Jazz in Finland 100 anniversary year continues in spectacular fashion across Finland
Finnish jazz is celebrating the historic Jazz in Finland 100 anniversary year this year. During the first half of the anniversary year, hundreds of events have showcased Finnish jazz in all its diverse forms. The celebrations continue throughout the autumn, with an extensive programme ranging from collaborations with symphony orchestras and international star appearances to concerts for the whole family.
Jazz arrived in Finland symbolically exactly one hundred years ago, aboard the S/S Andania steamship. The year 2026 therefore marks a historic milestone for Finnish jazz. The Jazz in Finland 100 campaign, coordinated by the Finnish Jazz Federation, invites the entire Finnish arts and cultural community, as well as new and long-time friends of jazz, to celebrate jazz as part of our shared cultural heritage.
Highlights of the spring season included Elojazz Village, organised by Elojazz and the European Capital of Culture Oulu2026, which featured an extensive line-up of Finnish artists as well as stars from New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz. The extensive Finnish Jazz Showcase in Espoo, meanwhile, received significant international visibility. The anniversary year was also prominently featured at the Kultaranta Summer Concert hosted by President Alexander Stubb, while numerous summer festivals, from Pori Jazz to Joroisten Musiikkipäivät, included anniversary-themed programming.
“Last year, we were wondering how the Finnish arts and cultural community would respond to our anniversary campaign. Now those concerns have disappeared, replaced by great joy at seeing that jazz really does attract interest! Finnish jazz has been celebrated this year at everything from small local picnic events to Finland’s largest festivals. This is hugely significant for Finnish jazz professionals. We hope that the impact of the anniversary year will continue to be felt long after this year, and that Finnish jazz and its artists will increasingly find their place in a wide range of events across genre boundaries.”
– Maria Silvennoinen, Executive Director, Finnish Jazz Federation
Jazz sounds across Finland this autumn
In September, the anniversary will be celebrated in spectacular fashion by, among others, Salo Jazz Festival and Porvoo Jazz Festival, while Savonlinna Big Band will join forces with Dallapé to mark the occasion. The Finnish Jazz Federation will bring together Finnish jazz musicians for a historic group photograph inspired by one of the most iconic images in jazz history, the 1958 photograph A Great Day in Harlem. Taken by Art Kane, the photograph featured 57 jazz legends, including Sonny Rollins, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk. Now the Finnish jazz scene will create its own version of this iconic image.
In October, the anniversary celebrations will continue with events including the Flame Jazz Cruise. Jazz arrived symbolically in Finland when the orchestra aboard the Andania, Andania Yankees, brought American jazz influences with them. Now the 100th anniversary of the “first jazz cruise” will be commemorated with a danceable tribute concert to Andania Yankees aboard the Flame Jazz Cruise. The concert will feature music performed with instruments corresponding to those used by the original ensemble.
The anniversary year is also looking towards the future. In November, the Finnish Jazz Federation will organise a Jazz in Finland 100 anniversary tour for the whole family, visiting no fewer than twelve locations across Finland. The 100 – Mäkynen/Mannila/Koivistoinen/Antila/Mäensivu ensemble performing on the tour is led by drummer and composer Teppo Mäkynen, one of Finland’s most highly regarded jazz musicians. The line-up also features Finnish jazz legend and saxophonist Eero Koivistoinen, internationally acclaimed bassist Kaisa Mäensivu, and rising stars, vocalist-keyboardist Maja Mannila and vibraphonist Mikko Antila. The family concerts aim to promote children’s opportunities to engage with jazz culture and thereby help cultivate a new generation of jazz audiences. Yle will record the ensemble’s programme in the studio for radio broadcasts.
November will also see Kymi Sinfonietta perform Jazz in Finland 100 concerts, featuring Jukka Perko and Eero Koivistoinen as soloists.
The anniversary year will reach a rare international climax in December, when the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, led by American trumpet star Wynton Marsalis, performs at the Oulu Music Centre and Finlandia Hall in Helsinki.
More information about the history and development of Finnish jazz can be found on the jazzsuomi100.fi website, which was launched on 4 June to mark the anniversary year. The website is available in Finnish only.
Jazz in Finland 100 invites everyone to join the celebration!
The Finnish Jazz Federation encourages and inspires everyone working in the arts and culture to take part in the anniversary year through events of all sizes and other activities that bring jazz into the spotlight. Read here how you can take part in the anniversary celebrations. Anniversary events are collected in the Jazz Finland event calendar.
Photo: Petri Anttila