The libraries, museums, gallery spaces of cultural centres, swimming halls and the Swimming Stadium managed by the City of Helsinki will open on Tuesday 1 June for a limited number of customers. Kumpula Outdoor Swimming Pool opens on Monday 7 June. At the same time, swimming and libraries can be accessed by up to half of the number of customers during normal times. The number of customers in the gallery spaces of museums and cultural centres will also be limited. The services to be opened up will follow the current official guidelines and health safety measures.
On 27 May 2021, the Metropolitan Area coronavirus coordination group decided on the opening up of municipal services. The coordination group bases its policy on an epidemiological assessment and overall consideration of the development of the coronavirus situation, and the instructions can be changed quickly if the situation so requires.
The services now being opened up will follow the current official guidelines and health safety measures. In practice, this means minimising contacts, taking care of good hand hygiene and maintaining a safe distance of at least two metres from others. The use of a face mask is required for everyone over the age of 12 when indoors, unless there is a health reason to wearing a mask. A face mask does not need to be used during a sports performance.
Outdoor swimming pools, Itäkeskus and Pirkkola swimming halls are opening
The Swimming Stadium, and Itäkeskus and Pirkkola swimming halls will be opened to the public on Tuesday 1 June. They will be open according to their normal opening hours. The renovation of Kumpula Outdoor Swimming Pool is about to be completed and will be opened to the public on Monday 7 June. The saunas at the outdoor swimming pools and swimming halls will be open, but the sports halls and gyms will remain closed.
The number of persons in outdoor swimming pools and swimming halls at the same time will be limited to up to half of the normal number of customers. The changing cabinets are to be used in such a way that safe distances of at least 2 metres can be maintained. The arrangements shall be made in such a way as to maintain safe distances between customers. The recommended swimming time is 2 hours. This recommendation aims to ensure that as many people as possible can enjoy the pools.
For the time being, single entrance tickets, ten visit cards and 30-day monthly pass cards will be sold at the outdoor swimming pools and swimming halls. The price of a single adult ticket is 5.50 euros, whilst ten visit cards and monthly pass cards are 44 euros. The price of a single ticket for children, pensioners, students, unemployed persons and conscripts is 3 euros, and, respectively, ten visit cards and monthly pass cards are 24 euros.
Regardless of the ticket type, all visitors must enter the swimming facilities via the same queue. Due to restrictions concerning visitor numbers, a ten visit card and a monthly pass card do not guarantee entry and any resulting visits that are missed will not be refunded. We kindly ask our customers to take these special arrangements into account during these exceptional circumstances.
Until further notice, previously purchased season cards cannot be used at outdoor swimming pools or swimming halls. These cards will be credited with time after the restrictions currently on swimming pools and halls have been lifted.
The opening of outdoor swimming pools and swimming halls will follow health safety guidelines. Access to outdoor swimming pools and swimming halls may need to be restricted if the number of customers deemed to maintain health-safe levels is exceeded In addition to entry restrictions, the number of users of individual pools will be limited according to the size of the pools. Lifeguards will monitor the number of users in the pools and instruct customers as required.
Pirkkola’s Plotti will not be opened
Pirkkola's terrain-based swimming spot, Plotti, will not open at all this summer. The reason for the non-opening is a delay in renewing the drainage system at the swimming spot.
Adult competitive sports activities can start outdoors on 1 June.
Adult competitive sports activities can begin in the outside areas managed by the City of Helsinki on Tuesday 1 June. The public may attend within the framework of the guidelines for public events of the Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern Finland(Link leads to external service) and in accordance with health safety regulations. Indoor gatherings of up to 10 people can be arranged from 1 to 15 June, as well as gatherings of up to 50 (fifty) people outdoors. The organiser of an event must submit a health safety plan to the City of Helsinki before the competition begins, in which the organiser commits to implementing the set health safety measures. In June, a limit of 10 persons will remain in force in indoor premises.
Libraries will be opened up to half of the normal number of customers
Helmet libraries have offered a limited and mainly pre-reserved data lending and return service throughout the entire coronavirus period. As of Tuesday 1 June, customers at libraries will be able to pick up works directly from the shelves. It will also be possible to use, print, copy, and scan at customer computers in libraries. Separate group activities and reading rooms will remain closed.
