Festivals - thisisFINLAND

Annual track event at Olympic Stadium gathers Swedish-speaking kids from all over Finland

At the Relay Carnival, thousands of children wearing their school colours chant and cheer for their classmates to run faster. Brightly dressed cheerleaders with colourful pom-poms compete for attention, contributing to the festive atmosphere.

Arts & culture Festivals

Finland offers a treasure trove of summer events

The Finnish summer is full of art and music festivals, the beauty of nature, and other gems waiting to be discovered.

Arts & culture Slideshows

The return of Lux Helsinki reminds viewers of brighter days ahead

Our photo show samples the glow of a festival of open-air light installations that offset the winter darkness in the Finnish capital.

2005

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

Arts & culture Literature

Finland’s Moomin stories pop up at multilingual Read Hour event in Reykjavík, Iceland

The Finnish initiative Read Hour takes place on UN International Literacy Day. We visit a Read Hour event in Reykjavík, Iceland, where Sophia Jansson, niece of Moomin creator Tove Jansson, talks about the famous characters and reads aloud from one of the stories.

Arts & culture Festivals

How two festivals in Helsinki brought art, music and design to audiences, despite obstacles

Two beloved fixtures on Helsinki’s early autumn calendar – the Helsinki Festival and Helsinki Design Week – shared outdoor exhibitions, pop-up gift concerts and other memorable experiences while respecting pandemic restrictions.

1970

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

Life & society History

Åland marks centenary of autonomy agreement with a year full of events

The 100-year anniversary of a unique and enduring agreement in the Åland Islands is the occasion for a yearlong programme of special events and celebrations.

Life & society Festivals

Finnish advice: Keep calm and Vappu on, safely

In the extraordinary circumstances of 2020, Finland’s wild, carnival-calibre celebration Vappu (known as May Day, Labour Day or Walpurgis in English) calls for unusual amounts of creativity so that people can get together while still staying apart. Vappu – this time it’s virtual.

Arts & culture Music

Music brings together people from all over, at Finland’s Flow Fest

We talk to some of the numerous visitors from abroad at Helsinki’s Flow Festival. What brought them to Flow, and what are their impressions? Also, see our slideshow for a glimpse of festival ambiance.