Celebrate with Pride in Finland

This is a country where people send postcards adorned with stamps depicting gay erotica and participate in numerous rainbow-covered activities throughout the year. If you visit Finland, you might even find famous erotic artist Tom of Finland’s hunky imagery on your Finlayson hotel bed linens!

Pride festivals have become a permanent part of the summer party scenes in Helsinki, Tampere and Turku, as well as in many other cities in Finland. Check if your travel dates coincide with a parade or a festivals’ weeklong program of activities. At these celebrations, all are welcome. Visit one to participate in an array of activities, from meditation to open mics, poetry to barn-dance.

Finland’s friendly, liberal atmosphere makes it a great travel destination for the LGBTQ+ community. In addition to this info on pride festivals, check out the travel tips at GayTravelFinland.

The capital’s pride festival sees the whole city come alive with the colours of the rainbow. This weeklong festival has something for everyone – children, youngsters, families, and adults. If you like dancing, theatre, debate, literature or good food, Pride Week has something that will appeal to you. Don’t be afraid to attend the closing parade alone, as you’ll easily make friends in the crowd of more than 100,000 people.

Read more about Helsinki Pride at pride.fi.

Activities for LGBTQ+ visitors aren’t limited to the once-a-year pride festivals. Helsinki boasts many gay-friendly cafes, restaurants and hotels. Start the day with breakfast at Kallio’s Bear Park Café. In the evening, head out to one of the local bars and restaurants. To learn more and to plan your visit, have a look at Helsinki LGBTQ+: cafés, bars and nightclubs on MyHelsinki.

The whole city of Tampere comes together for Pirkanmaan Pride. Located just a two-hour train ride from Helsinki, this event is smaller in scale than the one in the capital, but it compensates with local charm, friendly people, and beautiful landscapes.

The old capital of Finland, Turku, doesn’t struggle to organize a great party. During Turku Pride, there are plenty of fantastic free events for the entire family.  Plus, this event is an “open project,” which means all kinds of ideas and people can find their place in pride. The events are also family-friendly, so the atmosphere is just right for revelers of all ages.

Learn more about pride in Turku at the Turku Pride site.

Pride has spread far beyond Finland’s capital and major cities. Nowdays, North Karelia (“Pohjois-Karjala” in Finnish) holds Pohjois-Karjala Pride. There are also Pride celebrations in Lahti, just one hour from Helsinki, as well as in the northern city of Oulu.

Want to bring home a unique pride souvenir? Visit the interesting shops and boutiques in Helsinki Design District. In addition to the aforementioned Finlayson’s Tom of Finland sheets, you’ll find interesting bags and other textiles.