Dhoad Gypsies of Rajasthan will perform at Sellosali on the evening of Diwali, October 27. Photo: Dhoad Gypsies of Rajasthan & Finland-India Society
On Sunday, October 27, Leppävaara will host its own Diwali celebration, the Festival of Lights, featuring a full day of exciting events. Highlights include a vibrant Diwali bazaar in the Sellosali lobby, a spectacular performance by the Dhoad Gypsies of Rajasthan, cultural programs at the Sello Library, and a mesmerizing fire show in Soittoniekanaukio.
Diwali, widely celebrated in India, Nepal, and around the world, marks the Hindu New Year and is often compared to Christmas.
Vodou Fusion got the audience dancing at Esplanade Stage on June 27, 2024. Photo: Laura Pyrrö
The officialsummer season at Helsinki’s Esplanade Stage concluded at the end of August with record-breaking attendance numbers. Over the course of three and a half months, more than 300 free performances were held, attracting an impressive audience of 140,000 people.
Beginning in mid-May, the Esplanade Stage hosted over 1,600 artists from nearly 40 countries, including performers from Europe, New Zealand, South Korea, the United States, and the Ivory Coast.
You can hear chamber music in libraries in Helsinki in October. Photo: Maarit Kytöharju
This October, Helsinki residents can once again enjoy high-quality chamber music in their local libraries, thanks to the return of the Philharmonic at the Library tour. Organized in collaboration between the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and the Helsinki City Library, the series brings live classical performances directly into community spaces, offering a unique cultural experience free of charge.
Over the course of four weeks, musicians from the Helsinki Philharmonic will perform at twelve libraries across the city. The diverse concert lineup includes:
Ham is a familiar sight in Finnish Christmas feasts, but a porcelain “conversation starter” figure probably less so. Photo: Jari Laurén Porvoo Museum
This holiday season, Porvoo Museum’s Holm House invites visitors to discover the festive traditions of an 18th-century burgher family. The museum’s Christmas exhibition offers a unique glimpse into the past, showcasing the differences between Christmas celebrations in the 1700s and modern-day customs.
While familiar Finnish Christmas traditions like the Christmas tree and Santa Claus are notably absent, visitors will be introduced to the centerpiece of 18th-century festivities: the lavish dinner table.
Still from Larissa Sansour and Søren Lind’s video work As If No Misfortune Had Occurred in the Night, 2022. Courtesy of Larissa Sansour & Søren Lind.
Amos Rex is set to unveil a groundbreaking exhibition by Palestinian-Danish artist Larissa Sansour, exploring themes of intergenerational trauma, forced migration, and speculative futures. Opening on 9 October 2024, the exhibition comes at a time of heightened global awareness of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, providing a poignant platform for dialogue and reflection.
Sansour’s work, known for its cinematic beauty and multilayered narratives, blends science fiction, opera, and documentary elements to tackle deep-seated issues of grief, memory, and environmental crisis.
Museum ships, castles, and artist homes continue to attract summer travelers year after year. Located on the banks of the Aura River in Turku, the Finnish Swan (Suomen Joutsen) is one of the main attractions. It is part of the maritime museum Forum Marinum and is open during the summer. Photo: Ella Karttunen / Museum Card
The summer of 2024 saw a record-breaking number of visits using the Museum Card, with over 1.1 million visits made—more than ever before. The Museum Card was used 43,000 more times this summer compared to the same period in 2023. The top destinations included major museums in Helsinki, as well as several popular sites outside of big cities, reflecting a strong season for domestic tourism.
Photo: WKND Festival Helsinki
The Finnish electronic dance music (EDM) scene is experiencing a remarkable surge in popularity, with both large-scale festivals and smaller gigs being organized across the country almost daily. Finnish EDM artists are drawing millions of monthly listeners on Spotify, signaling a vibrant and growing industry.
One of the most notable indicators of this rise is the transformation of the Weekend Festival, the largest electronic music event in the Nordic region.
Flow Festival 2024, Saturday 10.08.2024. Photo: Petri Anttila
Flow Festival’s 20th-anniversary celebration continued on Saturday with a sold-out crowd of 32,000 people gathering at Helsinki’s Suvilahti. Despite early rain clouds, the sun broke through, and the day was marked by joy and energy as festival-goers danced and celebrated.
The highlight of Saturday was the eagerly awaited performance by Fred Again.., the English musician and producer who has become an international phenomenon.
Martti Aiha installing a site-specific work for the exhibition Siirrettävä Tuonela (Movable Tuonela) in Helsinki, 1983. Photographer: Sakari Viika
Kunsthalle Kohta is proud to announce the opening of its latest exhibition, “Martti Aiha: A Culture,” curated by Kohta’s director Anders Kreuger in collaboration with artist Nina Roos. This exhibition serves as a tribute to Martti Aiha, a celebrated sculptor who passed away in May last year. The exhibition will debut on Wednesday, August 7, from 6–8 p.m., coinciding with Kohta’s summer party. Refreshments will be served at B-Side Bar, and everyone is welcome.
Over 1,300 music educators and researchers from around the globe have gathered in Helsinki for the 36th World Conference of the International Society for Music Education (ISME). Hosted by the University of the Arts Helsinki, the conference runs from July 28 to August 2, 2024, focusing on the theme “Advocacy for Sustainability in Music Education.”
The event highlights Finland’s esteemed position in the realms of music education and sustainability,
