Jazz Finland Live

Welcome on a journey back in time to the birth of jazz music! The Vintagea! event celebrates the arrival of jazz in Finland exactly 100 years ago through music, vintage fashion, and dance.

The rhythms of the evening will be provided by the specially assembled Suomi Jazz 100 Rhythm Orchestra, featuring vocalist Sanna Rosberg. The music draws heavily from tradition, jazz schlager, and Finnish jazz standards. Performance times will be confirmed later, but two sets are planned. As the band plays, skirts will swirl when Kuopio swing dance enthusiasts take over the floor for the enjoyment of both the audience and themselves.

As a fascinating special feature, Pekka and Mikko Toivanen will present “From Jatsi to Jazz” — an informal and light-hearted talk by a Master of Jazz and a Doctor of Philosophy on more than 100 years of Finnish jazz history, myths and legends, and its key turning points, all delivered with a twinkle in the eye.

We invite event guests to wear or bring vintage clothing and accessories under the theme CELEBRATION. Put on your finest vintage party attire — whether your own, newly acquired, or inherited — from the 1920s or any other decade, or simply bring pieces with you. A hair and makeup artist will also be on site creating period-inspired hairstyles, and costumes from the 1920s — both authentic garments and productions from the Kuopio City Theatre costume department — will be available to admire. In addition, there will be a small jazz-themed exhibition and reading recommendations from the Kuopio City Library.

Now being organized for the third time, the Vintagea! event is perfect for everyone enchanted by the spirit of past eras, music, dance, and fashion. Let’s celebrate together with fellow enthusiasts our treasures made before the 1990s and the fast-fashion invasion, and bring vintage clothing back into use together!

Admission is free. The event venues are accessible.
Programme changes and additions are possible.

_{In 2026, it will be 100 years since jazz symbolically arrived in Finland with the ship Andania. The year thus marks a historic centenary celebration for Finnish jazz: Jazz in Finland 100. The anniversary highlights Finnish jazz and its artists both in Finland and abroad, celebrating jazz as part of Finland’s cultural heritage. The Jazz in Finland 100 campaign is coordinated by the Finnish Jazz Federation.}

Open event

Yhdeksi consists of two musicians, Anni and Tatu Back, who are in love with music and with each other. Their passion for the sound of the moment and the connection and love between them have given birth to the Yhdeksi sound journey concept. Yhdeksi is a collaborative creation born from the improvisation of two musicians—a soundscape crafted using the human voice, instruments, loopers, and various sound-producing objects, capable of soothing, evoking emotions and memories, or guiding the listener down different inner paths.

If you wish, you can bring your own blanket and yoga mat or similar, and experience the journey gently lying down with your eyes closed.

Anni – vocals, kantele, drums, various percussion instruments Tatu – electric bass, guitar, percussion, and various percussion instruments

4:30 PM The venue is accessible—welcome!

Open event

The prodigies behind Hot Heroes—Sami Sippola on saxophone, Ville Rauhala on bass, and Janne Tuomi on drums—will headline the main concert at Teatteri Kiisu on OutoJazz Sunday.

Having performed at Pori Jazz, Raahe Rantajats, the Ylläs Jazz & Blues Festival, and numerous clubs in Finland and Germany, the trio has not only created their own music but also accompanied numerous guest artists such as Iro Haarla, Hannibal, Jukka Orma, Janne Laurila, and Esa Kotilainen.

On their Tähtisilmä tour, the trio celebrates their latest album, which consists of compositions by folk music master Konsta Jylhä. Previously known for their ferocious free jazz performances, the band has settled into a more serene mood with their latest arrangements, evoking the rugged, tranquil atmosphere of the forest. And while the set is sure to include some virtuoso improvisation, the concert is particularly suited for lovers of peaceful and nuanced jazz.

The venue is accessible—welcome!

Open event

Sami Sippola, who has established himself as one of the most intriguing saxophonists on the Finnish jazz scene, will be lurking in the mysterious confines of Rinnerikastamo at this year's OutoJazz.

In a special, improvisation-based, themed concert on Sunday afternoon, Sippola moves around with his instrument in a space that could easily serve as the setting for the final scene of a 1960s James Bond film—the ruthless stronghold of an evil megalomaniac. The audience is also free to move around the space—which serves as a technical museum of the old mine's processing plant—during the performance.

"Along with The Phantom, James Bond was one of my major role models as a young man. These days, I value a more modest lifestyle and a smaller carbon footprint. Though, as a jungle dweller, the Phantom was probably a kind of hippie and environmentalist," Sippola muses.

Breaking genre boundaries is nothing new for this musician, and so it doesn't matter whether it's free jazz, rap and hip-hop, roots, or garage—as long as the music has something to say. True to his values, however, he will likely play tunes of peace, love, and sustainable development rather than the apocalypse. Perhaps within an hour, the venue will transform from Rikastamo to Rakastamo...

Open event

The Elina Kardén Jazz Quartet performs a magnificent selection of Finnish jazz, fresh jazz arrangements of familiar Finnish schlager tunes, and Kardén’s own Finnish translations of classic American jazz standards.

Elina Kardén – vocals
Tobias Schenk – piano
Jussi Hovilainen – double bass
Arttu Huopainen – drums

Flame Jazz Summer Live on Wednesdays at 6 pm at Cathedral Park Terrace, free entry. As the Flame Jazz Summer Live concerts are held outdoors, in case of rainy weather, the concert of the day may be rescheduled. Any changes will be announced on social media channels and websites by Church Park Terrace and Flame Jazz. 

Open event