#FinlandPeachy Why Helsinki Should Be on Every Art Lover's Travel List in Summer 2027

Following a record-breaking edition that attracted more than half a million visits, Helsinki Biennial returns in summer 2027, inviting visitors to discover world-class contemporary art across the historic island of Vallisaari, Esplanade park and HAM Helsinki Art Museum. The biennial has now revealed its theme, Unknowns, and announced the first 12 participating artists.

Helsinki Biennial combines world-class contemporary art with nature, maritime landscapes and vibrant city life in a way that is distinctly Helsinki. Located just a short ferry ride from the city centre, Vallisaari Island offers visitors the chance to discover contemporary art amidst wild island nature, historic fortifications and panoramic views across the Baltic Sea. The experience continues in Esplanade Park, Helsinki's iconic urban promenade, before leading visitors to HAM Helsinki Art Museum, one of Finland's leading contemporary art institutions. United by the theme Unknowns, the fourth edition invites audiences to explore curiosity, imagination and the possibilities that emerge when we embrace what we do not yet understand.

For travellers seeking culture, design, architecture, food and nature in a single destination, Helsinki Biennial offers from 6 June to 19 September 2027 a compelling reason to visit the Finnish capital during its brightest and most vibrant season.

International artists, new commissions and unexpected discoveries

Helsinki Biennial 2027 will bring together approximately 45 artists and artist groups from Finland and around the world. The first announced artists are Ari Bayuaji (Indonesia/Canada), Tara Donovan (United States), Laurent Grasso (France), Marguerite Humeau (France/United Kingdom), Matias Karsikas (Finland), Britta Marakatt-Labba (Sápmi/Sweden), Ragnhild May (Denmark), Yoshitomo Nara (Japan), Josefina Nelimarkka (Finland), Tawatchai Puntusawasdi (Thailand), Anna Retulainen (Finland) and Jakob Kudsk Steensen (Denmark). Further participants will be announced in the coming months.

Helsinki Biennial 2027 is curated by Mami Kataoka and Arja Miller. Photo: Kerttu Malinen, HAM / Helsinki Biennial

Exploring the Unknowns

Curated by Mami Kataoka and Arja Miller, Helsinki Biennial 2027 is built around the theme Unknowns. Rather than presenting clear answers, the biennial invites audiences to engage with mystery, wonder and uncertainty through art. Drawing inspiration from fields as diverse as astronomy, geology, science, mythology and spirituality, the biennial encourages visitors to imagine new ways of understanding both the visible and invisible worlds around us.

A proven success and a growing international attraction

With approximately 568,000 visits recorded in 2025, Helsinki Biennial has become one of the Nordic region's leading contemporary art events and an increasingly important attraction for international visitors. Bringing together internationally acclaimed artists, cultural professionals, and audiences from around the world, the biennial offers a compelling reason to experience Helsinki in summer.

The event reflects what makes Helsinki unique: the opportunity to encounter contemporary art across a historic island, vibrant public spaces, and a leading art museum, all within easy reach of one another.

Alicja Kwade's Big Be-Hide (2022) recalls the very first Helsinki Biennial, held in 2021.Photo: Maija Toivanen, HAM

Art that leaves a lasting mark on Helsinki

A visit to Helsinki Biennial offers more than a temporary exhibition experience. Several artworks commissioned for previous editions have become permanent additions to Helsinki's public art collection, creating a growing cultural legacy across the city. For visitors, this means that each edition leaves a lasting mark on Helsinki, extending the experience well beyond the summer of the biennial itself.

Helsinki Biennial 2027

Unknowns

6 June – 19 September 2027

Vallisaari Island, Esplanade Park and HAM Helsinki Art Museum

Media Day

2 June 2027

Professional Preview Days

3 – 6 June 2027

www.helsinkibiennial.fi

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#CulturedPeachy #FinlandPeachy Museum Centre Vapriikki: Ancient DNA Reveals 800-year-old Family Link in Medieval Finland

The woman’s grave in Vilusenharju, Tampere was discovered in 1962, and the man’s grave in Ristiänmäki, Pälkäne in 1982. Ancient DNA research has now revealed that the deceased were siblings. Illustrations by Veronika Paschenko. Photo by Vapriikki.

