability and artisanal touches

The recipe for the perfect bite? Sustainable, local ingredients turned into world-class artisanal dishes, served with a smile in a laid-back festival setting.

2005

The year Helsinki Design Week, Scandinavia's biggest design fest, was founded

Arts & culture Climate

Live gigs with fewer climate worries: Finland’s music industry has a plan

When you’re out with friends at a concert or festival, you’d probably rather not worry about the event’s greenhouse gas emissions. What if it was carefully planned to minimise emissions, or even certified as carbon-neutral?

Arts & culture Music

Hold on to summer: Sunny Flow Fest memories in Helsinki last through the autumn and beyond

Flow Festival is an extravaganza, the highlight of the summer for multitudes of music fans in Finland. With interviews and a photo show, we attempt to bottle its essence so we can make the summer last longer, even as autumn is increasingly in the air.

1970

The year Ruisrock, Finland's oldest (and Europe's second-oldest) rock fest, was founded

Arts & culture Visual arts

Island and mainland: At Helsinki Biennial, art inspires viewers and makes summer linger longer

We jump on a ferry to the lush island of Vallisaari to visit the 2023 Helsinki Biennial and meet a couple of the artists. (Lots more photos in the slideshow at the end of the article.)

Arts & culture Music

Music in the Finnish capital: The Flow must go on

Finland loves summer festivals; there’s at least one in almost every city and town. Flow Festival, a massive music event held in Helsinki in early August, is the urban festival.

Arts & culture Webpick

50 Finnish summer music festivals to go to in 2023

During the long summer days and midnight sun, Finland offers hundreds of festivals. The experts at Music Finland pick 50 recommendations, from classical to pop, folk and beyond.