Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Savonlinna Opera Festival
A month of excellent performances in the romantic location of one of Europe's most pic-
turesquely situated castles makes this Finland's biggest summer drawcard for casual and
devoted lovers of opera (
www.operafestival.fi
)
.
Ruisrock
Finland's oldest and possibly best rock festival (
www.ruisrock.fi
)
takes place in early July
on an island just outside the southwestern city of Turku. Top Finnish and international acts
take part.
Wife-Carrying World Championships
Finland's, nay, the world's premier wife-carrying event (
www.eukonkanto.fi
)
is held in the
village of Sonkajärvi in early July. Winning couples (marriage not required) win the wo-
man's weight in beer as well as significant kudos.
Tangomarkkinat
Finnish tango is an institution, and the older generations converge on Seinäjoki in this
massive celebration of singing and dancing (
www.tangomarkkinat.fi
)
in early July.
Sulkavan Suursoudut
This massive rowing festival (
www.suursoudut.fi
)
in the Lakeland is all about participa-
tion…and downing lager in what turns into one of Finland's biggest parties. Second
Sunday in July.
Pori Jazz Festival
The nation's biggest jazz event (
www.porijazz.fi
) packs out the port city of Pori on the
west coast over a week in mid-July. More than a hundred concerts, free jam sessions, and
dancing in the street make this hugely enjoyable.
Kaustinen Folk Music Festival
This tiny cereal-belt settlement hosts a massive folk music and dance knees-up in the third
week of July. It's so emblematic that in Peanuts cartoons in Finland, Woodstock is called
Kaustinen (
www.kaustinen.net
)
.
