The summer of Tampere Region Festivals is well on the way, and June alone has six more events to offer. Starting today, Pispala Schottische offers a programme made up of tens of acts, aimed at friends of folk dance and folk music of all ages. Afterwards, Kangasala Classic invites you to experience chamber music starting 13 June.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Finlayson Art Area spreads around the Finlayson area both indoors and outdoors, and Finland’s biggest modern art show of the summer, Mänttä Art Festival, takes over the Pekilo exhibition space at the centre of Mänttä. Both art shows are open until the last days of August. After Midsummer, Tampere also brings together professionals and enthusiasts of flamenco for Tampere Flamenco Festival, and in Sastamala, we are treated to the 40th Days of Old Literature.
Pispala Schottische International Folklore Festival 12–16 June
A thousand participants from all over Finland and abroad bring their valuable contribution to this year’s celebration of dance! The free concerts of Pispala Schottische can be enjoyed in shopping centres and the Laikku stage, while the charged concerts and events will be held in Tullikamari’s Pakkahuone and Pyynikkisali, and the main event at the Pyynikki field.
In addition to the dancers, the Schottische brings on stage fantastic folk music groups, including 5/5, Spelarit, Rälläkkä and Häly, as well as many others that are well-known to folk dancers. Tanssiralli, the folk dance review for child and youth groups, will be participated by record-breaking 28 dance groups from all around Finland.
The festivities kick off on the first day with the outdoor concert at the Laikku stage. Both international guests and local folk dance and folk music groups will perform at this concert, organised by the city of Tampere.
Kangasala Classic 13–16 June
The newest member of Tampere Region Fesivals, Kangasala Classic, brings chamber music concerts to Kangasala Arts Centre as well as churches in Kangasala, Sahalahti and Kuhmalahti. This year the festival also extends to Pälkäne, to the historically significant ruin church of St. Michael.
In addition to the traditional chamber music concerts, the event includes outdoor concerts, a children’s concert and interdisciplinary art events.
Organised now for the 4th time, this year’s theme at Kangasala Classic is Light. The varied programme centered around this theme includes, for example, a preview concert by Kamus Quartet, a request concert hosted by Salla Paajanen, an atmospheric nighttime concert, and a preparty at Arboretum Frick.
Finlayson Art Area 14 June – 25 August
The exhibitions of Finlayson Art Area take place around the Finlayson area: in the indoor galleries, in the yards and streets, in the Finnpark parking lot and in the Finlayson church. All the exhibitions of the art event, produced by Gallery Himmelblau, can be attended free of charge.
In 2024 the exhibitions of Finlayson Art Area feature a variety of sculptures, silver objects and jewelry, paintings, installations and graphic works, as well as video and photo art. The street art features topics based on the art of Klaus Haapaniemi, Katja Tukiainen and Matti Hagelberg.
The front of Media 54 is decorated, as usual, by the Finlayson classic, the blue and white Wave, designed by Eine Lepistö in 1977. Finlayson Art Area’s 10th anniversary is celebrated on Päämääränkuja-alley, where the project manager of the event, Katja Villemonteix, has designed a colourful street painting called the Balloon Sea.
Mänttä Art Festival 16 June – 31 August
Heli Ryhänen, a long-standing sculptor from Tampere, has curated 36 artists and artist duos for this year’s Mänttä Art Festival. The exhibition of the festival is titled “The Blast”, and it will revolve around themes of light, spaciousness, perspective and spatiality. Many works in the exhibition provide experiences for all the senses, and the presence of nature is felt in them in various forms.
The exhibition of Mänttä Art Festival is filled with installations on the grand scale, as well as smaller works, meant to be enjoyed up close, such as collages, photography, light art, drawing performances and origami. The exhibition descends down the stairs, explores ancient forests through felled areas and microorganisms, and encounters familiar materials in unexpected contexts.
Tampere Flamenco Festival 25–29 June
Tampere Flamenco Festival attracts both domestic and international performers, flamenco music and dance professionals and enthusiasts.
The programme consists of high-quality concerts, workshops and free events. The festival offers a chance to perform for non-professionals as well, and there’s also a flamenco fiesta for the whole family.
The main concert titled Las Raíces features Juan Debel, Anabel Moreno, José Viñas, David Durán and Otso Krunasta. In the Tablao of Dreams club the audience may enjoy the dance moves of Anabel Moreno and José Viñas, among others.
Days of Old Literature 28–29 June
The literary event Days of Old Literature is held now for the 40th time. Held in Sastamala, at Sylvää School, the theme of this year’s festival is Celebration.
In honour of the 100-year anniversary of Kirsi Kunnas, a discussion on the power of children’s poetry and our dearest poetry memories will be held by panelists Johanna Venho, Aura Nurmi and Paula Halkola. The greatest parties in Finnish literature will be discussed by Ann-Christin Antell, Tommi Liimatta and Peter Sandström. The Days of Old Literature also offers poetry relaxation and a singalong event, as well as a “Kirjateekki” (literature discotheque), discussions and interviews.
The festival includes the Children’s Literature Days, where Vuokko Hurme reveals the strangest ways to celebrate from the past. There’s also the chance to jam with children’s music group Orffit. On the book stage, the Hetken Runo lounge let’s us play with words and poems, and the Kiva Kirjaräp workshop helps in making your own book stories into rap lyrics.
Coming up in July
July 6 – 7 Iron Age Birckala, Pirkkala
July 6 – 8 Aitoon Kirkastusjuhlat Music Festival, Pälkäne
July 8 – 14 Fest Afrika, Tampere
July 11 – 14 KesäVirratSoi Music Festival, Virrat
July 17 – 21 Sastamala Gregoriana, Sastamala
July 18 – 20 Tammerfest, Tampere
July 25 – 28 Worker’s Music Festival, Valkeakoski
July 30 – August 3 Mänttä Music Festival
Photo: Ville Hautakangas
