The Jazz in Finland 100 anniversary celebrations have begun!

Today, Finnish jazz is more diverse and richer than ever before, and its creators rank among the international top tier. The Jazz in Finland 100 anniversary year, celebrated in 2026, highlights Finnish jazz as well as its societal significance and its wide-ranging influence on Finnish popular culture over the past hundred years. Throughout the anniversary year, performances across Finland will both honor jazz’s history and look boldly toward the future.

The Anniversary Year Honors the Past and Looks Ahead

In 2026, one hundred years will have passed since jazz symbolically arrived in Finland aboard the Andania ship. Numerous clubs, festivals, concert venues and orchestras around the country will mark the anniversary in their programming. On Andania’s arrival date, June 4, a website dedicated to the history of Finnish jazz will also be launched.

During the anniversary year, Finnish jazz will be widely presented to international audiences as well, through the Jazz in Finland 100 showcase event organized jointly by the Finnish Jazz
Federation, Music Finland, April Jazz and the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts
Helsinki. The showcase will take place in Espoo on April 21–23. In November, the Finnish Jazz
Federation will produce a nationwide anniversary tour for the whole family, featuring musicians
from different generations performing new arrangements of gems from Finnish jazz history.

Jazz in Finland 100 invites the entire Finnish arts and culture field, as well as both devoted jazz enthusiasts and new listeners, to take part!

“The strength of Finnish jazz comes from the musicians and communities that have sustained it for a hundred years. The Jazz in Finland 100 anniversary year is a reminder of the unique tradition on which we stand, and of how a new generation is boldly taking the music in new directions. As a musician, I have always felt that the heart of Finnish jazz lies not only on concert stages, but also in small clubs, volunteer-run associations and among audiences who come to experience music up close. I encourage everyone to attend local jazz concerts, especially during this significant anniversary year.”
– Jari Perkiömäki, Chair of the Finnish Jazz Federation

Jazz Arrives in Finland – and Transforms the Musical Landscape

The story of jazz in Finland is considered to have begun symbolically on June 4, 1926, with the arrival of the Andania steamship at Helsinki’s South Harbour. The ship’s orchestra, the Andania Yankees, brought with them American jazz – its improvisation, new rhythmic language and distinctive playing style – which made a strong impression on Finnish musicians.

A particularly significant figure was saxophonist Wilfred “Tommy” Tuomikoski, who remained in Finland for several years and played a central role in major orchestras of the 1930s, including the Ramblers and Dallapé. Together with Rytmi-Pojat, these ensembles laid the foundation for Finnish jazz and shaped the development of Finnish popular music as a whole. The founding of Rytmi magazine in 1934 is closely connected to this early period.

The War Years Interrupted the Development of Jazz

While the promising development of jazz in the 1930s was halted by the war years, orchestral
activity recovered surprisingly quickly afterwards. Jazz was heard in restaurants, and starting in
1945, orchestra competitions began, bringing forward many musicians who would go on to build
long careers. Jazz played a central role in the competition’s repertoire, as the events were
organized by associations founded by jazz enthusiasts, including the Jive Club and Rytmikerhojen Liitto.

In the 1950s, dance music and schlager came to the fore, but jazz strongly influenced their
evolution. Many of the era’s most important singers – such as Brita Koivunen and Laila Kinnunen – as well as accompanists grew up with jazz, and jazz aesthetics became embedded in Finnish popular music.

The 1960s–70s: Jazz Becomes Established and International

In the 1960s, a generation of musicians emerged that still forms the core of Finnish jazz today. At
the same time, many of the key structures supporting the jazz field were established. The Finnish
Jazz Federation was founded in 1966, and that same year saw the launch of Pori Jazz, one of Europe’s oldest jazz festivals.

During the 1970s, an increasing number of Finnish musicians were able to work professionally in jazz. International connections grew stronger, and Finnish jazz began to establish itself as both distinctive and of high artistic quality.

Education and Structures Enabled Growth

For many years, jazz in Finland was learned informally through self-study and the master–apprentice tradition. That changed in the 1970s with the founding of the Pop & Jazz Conservatory, followed in 1983 by the launch of master’s-level jazz education at the Sibelius Academy.

Founded in 1975, UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra has provided an important platform for Finnish composers and musicians, while also creating opportunities for collaboration with leading international artists.

Jazz Today: Artistic Excellence, Fragile Structures

Today, Finnish jazz is artistically strong and internationally respected. At the same time, the conditions for its operation remain fragile in many places. Nevertheless, jazz is widely visible and heard in diverse contexts. In addition to jazz clubs and festivals, audiences encounter jazz musicians on television, performing in pop artists’ backing bands, or appearing with symphony orchestras. This reflects the breadth of jazz musicians’ professional expertise.

Volunteers Keep Jazz Alive Across Finland

One distinctive feature of Finnish jazz is its strong grassroots activity. Jazz resonates throughout the country largely thanks to local jazz associations run by volunteers. Over the decades, these
organizations have brought jazz of international calibre to audiences and played a vital role in the development of Finnish jazz.

In addition to the jazz centennial, several key jazz organizations are also celebrating milestone anniversaries. Jazzkerho -76 in Joensuu marks its 50th anniversary, April Jazz celebrates 40 years, and both the Finnish Jazz Federation and Pori Jazz turn 60. UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra also celebrates 50 years of activity. With good reason, 2026 is shaping up to be a super year for Finnish jazz.

The Jazz in Finland 100 Campaign Invites the Entire Cultural Field

Coordinated by the Finnish Jazz Federation, the Jazz in Finland 100 campaign invites the entire Finnish arts and cultural field to celebrate domestic jazz. Dozens of anniversary events will take place across Finland throughout the year, compiled in the Jazz Finland event calendar.

The program announced so far includes, among others:

Jan 30: Valo – Aili Ikonen & Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra
Feb 2: Jazz in Finland 100: Eero Koivistoinen 80th anniversary, East Coast Jazz Club, Kotka
Feb 6–12: Sörkka svengaa – musical theatre production at Musiikkiteatteri Kapsäkki
Feb 11: Jazz in Finland 100: Raoul Björkenheim 70th Anniversary Concert, Korjaamo
Mar 5–13: Luotsi Ensemble’s Jazz in Finland 100 jam tour featuring Finnish jazz originals
Mar 5–6: Jazz in Finland 100 discussion events at SavoyJAZZFest
Mar 6: Turku Jazz Festival: Jazz Suomi Nyt! – Mikko Innanen & Juhlayhtye
Mar 10: Oulu Music Festival: Sointi Jazz Orchestra: Jazz in Finland 100 + Hassan Maikal
Mar 26: Jyväskylä Sinfonia & Finnish Air Force Big Band & Iiro Rantala: All That Jazz
Mar 26: Sointi Jazz Orchestra: Jazz in Finland 100 Years! concert at Malmi Cultural Centre
Apr 21–23: Jazz in Finland 100 – international showcase at April Jazz, Espoo
Apr 24: Turku Jazz Orchestra & Joonatan Rautio: Finnish Songbook
Apr 30: UNESCO International Jazz Day
Jun 4: Launch of a website presenting the history of Finnish jazz
Jul 1: Opening concert of Jyväskylä Summer Festival: Aili Ikonen & Seela Sella

Numerous local clubs and concert venues across Finland are dedicating their programs to the anniversary year, and major jazz festivals – from April Jazz to Pori Jazz – are marking the occasion in their offerings. New anniversary events will be announced continuously in the Jazz Finland event calendar.

Photo: Otava / Journalistic photo archive JOKA / Finnish Heritage Agency