Culture on every corner – happy birthday, Helsinki!
Thursday 12 June is the cause for celebration across the city as it celebrates its birthday – programmes ranging from children’s nature trips to rock concerts are in store from morning until night.
This year, Helsinki Day is part of Helsinki Week and you can join in samba carnivals, Finnish Province Days and much more besides.
Jussi Pajunen, the city’s Lord Mayor, is opening Helsinki Day at Lyypekinlaituri quay at 9.00 am, and the ceremony will be followed by performances by the Stadin juhlaorkesteri and the Helsinki Police Big Band. There are hour-long tours of the tall ship Götheborg in the afternoon.
The Espa stage is the setting for choosing the traditional Stadin friidu ja kundi (city girl and guy) at 12 noon. And from 5.00 pm in the afternoon, get into the swing of multicultural rhythms that hail from as far away as West Africa and South America. Home-grown sounds come into their own when the evening rounds off with some Finnish-Swedish groove.
You can set off to explore Helsinki’s neighbourhoods, harbours and statues in the city centre on the walking and bus tours that are arranged in different parts of the city throughout the day.
Juorupiiri (Gossip Circle), a play set in the 18th century, premieres at Tervasaari island and Kurja joukko (A Sorry Lot) at the Kulttuuritehdas Korjaamo cultural centre in the Töölö district gives vent to the feelings of today’s modern people about the mass stereotype society.
Twirl on the dance floor at Pitsku Culture Church or at Villa Bergsund, a centre for Karelian communities. Or go and soak up the atmosphere at the folk dancing being arranged for the 50th consecutive year on Seurasaari island.
Admission is free to the exhibitions at the City of Helsinki’s museums as well as to Suomenlinna Museum. There is also free admission to the OstariFestari festival in the Kontula district of the city. The main event at Metrokäytävä features entertainment including Circus Helsinki performers and Pelle Miljoona.
Celebrations in Töölö revolve around Elävä Töölö – sydämenä tori (Living Töölö – with the market square at its heart). Programmes on the market square stage run from morning until night, and you can play board and old coin-throwing games at the Taivallahti sports field. Visit the refurbished Kulttuuritehdas Korjaamo in Taka-Töölö and take the renovated tram around Töölö.
The Stadi On Concert in Kaisaniemi Park also offers music programmes galore throughout the day, where top Finnish artists such as Olavi Uusivirta, ISO-H, Apulanta and the Riku Niemi Orchestra’s soloists Anna Abreu and Jorma Kääriäinen take to the stage.
In honour of the day, Helsinki.fi is giving out pairs of shoelaces in the city centre from 12 noon. Keep an eye out for the distributors with Helsinki.fi t-shirts and pick up a pair of laces for yourself!
Linkit:
Text: Riikka Hemmilä
Translation: Tytti Laine / AAC Noodi Oy
Picture: City of Helsinki Picture Bank / Boy Hulden
