Helsinki Day will stretch over two days this summer: Sunday 11 June and Monday 12 June
The programme for Sunday features a lot of activities especially for families and children, while the programme for Monday is for everyone to enjoy. You can find the programme online at www.helsinkipäivä.fi.
Ruffle Army will perform again in the Esplanade Park on Helsinki Day. © Jussi Hellsten
This summer the traditional morning coffees on Helsinki Day can be enjoyed at an event hosted by the Mayor of Helsinki among the seals in Senate Square at 9am on 12 June.
The seals are part of the HejHylje! campaign in which 40 Finnish artists have added their personal touch to seal statues designed by Stefan Lindfors. The seals highlight the importance of protecting the Baltic Sea and include Kasper Strömman’s famous “poop emoji seal” (kakkaemojihylje).
The City Slang Man and Woman of the Year will be announced on the Espa Stage at 11am, which is an hour earlier than in previous years. This year’s candidates for Woman of the Year are Irja Askola, Baba Lybeck, Pia Landen and Pirkko Saisio, while the candidates for Man of the Year are Jörn Donner, Teemu Laajasalo, Jan Vapaavuori and Vesa-Matti Loiri. In the afternoon nostalgic dances while be held in the Esplanade Park.
The Songs of Independence will be performed in the Banquet Hall of City Hall at 5pm. Local residents were asked to discuss their song memories from the past hundred years, and on Helsinki Day a selection of these songs will be performed at a sing-along concert that is part of the official Finland 100 programme.
Free Helsinki Day concert in the Töölönlahti Event Park
This year’s main Helsinki Day concert is being organised together with Radio Suomipop in the brand new Töölönlahti Event Park behind Finlandia Hall. Featured artists include Erin, Chisu, Kaija Koo, Mikael Gabriel, The Rasmus, Lauri Tähkä and Antti Tuisku. The open-air concert is free of charge, and gates open at 2:30pm.
Live music can also be enjoyed at numerous other events on Helsinki Day, including at the Kontula Shopping Centre Festival from 1pm to 8pm and at the Kids’ Street Party in Puu-Vallila from 2pm to 6pm.
The popular Ruffle Army will once again delight families and children up and down the Esplanade Park with their giant magical soap bubbles. The performances will take place every half hour between 2pm and 4pm.
Along the north side of the Esplanade Park, long tables with white tablecloths will await 1000 locals and their guests who will get to enjoy “Dinner Under the Helsinki Sky” starting from 7pm. Places at the table must be reserved in advance.
Another traditional favourite on Helsinki Day is the Yurt Sauna by the Töölönlahti bay. The sauna will be kept hot on both Sunday and Monday from 3pm to 9pm. It is a mixed sauna but there are separate changing rooms for men and women. The Yurt Sauna is a non-alcoholic event.
The city’s birthday celebrations will culminate this year with the Nightingale Tour, which is organised by the local association Puistola-Seura ry and takes 2.5 hours. The tour departs from the parking lot of the nature trail that circles around Malmi Airport at 10pm on 12 June.
Celebrations to begin already on Sunday 11 June
This year the Helsinki Day celebrations will begin already on Sunday 11 June with a special programme especially for families and children.
The programme on the Espa Stage will be hosted in three languages by Johan Storgård and feature the “Fun in Helsinki” stand-up comedians Ali Jahangiri, Fredi Lilius, Riku Suokas, Rich Lyons and Anitta Ahonen from 1pm to 6pm.
Also on Sunday, local businesses along the Pikkuroba pedestrian street join forces and rejuvenate the quietest stretch of street in the city centre at the “Little Roba, Big Party” block party. Visitors can enjoy the food, music, street art, activities for kids, interactions and communal atmosphere from 11am to 5pm.
The Helsinki City Museum in turn will offer Baby Tango from 12noon to 3pm. Two performances will be given, at 12noon and 2pm, and each one lasts 40 minutes.
Another highlight of the programme on Sunday is the Forest Food wild vegetable tour, which gives city dwellers the chance to explore the nature at Uutela. The tour departs at 10am from the Kampela Café (Uutelantie, Vuosaari). Along the way participants can pick the wild vegetables and herbs that are in season in June.
On Helsinki Day you can also do volunteer work
Helsinki Day has traditionally been marked by a communal spirit with various charity projects taking place throughout the day. This year local residents are being encouraged to take part in volunteer work and to do good deeds together. To support this initiative, Helsinki Day is collaborating with the OP Financial Group, which maintains the Hiiop100.fi website.
Hiiop100.fi serves as a market and meeting place for volunteer activities. Visitors can search for volunteer projects by theme, place or time. Organisations can also post their own projects on the website in order to attract volunteers. The website aims to lower the threshold for doing volunteer work. Hiiop100.fi is OP’s contribution to the Finland 100 centenary celebrations.
Create your own #helsinkiday
Almost 200 events will take place throughout the city on Helsinki Day. The new Helsinki Day website makes it easy to find your favourite events and create a list that you can then share with friends on social media, save on your computer or print in pdf format.
Here’s how to create your own list on the www.helsinkipäivä.fi website:
1. Simply click on the heart with the text “Save as a favourite” that appears next to any event that interests you.
2. You can then access your list of favourites by clicking on the heart on the top right of the screen.
3. Activate the location of the event on the map by dragging your mouse across the name of the event.
4. You can share your list of favourites by clicking on the share icons at the bottom of the list. You can also save your list in pdf format by clicking on the pdf icon.
Background information
Helsinki Day has been celebrated since 1959. The original initiative was proposed by the Helsinki Society. The date marks the founding of Helsinki by King Gustav Vasa of Sweden at the mouth of the Vantaanjoki river on 12 June 1550.
Helsinki Day is organised by the City of Helsinki together with active residents
Further information:
Helsinki Marketing
Marianne Saukkonen
Producer of Helsinki Day
marianne.saukkonen@hel.fi
+358 40 334 7148
Emma Lumme
Event Producer
emma.lumme@hel.fi
+358 40 156 1643
Eija Väliranta
Communications Manager
eija.valiranta@hel.fi
+358 40 350 9449
Helsinki Marketing is a marketing company owned by the City of Helsinki. The company’s former marketing name was Visit Helsinki. The name Helsinki Marketing reflects the company’s expanded scope of operations and was introduced in April 2017.
