2019 is a year of culture and top-class events in Espoo
This year, Visit Espoo will bring to the Matka Nordic Travel Fair Espoo’s diverse and sophisticated range of culture and events. In the city, you will not only be able to enjoy light art and top-class international art, but also share in the excitement of the women’s ice hockey and maxibasketball world championships. A large number of Finnish and international performers will entertain throughout the year on Espoo’s most popular stages.
Cultural tourism is one of Visit Finland’s main international themes. Foreign tourists in Finland are interested in authentic, local experiences and culture and in the charming contrast between modern life and cultural traditions based on an enduring relationship with nature. Finnish tourism is booming - urban culture and nature are an interesting combination. We can even describe the new generation of ‘Suomi’ feeling and Finnish tourism as a phenomenon. Culture is of great interest.
LUX Helsinki visits Hanaholmen and Michael Jackson comes to EMMA
The 2019 year of culture and events includes leading international exhibitions, light art and major events. EMMA - the Espoo Museum of Modern Art - situated at Exhibition Centre WeeGee is the Museum of the Year in Finland and has also been nominated for the 2019 European Museum of the Year Awards. The Michael Jackson: On the Wall exhibition from 21 August 2019 to 26 January 2020 will be EMMA’s main exhibi-tion of the year. The exhibition will show how pop icon Michael Jackson inspired international modern artists throughout the world.
Hanaholmen - the Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre - is bulging with Nordic art and culture. As a highlight at the beginning of the year, the Lux Hanaholmen festival curated by LUX Helsinki is bringing light art to Espoo for the first time. 12 light art installations are brightening up the year’s darkest season for two months from 5 January to 3 March. In the Art & Wine themed weekends, Hanaholmen will offer a range of architecture, art, good food and relaxation from 26 January. In May, Sweden’s most popular watercolour artist, Lars Lerin, will open the Hanaholmen summer watercolour exhibition, and in the autumn will liven up the two-day culture and art festival, Nordiska Nätter.
To the museum and the match by metro and city bike
You can enjoy culture sustainably using the metro and, in the summer, city bikes. From 4 to 14 April, the Women’s World Ice Hockey Championships will provide excitement at the Espoo Metro Arena, and the FIMBA World Maxibasketball Championships will be held in Espoo from 25 July to 4 August. In August, the final of the Motonet GP Athletics Championships will also be held in Espoo and, in October, the Finlandia Trophy Espoo will bring top-class international skaters to the ice. The festival summer will open in April with April Jazz, and will continue with Espoo Ciné in May, and throughout the summer you can enjoy summer evening concerts in Espoo Cathedral with the Organ Night and Aria festival.
In 2019, Espoo’s Event and Cultural Services is further strengthening the city’s urban culture with enticing events spreading all over the city. Tapiola’s cultural centre situated around the metro station will expand when Exhibition Centre WeeGee, Espoo Cultural Centre and City Events Espoo bring new cultural phenomena to the area. For Sellosali Concert Hall situated by the railway in Leppävaara, 2019 will be a festival of stars. Finnish and international stars of today will take to the stage, from Timo Lassy and Ricky-Tick Big Band Brass to Grammy-winning blues legend Bobby Rush.
Every year, Espoo’s Event and Cultural Services organises 5,700 events for 800,000 visitors all over Espoo. Events in Espoo will continue to become more diverse and international.
Further information:
Visit Espoo/Hanna Saari
tel. +358 (0)43 824 6035
hanna.saari@espoo.fi
www.visitespoo.fi
www.facebook.com/VisitEspoo
twitter.com/visitespoo
instagram.com/visitespoo