Cultural Events 2023

Naantali Music Festival, June 6-16, 2023

Celebrating our 43rd season in this, the sunniest of Finland’s seaside towns, with the finest musical events at Naantali’s splendid mediaeval abbey, in idyllic archipelago churches and at other scenic locations. A host of top Finnish and international artists will once again help us to focus on chamber music from various perspectives.

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Mänttä Art Festival, June 11-August 31, 2023

Finland’s largest summer exhibition of contemporary art appoints a new curator every year, ensuring that the exhibition always provides a fresh perspective on the entire field of Finnish contemporary art. Mänttä Art Festival is held in high regard by art world professionals, and is a popular destination for the art-loving public. Head for Pekilo in the centre of Mänttä to find our permanent exhibition space. A programme of XTRA events also supplements the festival exhibitions.

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Midnight Sun Film Festival, June 14-18, 2023

This exceptional festival is one of the world’s most fascinating annual events for filmmakers and their public. Founded by Aki and Mika Kaurismäki and Peter von Bagh, our unique celebration brings leading international and Finnish directors and their work to the magical surroundings and everlasting sunlight of the Lapland summer.

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Kuopio Dance Festival, June 14-20, 2023

The programme of the largest and most diverse dance art festival in the Nordic countries will welcome performers of the most important Finnish and international dance art of our time, including performances by students and enthusiasts in the field. A busy festival week will feature more than one hundred dance performances, courses, seminars and other events, so be sure not to miss our 54th season in the Kuopio summer sunshine!

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Savonlinna Opera Festival, July 1-30, 2023

The month-long festival is held in Olavinlinna, a towering medieval castle by Finland’s largest lake. This creates a uniquely dramatic ambiance for its 70 000 visitors. Once inside, festival-goers are dazzled by classics and rarely seen works as well as world premieres and visiting productions from esteemed opera houses like La Scala.

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The novelty of the summer will be a new production of Romeo and Juliet. The Magic Flute celebrates its 50th anniversary on the stage at Olavinlinna Castle, whereas Fiddler on the Roof will become the first musical to feature in the Opera Festival programme. There will be a Finnish premiere performance of Outi Tarkiainen’s A Room of One’s Own. Laughter will be contagious at The Barber of Seville, which is always an unbridled audience hit at the Opera Festival.

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Pori Jazz, July 7–15, 2023

Pori Jazz is the oldest and best-known jazz festival in Finland, held every year since 1966 on the west coast. Like many jazz fests, it also includes musicians from many other genres. There’s even special programme for children: Pori Jazz Kids takes place from July 11 to 13.

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Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, July 10–16, 2023

Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia, Ukraine - groups from these countries will arrive in Kaustinen on July 10th - 16th to perform but also to share their experiences of war and peace. They will be accompanied by musicians and dancers and experts to discuss peace, the festival's theme this year. No less than 550 groups from 16 countries will be arriving in Kaustinen and performing as part of the largest folk music festival in the Nordic countries.

 

The foundation of the festival has yet again grown stronger after Kaustinen fiddle playing tradition entered UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage

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Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival , July 9-22, 2023

For two frenetic weeks in July, Kuhmo in Eastern Finland is host to a chamber music festival attracting thousands of music lovers. In that fortnight, this town of 8,000 inhabitants echoes to the sound of music against a backcloth of a lake that almost laps the walls of the concert halls in the clear, unbelievable northern light. In over 50 years, Kuhmo Chamber Music has grown to become one of the world’s foremost music festivals. As early as 1989, the prestigious American journal Connoisseur was already calling it “possibly the best anywhere”. In summer 2014 the British Financial Times described it as “a remarkable event, where unfettered creative idealism reigns. The Austrian music magazine Festspiele has rated Kuhmo among the world’s leading festivals in 2008−2015.

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Mikkeli Music Festival, July 29-August 5, 2023

Initially organised as an intimate chamber music celebration in 1992, our festival has grown into one of the leading classical music events of the Finnish cultural summer. The big theme of the Mikkeli Music Festival 2023 is LOVE. The series of additional programmes of the festival,”On the Move!”, will be greater than ever. The events start on week 25 in June and last until the end of the festival.

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