Helsinki Pride Week, Finland's largest human rights and cultural event, will be celebrated this year from 28 June–4 July. The City of Helsinki is the main partner of Helsinki Pride Week. City Hall will serve as Pride House – the main venue for Helsinki Pride Week. A staunch proponent of equality and non-discrimination, Helsinki has applied for the Rainbow Cities network.
Progressive Pride flags will flutter on the flagpoles of City Hall. The purpose of the flag is to highlight LHBTIQ people and minorities within minorities. Alongside the familiar horizontal stripes, the flag features black, brown, light blue, pink and white colours. Helsinki was the first public body in Finland to introduce the progressive flag last year. The city will also fly traditional Pride flags at its other offices, such as the Swimming Stadium, Pirkkola Sports Park and Vanhankaupunginkoski fishing information.
Helsinki takes the efforts to achieve equality and non-discrimination very seriously. Helsinki wants to be a city in which human rights are widely implemented and where no one encounters harassment or discrimination. This goal is furthered through ambitious city-level equality and non-discrimination plans, for example. City personnel, too, have an important role in promoting equality and non-discrimination. At the beginning of June, City employees formed teams for ‘We walk with Pride’ walks in order to support the Pride movement.
Helsinki has decided to join the Rainbow Cities network. The international network of cities addresses themes related to sexual and gender minorities and promotes LHBTIQ rights at the local level. The City Board decided to join the network in early June.
Program held around the city and online
Equality and non-discrimination will be celebrated all over the city. Various discussions and encounters will be held at City Hall’s Pride House. Also on display will be Aleksandra Lemke's photo exhibition Meistä- About Us, which features rainbow people belonging to indigenous peoples and ethnic or religious minorities living in Finland. Pride House will also include Pride Info & Shop.
As in previous years, the City of Helsinki will participate as a partner in the implementation of the Youth Pride week organised by Helsinki Pride. This year, Nuorten Pride House (Youth Pride House) is located in Vallila, in connection with the new premises of IrisHelsing- a rainbow youth service- and the new premises of Pelitalo (Game House) Sture. A varied program is promised for young people, such as workshops, discussions and concerts throughout the week. Learn about the Pride programme for young people.(Link leads to external service)
Ohjaamo, in turn, will organise for young people Mikä musta tuli isona? (What will I be when I am big?) LGBTQA + Entrepreneurs in Ohjaamo -Instagram-Live. (Link leads to external service)Read more about Ohjaamo’s Instagram live.(Link leads to external service)
Libraries and cultural centres will celebrate Pride Week with author visits, films and the Extravaganza Queer Gala, among others. In honour of Pride, the City Museum will organise Helsinki queeristi walks and Tiloissa-parties. Learn about the City of Helsinki’s programme during the Pride week.(Link leads to external service)
You can participate on your own in the Pride activity track designed and implemented by Helsinki Sports Services. It consists of ten tasks that will encourage you to get to know Pride themes and history in your own way and in your own family circle, while also exercising by moving from place to place. Read more about the Pride activity track provided by Helsinki Sports Services.
Everyone can take part in the virtual procession
The Pride procession will be held virtually this year. Everyone can join the procession online and show their support for human rights and celebrate equality. The procession opens on June 28 and you can take part in it from anywhere in the world until 4 July. Small groups, communities and groups of friends can increase the visibility of Pride on the streets and online, as well as on social media.
Helsinki Pride 2021 will culminate on Saturday 3 July with a Helsinki Pride concert featuring SANNI, Tuure Boelius, Yeboyah, Benjamin, NikoLa & Pola Ivanka. The concert will be hosted by Cristal Snow and Lola Lorenzo. The concert will be held in Black Box, Helsinki Ice Hall, and can be viewed live on Pride Stream and Yle Teema.
Helsinki Pride Week is Finland's largest human rights and cultural event. It is produced by a team of a few employees, dozens of partner organizations and numerous volunteers.
The event is organized by the Helsinki Pride community, which works all year round for the rights of sexual and gender minorities.
The City of Helsinki is one of the main partners of Helsinki Pride week. The aim of the cooperation is to increase community spirit and inclusion in the city, as well as to increase citizens' knowledge of equality, non-discrimination and human rights.