Varaamo has become a popular service among Helsinki residents. In 2025, the service was used to make a total of 155,000 bookings, or an average of approximately 13,000 bookings per month. This popularity is due to the wide range of free and low-cost spaces and equipment available and the ease of booking online.
More than 500 spaces available to residents – now including versatile playground spaces
Varaamo already has around 500 indoor and outdoor spaces and various types of equipment available for booking at more than 160 City locations across Helsinki, and the selection is growing all the time.
You can find suitable spaces for meetings, family celebrations, hobbies and other social gatherings close to your home in a library or youth centre, for example. Now most of the City’s playground facilities can also be booked via Varaamo. Some school spaces are included in the selection as well.
“The addition of playgrounds and school spaces to Varaamo increases the availability of recreational and meeting spaces in many areas,” says Project Manager Noora Hynynen from the Culture and Leisure Division’s Digitalisation and Development Services.
“We hope that the even wider selection and easy online booking will encourage Helsinki residents to make use of the City's spaces and organise a wide range of activities and interesting events in their own neighbourhoods.”
Application round for seasonal booking starting in April
Organisations, associations and other operators can also make seasonal bookings in Varaamo for regular and weekly activities.
The next application round for seasonal booking will take place in 1–30 April 2026. There will be spaces available for example in youth centres, playgrounds, schools and Helsinki’s community houses. To find out more about the available spaces and submit an application, please visit varaamo.hel.fi/en.
