Helsinki as event city

It is important to us that Helsinki is a dynamic, functional and responsible event city that offers people a range of experiences throughout the year. This page will provide you with information on our decision-making and goals that steer the development of events in Helsinki.

On this page

Our event goals

A vibrant urban culture, complete with events, tourists and restaurants, is a key strategic priority for promoting Helsinki’s vitality and well-being. The development of eventness is guided by the City Strategy, Helsinki tourism and events programme and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The programme presents concrete measures to promote the development of eventness for the benefit of tourists, residents, event visitors and local businesses.

2025–2029 Helsinki City Strategy

The City Strategy aims to strengthen Helsinki’s position as an attractive event city, increase year-round event activity, and harness events to support Helsinki’s international recognition and the growth of business and tourism.

2025-2029 Helsinki City Strategy

Development Programme for Helsinki Tourism and Events 2026–2029

Development Programme for Helsinki Tourism and Events guides the development of tourism and events in Helsinki in 2026–2029. The programme aims to accelerate year-round growth and extend visitors’ stays, strengthen Helsinki’s international appeal, and make Helsinki an even more functional tourism and events city that supports growth. Cooperation, sustainability, data-driven management and the involvement of residents are key priorities in implementing the programme.

Development Programme for Helsinki Tourism and Events 2026–2029

UN Sustainable Development Goals

UN Sustainable Development Goals

City of Helsinki workgroups developing eventness

Helsinki is the most important event city and the largest organisation in Finland. We are constantly improving our practices to make organising events go even more smoothly.

We have workgroups where event advisors from different city divisions and organisations work together to promote eventness and the smooth organisation of events in Helsinki. Some of the groups focus on the development of eventness and strategic guidelines, while others streamline the grass root processes of organising events. The groups agree on things like land use, safety, noise restriction guidelines and event-related traffic arrangements to promote a smooth and open flow of information and ensure compliance with the strategic guidelines.

  • City Board

    Responsible for the most significant strategic policies related to events, such as the Development Programme for Helsinki Tourism and Events 2026–2029; decides on major event applications.

  • City Executive Group

    Responsible for significant eventness-related strategic policies and decisions on major events. Chaired by the Mayor.

  • Major Event-steering Group

    Accelerates and aligns the decision-making process for large-scale events and ensures the smooth flow of internal information. The group ensures that events comply with the City Strategy goals and monitors the implementation of the Helsinki tourism and events programme. Chaired by the Mayor.

  • Events Advisory Board

    Is an external advisory board for event development. Promotes the competitiveness of Helsinki's event scene and gives concrete proposals to the city. The chairman is Sami Kerman, CEO of the Finnish Event Industry Association.

  • Event Steering Group

    Brings together experts from the City of Helsinki and its subsidiary organisations to develop eventness. The group agrees on practical policies and ensures that the organisation of events in Helsinki goes smoothly. The group also ensures the implementation and progress of the goals in the development programme.

    Event steering group organisation:

    City divisions
    City Executive Office
    Culture and Leisure Division
    Urban Environment Division
    Education Division

    Other actors
    Helsinki Partners
    Event Foundation
    Helsinki City Premises Ltd

  • On-site Event Group

    Resolves practical problems, identifies practical development needs and ensures that the City is a good partner for event organisers. The on-site group aims to promote cooperation between City divisions.

    On-site group organisation:
    City divisions
    City Executive Office
    Culture and Leisure Division
    Urban Environment Division

    Other actors
    Event Foundation
    Helsinki City Premises Ltd
    Kiinteistö Oy Kaapelitalo
    Police
    HSL
    Helsinki City Rescue Department

Events organised by Helsinki

A light show in the heart of the darkest winter, a surprise art gift in an apartment building courtyard, Helsinki birthday carnival in June and the best canned-herring products selected by the herring jury. These are some examples of experiences produced by the Helsinki Event Foundation.

Launched as a subsidiary organisation to the City of Helsinki in January 2019, Helsinki Event Foundation organises such public City events as Helsinki Festival, Lux Helsinki, Helsinki Day, Helsinki’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, Baltic Herring Market and Helsinki Christmas Market. The foundation also promotes Helsinki’s eventness.

Helsinki Event Foundation

Helsinki brand

We make use of our highly recognisable visual identity in all Helsinki events. This visual identity includes the Helsinki frame logo, as well as a specific colour palette, font and wave motifs. You can find a comprehensive information package on the visual identity of the Helsinki brand on our Brand.hel.fi webpages. If you have received a grant from the City of Helsinki, please make sure to use the Helsinki logo in your communications on websites, brochures, advertisements and the like.

Brand.hel.fi visual identity guidelines

 

Helsinki Material Bank offers Helsinki brand-specific images for your events. Be sure to mention the photographer’s name and source when publishing an image.

Images and videos from MyHelsinki Material Bank