The summer festival season continues in the Tampere region at the turn of July and August with the Mänttä Music Festival, a piano festival; Tapsan Tahdit, a light music event; and the Pentinkulma Literature Festival.
The first full week of August is dedicated to theatre arts at the Tampere Theatre Festival. Later in the month, hip hop vibes take over Tampere during Blockfest, while Fest Afrika immerses audiences in African music and culture.
In addition, the Finlayson Art Area exhibitions are open until 24 August, and the Mänttä Art Festival exhibitions run through 31 August.
Mänttä Music Festival 29 July – 2 August, 2025
The Mänttä Music Festival is an internationally acclaimed piano festival that brings world-class piano recitals to Mänttä, surrounded by art and Finnish nature. Now in its 26th edition, the festival programme consists of nine concerts in the prestigious Kivijärvi hall at Serlachius and free programme in various locations around Mänttä.
The evening recitals feature internationally renowned piano stars. This year the performers are Kirill Gerstein, Imogen Cooper, Benjamin Grosvenor, Ingrid Fliter and Elisabeth Brauß.
The daytime concerts will showcase the best of the best in Finnish piano music and emerging talents of the younger generation. Performers include Juho Pohjonen, Risto-Matti Marin, Mariam Batsashvili and talents from the Youth Piano Academy.
More info: https://mantanmusiikkijuhlat.fi/en
Tapsan Tahdit 31 July – 2 August, 2025
Held in the heart of Nokia, Tapsan Tahdit is a light music event that brings Finland’s most beloved artists to the stage and creates an unforgettable festival atmosphere. This year, the event’s host and official DJ is local talent DJ ICE K, who will make sure the energy inside the Tahtiteltta tent stays sky-high.
The event kicks off on Thursday, 31 July, with the official opening ceremony and the traditional Iskelmä Finlandia award ceremony, both taking place in the Tahtiteltta tent. The evening concludes with a Tribute to Kirka concert by Muska Babitzin and Ilari Hämäläinen.
On Friday and Saturday evenings, headliners include well-known Finnish artists such as Anssi Kela, Elastinen, and Irina. During the day, a free programme at the idyllic Tehdassaari venue includes choir and dance acts, as well as sing-alongs. Saturday also features Onnimanni Day, offering a diverse programme of activities for children.
More info: https://www.tapsantahdit.fi/
Pentinkulma Literature Festival 31 July – 3 August, 2025
The multi-arts festival Pentinkulma Literature Festival, beloved by literature enthusiasts, will be held for the 48th time in Urjala. The 2025 theme is Our Literary Heritage, and the programme features topical talks and interviews with authors and experts, as well as poetry and music performances, and events for children and youth.
The festival’s main venue is the historic glass village of Nuutajärvi. The main event, A Celebration of Books (Kirjan juhla), takes place on Saturday, 2 August, at the Nuutajärvi Glass Barn (Lasimakasiini), offering a range of perspectives on the theme of heritage. Keynote speakers include Jenni Haukio, Markus Nummi, and Sanna Nyqvist. The event concludes with a cross-disciplinary performance From Karelia to Urjala by Merja Mäki, Vuokko Hovatta, and Selma Savolainen.
One of the highlights is the legendary annual E80 Debut Authors’ Seminar, which brings twelve authors who published their first book in the past year to Urjala for discussions on writing and the life of an author. Children’s programming takes place on both Friday and Saturday starting at 10, and a special escape room game designed for youth will be available at the Urjala School during the same days.
More info: https://pentinkulmanpaivat.fi/in-english/
Tampere Theatre Festival 4–10 August, 2025
The Tampere Theatre Festival, the largest theatre event in the Nordic countries, presents a distinctive lineup of Finnish and international stage art. This year’s main programme features a total of 19 productions, five of which are international. Visiting companies and artists come from France, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
In addition to the international acts, numerous Finnish performers and theatre companies will take the stage in Tampere. The main programme includes productions by the Finnish National Theatre, Takomo Theatre, Q-teatteri, & Espoo Theatre and Teatteri Jurkka, and the city theatres of Lappeenranta and Kuopio, among others.
The festival participates in the Lithuanian Culture in Tampere 2025 programme, and as part of this, the Dansema Dance Theatre – specializing in children’s dance theatre – will present their production World Without Eyes. Also, this year, one of the international highlights, Elements of Freestyle by the Dutch company ISH Dance Collective, will be performed already on the Saturday before the festival, 2 August. During the festival week, the free programme features street circus and street theatre performances, including acts by the duo Kate & Pasi.
More info: https://www.teatterikesa.fi/en/
Blockfest 15–16 August, 2025
Blockfest, the largest hip hop festival in the Nordics, takes place in Tampere in the scenic surroundings of Ratinanniemi Festival Park and Ratina Stadium. The event brings together top names from both the Finnish and international hip hop scenes.
This year’s lineup includes global superstars such as Central Cee, Ty Dolla $ign, and Lil Baby. On the Finnish side, the stage will feature artists like ibe – performing his only show of the summer – as well as rising stars Ares, Turisti, Olga, and Sara Bee, who are making waves in the domestic music scene. The festival’s official afterparty will be held in spectacular fashion at Nokia Arena on Saturday night, 16 August.
More info: https://www.blockfest.fi/
Fest Afrika 21–24 August, 2025
Fest Afrika is a festival of African culture and music that has been held in Tampere since 2002. This year, the programme is exceptionally diverse, featuring music, spoken word performances, and workshops in kora playing and dance.
On Friday, the festival hosts a special African Feast, where guests can enjoy an African dinner accompanied by live performances and entertainment for the whole family. On Saturday, the festival’s main stage at Tuulensuu Palace welcomes its headliner, Tanzanian superstar Rayvanny, performing in Finland for the very first time. His music blends multiple genres into a signature Afro-fusion style.
Opening for Rayvanny is MUSH, a Sierra Leonean Afro-trap artist based in Helsinki and Barcelona. After the concerts, the night continues at the official afterparty held at Restaurant Semafori.
More info: http://festafrika.net/home/en/fest-afrika-home-2025/
Coming in Autumn:
18–21.9.2025 Tampere Flamenco Festival, Tampere
25.–26.9.2025 Lost In Music, Tampere
30.10.–2.11.2025 Tampere Jazz Happening, Tampere
3.–9.11.2025 Kirjalitta (Children’s Literature and Literary Art Festival), Tampere
Programme subject to change.
Article photo: Tampere Theatre Festival’s Opening Ceremony 2024, photographer: Carolin Büttner.