Ancient DNA research led by the Museum Centre Vapriikki in Tampere, Finland, in collaboration with the universities of Turku and Helsinki, has produced new insights into kinship, health, and population continuity in medieval and early modern Finland. Published in the peer-reviewed journal iScience, the research presents results from 25 individuals in Finland – a significant result in a country where acidic soils often lead to poor preservation of bones and genetic material.

Researchers successfully recovered DNA from individuals buried between the 12th and 19th centuries at three cemeteries in the Tampere region. The study is part of Vapriikki’s research project that applies scientific methods to investigate the region’s past.

Family ties and genetic continuity

One of the study’s findings was the discovery of full siblings buried 30 kilometers apart. A woman buried in Tampere and a man in Pälkäne, both from the 12th century, were confirmed to be sister and brother.

“This provides tangible evidence of family connections between different communities,” says Dr. Ulla Nordfors, researcher at Vapriikki.

Comparisons with over 4,000 modern Finnish genomes from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare’s biobank revealed that the ancient individuals from Tampere region share the closest genetic affinities with people living in the same region today.

“These results point to a remarkable degree of genetic continuity in the area since at least the early Middle Ages,” says Sanni Peltola, a doctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki.

Additional genetic links were detected between Finnish individuals and previously published ancient genomes from Scandinavia and the Lake Ladoga region, providing evidence of mobility and cultural contacts in the Viking Age and beyond.

“Although the dataset is relatively small, the findings clearly show that medieval Finland was not isolated,” Peltola notes. “It was part of the wider networks of interaction that shaped northern Europe.”

Health and traits revealed

The analysis also recovered microbial DNA that sheds light on health in past populations. Bacteria in 13th-century dental calculus included species linked to both oral and systemic health. DNA from a post-medieval man revealed the presence of Treponema, a bacterial genus that includes the causative agent of syphilis.

Hereditary traits were also uncovered. Most individuals were lactose tolerant, like modern Finns, and a 12th-century man likely had corneal dystrophy, a degenerative eye disease that may have impaired his vision.

“Genes cannot capture the full complexity of a person and their life, but learning about health, traits, and family ties can help us see ancient people as individuals who once lived, felt, and experienced the world,” says Nordfors. “When interpreted within their archaeological and historical context, these details allow us to approach the past on a more human level.”

Archaeogenetics reveals fine-scale genetic continuity and patterns of kinship and health in medieval Finland: iScience

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#NHLPeachy @NHL @hartwallarena #SportyPeachy #FinlandPeachy #WhomYouKnow Panthers and Jets set for the 2018 NHL Global Series in Helsinki

The Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets are set to face off in the 2018 NHL Global Series™ in Helsinki, Finland at Hartwall Arena on Thursday, Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. EET (TV5, Viasat Jaakiekko, Viaplay, Dplay, NBCSN, TSN3) and Friday, Nov. 2 at 8 p.m. EET (TV5, Viasat Jaakiekko, Viaplay, Dplay, TSN3, FS-Florida, NHL Network).

The 2018 NHL Global Series™ marks the seventh season the NHL has traveled to Europe to play regular-season games. These games reward the legion of loyal and passionate international fans by featuring some of the NHL’s biggest stars and generating interest in the League worldwide. The two games between Florida and Winnipeg in November will be the 24th and 25th regular-season games played in Europe and the sixth and seventh such games played in Helsinki.

The Panthers and Jets feature some of the NHL’s top talent from across the world, including natives of Finland. Next week, Tampere native Aleksander Barkov and Noormarkku native Juho Lammikko of the Panthers, along with Tampere native Patrik Laine of the Jets, will play in front of their home country for the first time as NHL players.

On Oct. 6, the New Jersey Devils and Edmonton Oilers faced off in their season-opening game in Gothenburg, Sweden (NJD 5, EDM 2), which was also part of the 2018 NHL Global Series™. Prior to their opening matchup, the Devils and Oilers completed their training camps in Switzerland and Germany, respectively, and each played an exhibition match as part of the 2018 NHL Global Series Challenge™.

As part of the League’s six international sites, NHL.com/fi will serve as the official home for all of the latest news and information about the 2018 NHL Global Series™ as well as other features from around the NHL. Fans can sign up here to receive more information on the Global Series. Fans signed up for NHL Inside the Crease will receive updates, games scores and special Finland focused NHL news via email.

Below is a listing of all NHL regular-season games played in Europe. For a complete overseas history of the NHL, go to https://www.nhl.com/news/history-of-international-nhl-games/c-559166.

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