Midsummer marks Finland’s biggest national holiday and a range of outdoor activities under the midnight sun.
The towns and cities of Pori, Kuusamo and Jyväskylä will host special music, dining and sauna events as part of the celebrations.
The city of Pori will be home to one of the pioneering music festivals of Finland between 8 and 16 July, while Kuusamo will have a two-day Wild Food Street Market from 5 to 6 August. Meanwhile, Jyväskylä, situated in Lakeland will host a sauna festival from 10 to 13 August.
Taking place at the end of June, the midnight sun is a key element in the festivities in the northern parts of Finland, but even in the south of the country visitors and locals alike can enjoy bright skies well into the night.
With the long days continuing into July and August, here are some events happening across Finland this summer:
First held in 1966 the annual Pori Jazz festival will run between 8 and 16 July at the riverfront of Pori city centre and the Kirjurinluoto Concert Park. This year the festival will honour the careers of two Finnish icons, Tuomari Nurmio and Heikki Sarmanto.
Brian Wilson, mastermind of the The Beach Boys will make his Pori Jazz festival debut on Thursday 13 July.
British band Jamiroquai will also return to Finland playing on Friday 14 July.
“We are thrilled to offer visitors and locals the chance to hear some of Finland’s greatest ever musicians alongside international music stars and indulge in traditional regional food this summer to celebrate Finland’s centenary of independence” said Eva Kiviranta, from Visit Finland in the UK.
For the first time Kuusamo will host a two-day Wild Food Street Market on 5 and 6 August in the centre of town. The event will aim to show travellers and locals alike the abundance of wild food on offer in Lapland and how to cook dishes using the produce.
Further south the Finnish sauna festival in Jyväskylä will be based in and around Lutakko Square and in the historic harbour. The event area will have more than 40 saunas, from small infrared and boat saunas to underwater saunas and saunas fit for 250 people.
See visitfinland.com for more information on Finland.
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