The application to Finnish Jazz Federation tours for spring 2027 opens at 11.00 AM on May 28, 2026 and closes at 4.00 PM on June 17, 2026. Application instructions can be found in this article as well as on the electronic application form.
The annual Jazz-Espa festival will take place in Helsinki’s Esplanade Park from July 27 to August 1, 2026. Throughout the week, the free concert series will feature a diverse lineup of top-tier Finnish jazz ensembles, including Mikko Pettinen Why Not, Pepa Päivinen Peacepipe, Olli Soikkeli Django Trio and Elifantree. Exciting rising talents such as New3, J TIKKA and the Veikka Kajamies Trio will also take the stage. The Jazz in Finland 100 Anniversary Year will be highlighted through various supplementary events, including a jazz-themed walking tour, film screenings and a jam session.
April 30 marks the celebration of UNESCO’s International Jazz Day. In addition to highlighting jazz’s intrinsic artistic value, the day promotes messages of peace, intercultural collaboration and respect for human dignity and human rights. The Finnish Jazz Federation is organizing a week-and-a-half-long Jazz Day campaign, led this year by artists Emilia Sisco and Juhani “Junnu” Aaltonen.
Oulu Music Festival organizes an open call for the summer 2026 Jazzpatio. The application period is open until 19 April, 2026.
The year 2026 marks the centennial of jazz’s symbolic arrival in Finland aboard the ship Andania. It will be a historic jubilee for Finnish jazz: the Jazz in Finland 100 Anniversary Year. The arrival of jazz had a significant impact on the development of Finnish popular music and culture.
The annual Jazz-Espa festival will take place in Helsinki’s Esplanade Park from July 28 to August 2, 2025. The free concerts will feature fifteen of Finland’s most exciting contemporary jazz ensembles, including Maja Mannila Trio, Iro Haarla Ouranos Ensemble, Aurora Hentunen Quintet, Roope Kantonen 3 and Kalima–Lötjönen–Ounaskari. The opening day’s panel discussion takes a look ahead to next year’s Jazz in Finland 100 anniversary celebrations. Jazz-Espa’s Children’s Saturday will entertain the whole family with performances by Jazzkamelit and Django Collective Helsinki.
The application to Finnish Jazz Federation tours for spring 2026 opens at 11.00 AM on May 22, 2025 and closes at 4.00 PM on June 11, 2025. Application instructions can be found in this article as well as on the electronic application form.
Emma-nominated jazz pianist and composer Anni Kiviniemi will embark on a Jazz Federation tour in May with her trio. Joining Kiviniemi are two of Finland’s most sought-after jazz musicians: bassist Jori Huhtala and drummer Olavi Louhivuori.
Blending jazz, Middle Eastern music, and global folk traditions, Ilkka Arola Sound Tagine will perform across Finland on the Jazz Federation Tour this April. The band will present their newly released fourth album, Adventures in the Now, bringing energetic and vividly colorful music to audiences. The tour kicks off on April 8th in Lahti, followed by stops in Jyväskylä, Savonlinna, Raahe, and Espoo.
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