Welcome 2017!

Hyvää uutta vuotta kaikille! Have a happy New Year! Now 2017 arrived and it is not an ordinary year. This year Finland turns 100! It was opened with a huge party at Kansalaistori and the unveiling of the new city library's name (it is going to be Oodi).

But there is more, much more to come. Throughout the year there will be loads of special events in the capital of course. On the Suomi Finland 100 website you can read up on everything you should know about the year-long birthday party. Check it out!

But for now I wish you all a great start into the new year and an amazing 2017!

BBQ and music

Today is the second day of the Grillimaisteri tour on Narinkka. Apart from the main event, a grilling competition with prominent Finnish chefs in the jury there is much more happening today.

A great lineup of Finnish bands and singers is awaiting you with gigs from Roope Salminen ja Koirat, Sanni and many more. And don't worry about getting hungry when watching all that cooking. Throughout the day Lidl provides free grilled food like sausages and steaks for everyone. Be prepared to queue for a while though.

The event starts at noon and goes on until nine in the evening. Entrance is of course free. Check it out and have a nice Sunday!

Helsinki Päivä

Tomorrow is June 12, Helsinki Day. And as every year the city's birthday is celebrated with a lot of activities around town.

The program is huge and spans the whole day starting at 8 in the morning, going on until 9 in the evening. Enjoy e.g. a free swim in one of Helsinki's public swimming pools, do design orienteering through the Helsinki Design District, join the fishing competition in Vuosaari, listen to one of the many concerts around the city or come to the dinner under the Helsinki sky on Esplanadi.

For more information and the whole program visit the official Helsinki Päivä website.

So much to do over the weekend

This is a typical summer weekend in Helsinki. There are so many different events going on that it is even tough to decide what to do.

Helsinginkatu's cycling lane will be opened today between 12 and 3 with a big celebration with music and more.

Saturday is Siivouspäivä. Anyone can sell stuff they don't need anymore just outside on the street. Get rid of what you anyway don't use or keep your eyes open for some treasures that just resurfaced from someone's basement.

Up for some culture and ethnic food? Well, then head to the World Village Festival in Kaisaniemenpuisto and on Rautatientori. A whole weekend of program and food from around the world is awaiting you.

Also don't miss out on the Kumpula Village Party. It celebrates it's 25th anniversary and is Helsinki's oldest neighborhood festival. For more information on what to expect and how to get there check out their website.

Have a great weekend!

Easter in Helsinki

The long Easter weekend has started. And there is lots to do in the city. Traditionally the weekend starts with the Via Crucis. Tonight at 21:30 the crucification will is reenacted with the Walk of the Cross from Kaisaniemi Park to Senaatintori.

And if you have time, drop by at the Helsinki Zoo as well. During the weekend it turns into an Easter island with a special program.  

Also good to know: This year many supermarkets stay open throughout the whole Easter time due to the new legislation on opening time. 

Have a wonderful Easter time!

The magic of LUX

The light exhibition LUX opened this week. And if you haven't seen it yet you should not miss out on the possibility.

Throughout the city center impressive light installations by Finnish and international artists have been set up.

LUX is on until Sunday. So take out the warm winter clothes and go through an evening walk through town. The lights are on until 22:00 every evening.

Welcome the new year

It is the last day of the year. Time to celebrate the a hopefully successful 2015 and the beginning of an even better 2016 for all of you.

If you want to welcome the new year together with lots of other Helsinkians then come to Senaatintori tonight. It is the biggest party in town and as every year a full program is awaiting. The celebration will be kicked off at 22:00 with the We Love Helsinki DJ. Later Finnish pop star Maija Vilkkumaa will sing live on stage. The celebrations will culminate with a musical fireworks display at midnight.

There is of course no entry fee. Check out the whole program on VisitHelsinki. And don't miss out on the great deals offered by many restaurants in the city center that are only valid today on the bottom of the page.

Have a great start into the new year!

Music and tasting

Today a late visit to the Hietalahden Kauppahalli might be a good idea. At 17:00 the first out of a series of several Musaa & Maistelua events will take place at the market hall.

At this special Saturday event its all about music and food. Taste declicious treats from the shops, restaurants, cafés and street food booths. To make the experience unique, We Love Helsinki invited some DJs to provide the venue with some suitable tunes. 

So have a snack, grab a drink, lean back and enjoy the evening! The event lasts until 22:00 and the entrance is free. Make sure to drop by!

Slush is live

Slush, the biggest startup event in the Nordics started and continues until tomorrow evening.

You are interested in what's going on there but didn't get a ticket? Well, then check out their website and follow the live stream of all key note presentations and panel discussions in real time.

Enjoy and have a fun Slush time!

The startups take over Helsinki

Slush, the biggest startup in Northern Europe is approaching fast. And the startup community is on fire. Around Slush countless events take place all around the city. And to most of them you don't need a Slush pass.

If you always wanted to dive a bit deeper into the startup scene this is your chance. During the weekend you can attend several hackathons in Helsinki where developers, developers, hardware specialists and companies come together to code, hack, network and have fun.

Check out all the events on the Slush website.

Have a nice and exciting weekend!

