The biggest hit of the whole summer was world-renowned blues guitarist Erja Lyytinen. Lyytinen, who has been voted the second best guitarist in the world, played a show in August that packed the park to the brim with blues fans. An estimated 2,000 people were present.
In addition to the record number of visitors, the park also made history when ska legends The Blaster Master and The Valkyrians took the container stage on Friday 22 August.
- I talked with the bands’ frontmen and it turned out that, at least to their knowledge, this was the first time in the history of events organised by the City of Helsinki that a whole day was dedicated to ska music, comments the event’s executive producer Santtu Nikula enthusiastically.
Malmi Summer of Events was kicked off by Ville Leinonen & Valumo with their touching Finnish rock schlager. In June, audiences were also treated to the energetic zamrock of Zangoma, Estonian punk legend J.M.K.E, and Goldielocks of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu fame. Some of the events were specifically aimed at children. Mutaveijarit, known from Pikku Kakkonen, drove the crowd of over a thousand fans wild on Children’s Saturday. A mobile sauna delighted festivalgoers during the June events, and the most dedicated sauna enthusiasts enjoyed the smooth steam of the wood-heated sauna on all three days.
In August, Ala-Malmi Park experienced something new when the Pop Up Kino Helsinki team built an open-air cinema featuring beach chairs. The outdoor film was a special request from locals, and an audience of about a couple of hundred people turned up to watch Aki Kaurismäki’s Cannes Film Festival award-winning film The Man Without a Past in the cool summer evening.
The highlight of the Summer of Events was a concert by Aliisa Syrjä. The energetic artist enjoyed the beauty of Ala-Malmi Park and her enthusiastic audience.
Free-of-charge events are important to the public and artists alike
- Over the years, Malmi Summer of Events has become a major summer event to which plenty of people find their way. Talking with the crowd highlighted the importance of free-of-charge events, particularly today when many people are facing financial challenges. Many of the bands also emphasised in their speeches how important it is for them, too, that the public can enjoy free cultural content, commented Nikula.
The audience also praised the varied programme. One of the main considerations when planning the programme was to make sure that as many people as possible would find something of interest. The public was given an opportunity to suggest content for the Summer of Events.
In addition to music performances, the summer was filled with workshops, urban dances, park exercise sessions and community singing. Workshops were held with numerous different partners, such as Malmi Library, Pukinmäki Art School and the NGO Afaes ry. The most popular workshops included an animal mask workshop by Malmi Library and a pin-making workshop by the Art School of Northern Helsinki.
The ‘Making Ylä-Malmi Square and Ala-Malmi Park Pleasant’ project also involved organising the Ylä-Malmi Market Day event on 30 August 2025. Around twenty local operators presented their operations and sold their products at the event. This was also the last event held at Ylä-Malmi Square before an extensive renovation of the location.
OmaStadi is the City of Helsinki’s way of providing participatory budgeting services. During the three OmaStadi rounds, Helsinki residents have proposed and voted on how the City will spend a total of €22 million. The 164 projects completed so far have made Helsinki a better and more welcoming place for its residents.
The fourth round of OmaStadi will start in autumn 2025. During this round, Helsinki residents will make proposals and vote on the spending of €10 million. Visit omastadi.hel.fi to submit proposals and vote on them.
