Helsinki Day production grants awarded to 17 events

Helsinki will celebrate its 475th birthday on 12 June, filling the city with hundreds of events, each one even more inspiring than the next. The celebrations will extend to all parts of the city – on the streets, in the parks, in shops, cafes, museums, service homes and cultural centres, and they will be organised by the city residents themselves. Helsinki Day is a joint party for the entire city, inviting people to participate, experience and celebrate together.

The events are coordinated by the Helsinki Events Foundation, which supports the Helsinki Day programme with annually-awarded production grants. Associations, organisations, private persons and even communities can apply for the grant through an open call. This year, the production grants amounted to a total of around 25,000 euro.

The production grant recipients were decided on 16 April by a panel consisting of various Helsinki residents and Helsinki Events Foundation representatives. The 2025 panel included: Children’s news editor at Helsingin Sanomat Panu Jansson, programme host and music journalist Venla Kokkonen as well as Helsinki Events Foundation representatives, Communications Producer Turkka Ylinen and Head of Administration Piia Lääveri.

Grant applications submitted for a total of 206 events

The open call for Helsinki Day events opened on 1 March and ended on 31 March. A total of 206 applications were submitted, and production grants were eventually awarded to 17 events. The biggest single production grant was 4,000 euros.

The panel assessed the applications using a wide set of criteria, placing special emphasis on the locality, communality and diversity of the programme as well as the accessibility and regional coverage of the events. The aim was to support events that appeal to as many different types of audiences as possible all over Helsinki.

Events that received production grants in 2025

The Helsinki Events Foundation warmly thanks all applicants. “It was very interesting to be a member of the jury and I was really surprised how many applications there were. There was a huge number of good events, so it was not an easy task. In my own choices, I focused on green values, diversity and location – and of course I also considered what kind of events I would like to participate in. We had a great jury of people with different strengths, which ensured a really diverse selection that everyone stood behind. It’s going to be a great Helsinki day full of great events!”, panel member Venla Kokkonen described the application process.

The call for events remains open – you can still register your event

Even though the production grants have now been handed out, the Helsinki Day programme registration will remain open until 10 June! Free events that are open for all and organised on Helsinki’s birthday are welcome to be included in the official programme. Read more and register your event: https://helsinkipaiva.fi/en/submit-an-event/

Image: Saara Vanhala