Mozart at Tuomiokirkko

Tuomiokirkko is Helsinki's most important and well known landmark. A must see for everyone coming to the city. But not only from outside but also from inside.

Sunday evening offers the perfect chance for that. Then the Akateeminen Laulu and Camerata Vihti will perform Mozart's Requiem in the cathedral. The concert starts at 19:00 and tickets are still available. You can either buy them online or at the entrance.

Enjoy and have a nice weekend!

Helsinki goes Nippon

For the next few day Helsinki become a little Japanese. During the Japan Week starting today the Japanese culture will be presented through exhibitions, workshops and performances. 

The events will take place at Annantalo, Wanha Satama and Savoy Theater. The big opening will be today at Kamppi Kauppakeskus and Narinkkatori starting at noon. For more information about the program follow the links above or check out VisitHelsinki (program only in Finnish). All events are free of charge.

Enjoy Japanese culture in Helsinki!

Grand Opening at Forum

Forum finished its big rennovation and is celebrating this with a Grand Opening party. Until October 25 there is a big program with lots of happenings every day at the shopping center.

During the next days there will be something for everyone. Forum has DJs, live music acts, kids program, special offers and much, much more. For families Saturday is probably the best day to visit. It's kids day.

All events are of course free of charge. Have a look at their website for the whole program.

Check it out and have a nice weekend!

10 years Karnival of Lights

The season at Linnanmäki ends again with a big party. Today the Valokarnevaali starts for the 10th time. During the next week the whole park will be bathed in colorful, beautiful and mystical lights.

For the 10th anniversary of its light karnival Lintsi again invited several music acts for every evening. Among them are Santa Cruz, Raapana, Krista Siegfrids and many more. You can find the whole program and all activities and events around it on their website.

The entrance to the park is free as always. And so are of course also the gigs. Don't miss it!

Germans, the invisible foreigners?

Finland is this far away, isolated country up North, right? Well, actually Finland was probably less isolated than you would think. Apart from its neighbors it was also in regular exchange with many German speaking areas and countries.

There are a lot of German influences to be found in Finland and especially in Helsinki. The German Culture Week starting this Friday shows that.

In three exhibitions accompanied by several other events it introduces the German culture in Finland, Helsinki as well as German culture in general. More information on the German Culture Week under the motto "The invisible foreigners?" can be found on Facebook and the official website.

All events are free of charge. The exhibitions stay open at the International Culture Center Caisa until October 25.

A night full of art

One of the big highlights of every year's Helsingin Juhlaviikot is the legendary Night of the Arts. And today it takes place again.

If you didn't have any plans for tonight so far, now you do. Because the Night of the Arts is definitely something you shouldn't miss. A full night of dance, music, poetry, movies, theater, exhibitions and much much more is awaiting you. The events take place all around town and are all free of charge.

For an overview of what's going on tonight check out the Night of the Arts website. Have a great evening!

Art goes Kapakka

Helsingin Juhlaviikot has a lot to offer. It also brought Art goes Kapakka back to town. This culture city event brings art to the best restaurants, bars and cafes around town.

Experience exhibitions, music, fashion, design, theater plays and much much more in some of your favorite drink or food spots. The program is filled with exciting events every day and still goes on until this Sunday.

And the best thing: all events are free of charge. Check out the official website for more information and enjoy the August in Helsinki!

Helsinki Festival with 100 guitars

Today the Helsinki Juhlaviikot (Helsinki Festival) starts. And as one of the opening events 100 guitars will play metal together at Senaatintori today.

#100guitarsfromHEL is organized by Alexi Laiho, lead singer and guitarist from Children of Bodom who exclusively composed a song asked guitar players from around the world to send in a video of them playing it. The best 100 will perform at 18:00 on the Senate Square.

Everyone is welcome to watch and listen. The event is free. Don't miss it!

And of course also check out all the other events during Helsinki Juhlaviikot.

Flow is coming

The Flow Festival is close. This Friday one of the coolest festivals in Helsinki starts again. At Suvilahti everything is already under construction and you can again expect some awesome art installations, chill-out areas and decoration.

Flow is of course about music. This year you can look forward to acts such as Florence & The Machine, Major Lazer, The Pet Shop Boys, Beck and many more. But Flow is also about so much more. Hang out with friends and just suck in the amazing atmosphere and flair of this extraordinary event.

And don't forget to check out the food. Some of Helsinki's finest restaurants and street food trucks will be there.

You find the line-up of the whole weekend on the Flow website. Tickets are still available for Friday and Sunday as well as three day tickets. For details on prices and dates have a look at Lippupalvelu.

15 000 stand up for diversity

After a shocking statement of one of the Finns Party's MPs thousands of people all around Finland gathered for a multicultural Finland. 

photo by Jérémy Huyghe

In Helsinki over 15 000 people came together at Kansalaistori under the slogan "Meillä on unelma!" (we have a dream) to stand up for diversity. They were supported by dozens of political, religious, labor, sports and cultural leaders.

Find more information on yesterday's event at Yle News as well as pictures and videos from Helsingin Sanomat.

Thanks to all who joined and made this possible!