Library spaces will be opened with a 50 per cent customer capacity and seating will also be reduced by half. Self-service functions at the libraries, in which case there are no staff present, will not yet be possible. Other arrangements will also be made in library premises to ensure that safe distances are maintained, for example at computers and copy machines. All persons aged over 12 must continue to wear a face mask when visiting the library, if there is no health reason to prevent its use.
The facilities, services and equipment in use vary from library to library, so it is advisable to check them and library opening hours from your local library or on the library's website at www.helmet.fi/kirjastot(Link leads to external service). Mobile libraries will move around according to their normal schedules and routes.
Museums and cultural centres to be opened on a limited basis
Helsinki City Museum, Tram Museum and Villa Hakasalmi will be opened to the public on Tuesday 1 June 2021. Seasonal museums Burgher’s House and Worker Housing Museum will remain closed until further notice. The exhibition spaces of museums and cultural centres, as well as other exhibition spaces, will be opened to a small number of customers in a way that visitors can maintain a safe distance of at least two meters from other visitors as of 1 June 2021. Up to 10 people are permitted in one space at a time and a maximum of 50 people will be permitted in a museum at a time. The hall supervisors will monitor the situation and instruct customers in such a way as to ensure sufficient safe distances are maintained in the premises. In case of possible queuing, safe distances should be maintained. If possible, openings will be supported by advance ticket sales or registration.
The Spaces – DIY Music Venues in Helsinki exhibition allows visitors to learn about the atmosphere of music venues for different subcultures in Helsinki in the 2000s. The exhibition is open until 29 August 2021. Helsinki Bites exhibition and a picture browsery will also be opened to the public. The Children's Town and Time Machine exhibitions will remain closed until further notice. On the shores of Töölönlahti Bay, Villa Hakasalmi continues the popular photography exhibition Ismo Hölttö – Encounters in 1960s Helsinki, whose exhibition time has been extended until 31 October 2021.
HAM Helsinki Art Museum opens up to the public on Tuesday 8 June 2021. On the same day, an exhibition by German artist Katharina Grosse opens at Tennispalatsi. Grosse is internationally renowned for her large spatial paintings that she spray-paints over objects, architecture and landscape. In her first private exhibition in Finland, Grosse will be taking over both of the arched halls on the upper floor of HAM. On display will be two new pieces for which the artist will transform the exhibition spaces into massive, all-encompassing spatial works of art.
Continuing in Tennispalatsi are the Lallukka – Life in the Home of Artists exhibition examining the colourful past and present of the cultural monument, and Perttu Saksa’s White Arch, in which the works were inspired by sculptor Laila Pullinen’s estate, especially the tools she used. Visitors can also enjoy the Tove Jansson exhibition, and Inka Bell’s Passage exhibition at the HAM Gallery focused on new modern art.
HAM's opening hours at Tennispalatsi will change on 8 June. Information on the opening hours can be found on HAM's website.
The galleries of the City of Helsinki’s six cultural centres will be opened up on Tuesday 1 June. For example, Kanneltalo will host the exhibition Nuori Taide Helsinki 2021: See the Sea - näe meri, koe taide until 23 June 2021 The joint exhibition consists of the work of young people aged 15–26 and is inspired by the Helsinki Biennial, which opens in the summer. The exhibitions on display in the galleries can be viewed free of charge during the opening hours of the cultural centres. More detailed information on exhibitions and opening hours can be found on the website of the cultural centres.
Youth facilities open up according to the previously decision
Youth work will emphasise outdoor activities during the summer. Some of the youth facilities managed by the City of Helsinki opened on 3 May and the activities of the young people and children's hobby groups born in 2001 and later will continue in the youth centres. Youth centres will require that those over the age of 12 to wear a mask, if there is no health reason to prevent its use. You can check whether your local youth centre will open and its opening hours in the information section of each building’s social media channel or at nuorten.helsinki(Link leads to external service).
Opening hours:
Swimming halls and swimming pools
Libraries, helmet.fi
(Link leads to external service)City Museum facilities(Link leads to external service)
HAM Helsinki Art Museum
(Link leads to external service)Cultural centres
Youth centres(Link leads to external service)