Swedish Week is always celebrated in the same week as Finnish Swedish Heritage Day, which is held on 6 November. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Swedish Week, which takes place from 3 to 9 November. Helsinki will be celebrating the anniversary in different parts of the city by organising a wide range of events for all ages at the city’s cultural centres, libraries and museums.
“The Swedish language is an important part of our urban life, part of Helsinki's identity and one of our city’s strengths. Bilingualism boosts Helsinki's competitiveness and distinctiveness and deepens our connections with the other Nordic countries and their capitals. Come celebrate Swedish Week with us!“ says Mayor of Helsinki Daniel Sazonov.
The programme for Swedish Week offers everything from a guided tour of Stefan Bremer's ‘Helsinki by Night’ exhibition at Villa Hakasalmi to a concert by the singer Arja Saijonmaa at Vuotalo and a performance by the band Gycklarnas Afton from Åland. Central Library Oodi will also be hosting a cooking programme from the Swedish-speaking chapter of the Martha Association, a simultaneous chess exhibition, a language café and a colourful party for the whole family, with games, crafts and music for children.
Quiz and party for young people
This year, Helsinki is organising a virtual quiz for the city's lower secondary school pupils for the fifth time. A new addition in 2025 is a Swedish-language party for young people at the event venue Tiivistämö in the district of Suvela, organised by the Swedish-language Youth Services of Helsinki in cooperation with the Central Organisation of Finland Swedish Youth Associations. The party will start with a programme for the ninth graders of Helsinki’s Swedish-language schools, after which the doors will open to all young people at 15.00. The party will include a talent show, youth band performances and workshops.
“I have long dreamed of Helsinki organising a party for young people on Finnish Swedish Heritage Day. The city has four youth centres that organise Swedish-language activities, but Swedish-speaking young people also need a bigger event where they can celebrate together,” says Head of Swedish-language Youth Services Rufus Wahén from the City of Helsinki’s Culture and Leisure Division.
Kim Lindström and Oskar Koivumäki from the Central Organisation of Finland Swedish Youth Associations, contributed to the development of Helsingfors Vibe - Svenska Dagen and are the event’s producers.
“There are plenty of Finland-Swedish young people who make music and are full of talent. They should be given the opportunity to get up on stage and perform in front of a real audience. It is important for us to offer them this stage and at the same time show that the Swedish-speaking youth culture in Helsinki is alive and well,” Lindström and Koivumäki say.
Together with Wahén, they came up with the idea of combining the youth party with the city’s quiz.
“The quiz is a fun way to celebrate Swedish Week in schools. It arouses curiosity about the city and Swedish-speaking Helsinki. The atmosphere is always intense as pupils compete against teachers live on the Helsinki Channel. That is why it is a good idea to combine the quiz with the party,” says the man responsible for the quiz, Casper Almqvist from the Communications Department of the Helsinki City Executive Office.
Come celebrate Swedish Week with us!