Festivals in Finland - statistics & facts
The colorful festival scene in Finland ranges from multi-arts events and concerts to theater shows and film festivals. Next to internationally known, large-scale happenings live the smaller but equally relevant regional culture events. The majority of the country’s most popular festivals take place in the summer: Ruisrock, Provinssi, Ilosaarirock and Pori Jazz, to name a few. Alongside music enthusiasts, the summer caters to other audiences with events such as the Tampere Theater Festival, Seinäjoki Tango Festival, and Sodankylä Film Festival.
While the Finnish audience is enjoying great variety in the festival and events industry, Finnish festivals continue to gain international popularity.
Finland's most popular festivals
Every year, Finland Festival, a non-profit organization dedicated to culture and tourism, ranks the country’s most visited festivals. In 2023, the top 10 chart in ticket sales was topped by the Savonlinna Opera Festival and Pori Jazz, followed by the Helsinki Festival. That year, Ruisrock, the oldest rock music festival in Finland and also one of the oldest festivals in Europe, reported 105,000 sold tickets. Pori Jazz, an international jazz music festival organized in the city of Pori in western Finland, hit around 78,300 in ticket sales. With free concerts, Pori Jazz was also Finland’s number one visitor magnet with nearly 182,500 visitors in 2023. Other festivals without entrance fees also proved popular, such as the Kotka Maritime festival in July and the multi-arts World Village Festival organized in May.Finnish film festivals
Finland's film festival scene is thriving, with Oulu's International Children's Film Festival leading the way in visitor numbers. In 2023, this event attracted almost 228,100 attendees, showcasing its widespread appeal. The Helsinki International Film Festival and Espoo Ciné International Film Festival followed, drawing around 50,000 visitors each. While visitor numbers provide one perspective, ticket sales offer another insight into festival popularity. The Helsinki International Film Festival topped the charts in 2023 with nearly 33,300 tickets sold. Interestingly, The Midnight Sun Film Festival in Sodankylä, which ranked fourth in visitor numbers, came second in ticket sales. This suggests that some festivals may attract more dedicated film enthusiasts who purchase tickets, while others draw larger crowds for free or non-ticketed events.While the Finnish audience is enjoying great variety in the festival and events industry, Finnish festivals continue to gain international popularity.
