Summer is coming to an end, but festivals will keep the atmosphere warm in September as well. The autumn events season kicks off in Tampere on 1 September with the opening of Backlight, a triennial festival of photographic art. In mid-September, the calendar gets even busier with the Tango-Guitar-Flamenco Week taking place alongside the international MUKAMAS Puppet Theatre Festival. As October begins, Tampere will also dive into the world of new music with the Lost In Music Festival.
Backlight Photo Festival 1.9.–11.10.2026
Backlight is one of Northern Europe’s oldest and largest international photography festivals. Organised by the Photographic Centre Nykyaika in Tampere every three years since 1987, the festival showcases contemporary photographic art that addresses socially and globally significant issues.
This year’s festival theme is The Art of Lying and the exhibitions are curated by Anna Ruth. Through exhibitions, artist talks and public events, the festival explores how images shape our perception of reality in an era defined by artificial intelligence, misinformation and competing narratives. Drawing on Backlight’s long tradition of socially engaged photography, the theme invites audiences to reflect on the power of images and the stories they tell.
Read more: www.backlight.fi
Tango-Guitar-Flamenco Week 11.–20.9.2026
Tango–Guitar–Flamenco Week is a collaborative event organised by three Tampere-based festivals: Tampere Guitar Festival, Tampere Flamenco Week and Tampere Tango Festival. Its aim is to strengthen co-operation between the festivals, reach new audiences and create engaging encounters between different art forms.
Tampere Tango Festival 11.–13.9.2026
The event series kicks off with the Tampere Tango Festival, offering an immersive experience in the world of tango dance and music. Argentine tango courses are available for both beginners and more advanced dancers. Alongside the dance classes, the programme features milonga dance events from late morning into the evening. The festival’s guest dancers and teachers are Marcelo Ramer & Selva Mastroti (Argentina).
Tampere Guitar Festival 16.–19.9.2026
At the 22th Tampere Guitar Festival, concerts, club gigs and workshops delve into the world of classical and flamenco guitar. Among the festival’s international guests are the virtuoso guitar duo Aniello Desiderio (Italy) & Zoran Dukić (Croatia), performing in Finland for the first time. Francisco Bernier (Spain) celebrates the 150th anniversary of Manuel de Falla’s birth in his concert. Patrik Kleemola performs Spanish guitar classics on period instruments. The artists will also give free masterclasses in guitar playing.
At the 360 Club at Galleria Himmelblau, flamenco guitarist Joonas Widenius will perform on Friday together with singer Anna Murtola and dancer Ingrid Mugun (Estonia). The festival culminates on Saturday with a jazz-infused performance by a quartet led by guitarist Lassi Friman, joined by Toomas Keski-Säntti (Rhodes), Antti Lötjönen (double bass) and Joonas Riippa (drums).
Tampereen Flamencoviikko 17.–20.9.2026
Tampere Flamenco Week is the oldest flamenco festival in the Nordic countries, and this year it celebrates its 30th anniversary. The festival theme is Flamenco Celebration – La Fiesta Flamenca, and the programme includes concerts, dance, singing and guitar workshops, a celebratory installation, as well as free events such as an interactive tango and flamenco event. The festival also offers performance opportunities for flamenco enthusiasts and aficionados of all levels at Open Stage – Tampere Flamenco Week Anniversary Concert.
The festival’s international guest of honour is flamenco dancer Mario Ruiz (Mexico), whose performance Carta a mi madre will have its Finnish premiere in Tampere. The festival’s other international flamenco performance is a collaboration between Spanish artist and researcher Paula Bruna, flamenco singer Curro Rodríguez, and Alhaja Records (Spain), a record label specialising in experimental flamenco.
Read more on the festivals’ website:
www.tgf.fi/tgfweek
www.tampereflamenco.com
www.tamperetangofestival.com
MUKAMAS 2026 – Kansainvälinen Nukketeatterifestivaali 16.–20.9.2026
Teatteri Mukamas presents its own MUKAMAS Festival, bringing visually striking performances to the stage through the art of modern puppetry, for both children and adults. The programme places a special focus on world-class Finnish productions, with visiting performances by Company Portmanteau, Grus Grus Teatteri, Teatteri Hevosenkenkä and Nukketeatteri Sampo. Local talent is represented by, among others, Nukketeatteri Nirunaru, Haihara Puppet Theatre and the festival organiser Teatteri Mukamas.
International theatres will be arriving from Iceland, Canada and France. The performances explore themes such as the different textiles of life, maps, bodily memories, illusions of borders and forest worlds. The programme also includes a range of free events, including performances, a lecture on colour light therapy, the family-friendly outdoor event Children’s Sunday, and music-filled evening gatherings.
Read more: www.mukamasfestival.com
Lost in Music 1.–2.10.2026
The Lost In Music city festival has been showcasing the diversity of Finland’s music scene and a new generation of music makers since 2007. As the side event of Music x Media, Lost In Music serves as a showcase festival and a springboard for emerging artists. Over two days, no fewer than 40 gigs will take place at clubs in central Tampere, offering audiences the chance to discover new music and see artists on the verge of breakthrough.
Lost In Music line-up 2026 includes Aaro630, Ella Herold, Hopeasiivet, F, Isaac Sene, Jami Faltin, keiju, Kukkatalo, Oiro Pena, Ullalintulampi and Tuure Boelius, among others. The festival venues are Tavara-asema, Telakka, G Livelab Tampere, Olympia, Paapan Kapakka and O’Connell’s.
More info: www.lostinmusic.fi
Coming up:
Tampere Jazz Happening, 29.10.–1.11.2026
Lastenkirja- ja sanataidefestivaali Kirjalitta, 9.–15.11.2026
Photo: Company Portmanteau: Piste piste piste / MUKAMAS Festival 2026. Photographer: Mikko Pirinen.
