This summer, Pori Jazz Kids will be held for the 20th time. The festival for the whole family once again invites people of all ages to enjoy an event filled with musical joy and the excitement of creating and experiencing things together. All concerts, workshops, and other activities at Pori Jazz Kids are free of charge and accessible.
The festival begins on Friday, July 10, with a jazz camp. The aim of the Jazz Camp for Girls, organized for the fifth time, is to encourage young girls to become involved in jazz music. The camp will be held from July 10–13 in cooperation with the Finnish Jazz Federation, Palmgren Conservatory, and Pori Jazz, and participation is free of charge. Registration for the camp is open on Pori Jazz’s website.
On Monday, July 13, starting at 12:00, the Puuvilla shopping center will host the final concert of the Jazz Camp for Girls and Palmgren Conservatory’s Young Talent Showcase. The concert program will conclude with a performance by Ville Karttunen, known from Pikku Kakkonen.
On Tuesday, July 14, the first concert of this summer on Eteläranta’s Jazz Street will be part of the Pori Jazz Kids program. Pentti Punkin Syntymäpäivät from Oulu is a children’s music group known for its energetic performances and songs that also appeal to adults. A few years ago, the group was awarded Newcomer of the Year at the Jellona Gala.
On Wednesday, July 15, Pori Jazz Kids’ main concert day will be celebrated at the Lokkilava stage on Kirjurinluoto, where visitors can enjoy a diverse musical program from 10:00 to 16:00. Entertaining children will be Palmgren Conservatory’s music play school, Palmgren Winds, Päistikka, Bianca Morales & Pori Jazz Jubilee All Stars, and Mutaveijarit & Sointi Jazz Orchestra.
As usual, the concert day will open with Palmgren Conservatory’s music play school, where children of all ages and their families can sing, play, and move to the music. Palmgren Winds, in turn, is a youth wind orchestra that will perform relaxed summer music on the Lokkilava stage.
Päistikka, selected as the Children’s Music Group of the Year 2025, is known, among other things, from the Pikku Kakkonen audio series. In its songs, the group addresses nature, the power of friendship, imaginary worlds, adventures, and phenomena occurring around us. The concerts always include interactivity and storytelling.
The early years of Pori Jazz Kids were strongly associated with musician Bianca Morales. She returns to Kids with the Pori Jazz Jubilee All Stars lineup for the Happy Jazz for Kids concert. Together with the Pori Jazz Jubilee All Stars orchestra, Bianca Morales will lead listeners on an adventure through exotic landscapes and the world of Happy Jazz music, swinging along with migratory birds and rapping about wild animals. In honor of the festival’s 20-year journey, in addition to Bianca, the Pori Jazz Jubilee All Stars orchestra will take over the stage. Together, Bianca and the orchestra will create a joyful and rhythmic children’s music and Happy Jazz celebration in which the stories of the songs spark the imagination and different musical styles and stories draw audiences into singing and dancing.
The program of Kids’ main concert day will culminate in a joint performance by Sointi Jazz Orchestra and Mutaveijarit. During more than ten years of activity, Mutaveijarit has established its position as one of the country’s most popular children’s music groups. Founded in autumn 2013, Sointi Jazz Orchestra is known for its carefully curated concert productions and its open-minded approach to new music.
During breaks between musical performances, there will be a diverse range of activities on the grounds, including opportunities to try wind instruments provided by Palmgren Conservatory, a choir singing workshop organized in cooperation between Palmgren Conservatory and Sävelsirkut, a circus workshop by Satasirkus, and companion dogs from Karva-Kaverit.
Approximately 13,000 visitors attend Pori Jazz Kids events annually, the majority of whom attend the Lokkilava event day. The age range of the children spans from toddlers to younger primary school pupils, and naturally parents, grandparents, and the children’s other close family members take part as well.
The Pori Jazz Kids festival is made possible by KORSI – Eurajoen Säästöpankkisäätiö sr., Satakunnan Osuuskauppa, and Svenska Kulturfonden i Björneborg.
Photo of Bianca Morales