The Culture Kids project, which has become familiar to families with children in Helsinki, will continue from 2027 onwards as a permanent programme coordinated by the City of Helsinki named Helsinki Culture Kids. All children aged 0–6 living in Helsinki who were registered as Culture Kids from 2020 onwards will automatically continue as Helsinki Culture Kids. They will continue to be offered at least two free cultural events a year, which they can attend with a close adult.
“I am truly delighted and proud that, as part of our new City Strategy, we have decided to make these free cultural activities a permanent programme for children under school age in Helsinki. The cornerstones of the programme are a child-centred approach, high-quality cultural content and a strong focus on arts education. The aim is to get even more children from all kinds of backgrounds, from all over Helsinki, to participate,” says Deputy Mayor for Culture and Leisure Paavo Arhinmäki.
Chair of the Culture and Library Sub-committee Jaana Alaja is also delighted about the new, permanent programme, which was made possible in part by grants awarded to arts and culture organisations.
“Approximately 21,000 children in Helsinki have been registered as Culture Kids. To date, they have been offered around 100,000 places at a wide range of cultural and arts events, as well as creative movement experiences with their close adults. It is great that the City will continue to help open the doors to culture for our youngest residents,” says Alaja.
New organisers, themed paths and a wide range of events
At its meeting on 10 November 2026, the Culture and Library Sub-committee of the Culture and Leisure Committee confirmed that next year, 28 arts and cultural organisations would be awarded a special grant to organise events for children, with the total grant amount for 2027 being EUR 539,000. In addition to organisations awarded the special grant, events will also be organised in collaboration with partners receiving institutional grants for culture and, where appropriate, with the City’s own services.
“Next year, children aged 0–6 in Helsinki will be offered an unprecedented range of free, engaging performances and inspiring workshops across the city. The range of events on offer is becoming more varied and accessibility is improving as more events are being organised in local cultural centres, for example. Alongside Swedish-language content, we are strengthening our multilingual and language-independent content. We are also striving to take better account of children and families who need different kinds of support,” says Senior Planning Officer Laura Arala from Annantalo Children and Youth Art Centre, adding:
“From 2027 onwards, families will have greater freedom to choose the cultural events that they prefer from the range offered by various organisers. In future, we will also be organising events which other family members can sign up for.”
New content and cultural experiences will also be offered by the programme’s three themed paths that children and their close adults can choose to follow over a period of several years if they wish.
“The ‘Story’ themed path will take children on a journey of discovery into the world of theatre and circus. As the name suggests, the ‘Rhythm’ themed path will focus on music and dance, while the ‘Mark’ themed path will centre on the visual arts, literary art and cultural heritage,” explains Arala.
Join the Culture Kids Festival in spring 2027!
The reformed Helsinki Culture Kids programme will be celebrated with the Culture Kids Festival from 17 March to 12 June 2027. As part of the festival, no fewer than 35 events are planned across Helsinki for both existing and new Culture Kids. The festivities will feature circus, theatre and music performances, as well as inspiring art workshops for all ages. Arts and culture organisations will also be taking part to showcase their upcoming events. There will also be smaller events organised specifically for babies at playgrounds.
This year’s Culture Kids events will continue until mid-December. Further details on the spring 2027 celebrations, other events next year and guidance for families on how to take part will be available on the programme’s new website, kulttuurilapset.hel.fi, during December. Families whose children have already been registered as Culture Kids will receive further information by email during the week starting on 9 November.
Children born in Helsinki in 2027 will receive a personal invitation to join the Helsinki Culture Kids programme from their maternity and child health clinic. Registration for the programme takes place at kulttuurilapset.hel.fi.