In January, Helsinki usually slips properly into winter. At least, that’s the plan. These days, nothing is guaranteed. One thing is certain, though: the days are short and daylight is in scarce supply. Thankfully, the Lux Helsinki light festival brings a much-needed glow to the darkness, and the city’s gig calendar stays reassuringly lively.
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Kimmo Pohjonen’s Hallowed Lungs
Kimmo Pohjonen’s Hallowed Lungs is a work composed for accordion, organ and electronics. In the piece, the history of the instruments – the sacredness of the organ and the earthiness of the accordion – enter into dialogue with one another. The work continues the collaboration of the performer trio Kimmo Pohjonen, Mikko Helenius and Tuomas Norvio.
Musiikkitalo 3.1.2026
LUX Helsinki
Lux Helsinki is an annual light festival that brings a welcome lift to the winter darkness. Taking place across Helsinki in early January, the event showcases a wide range of light art. Installations can be found at Kansalaistori, Hietalahti Market Square, Old Church Park and the Espa Stage. Works are also on display in galleries in the city centre and at Kanneltalo.
Across central Helsinki 6–11.1.2026
The premiere of Kullervo's story
Finland’s national epic comes to life on the big screen. The biggest Finnish film event of the winter is Kalevala: Kullervo’s Story, directed by Antti J. Jokinen. It is the first full-length Kalevala-themed film made specifically for cinema release. The film tells the revenge tale of Kalevala’s tragic hero, a story that also inspired the fantasy master J. R. R. Tolkien.
Premiere 16.1.2026
VIRTA
VIRTA, formed by Erik Fräki, Antti Hevosmaa and Heikki Selamo, is known for its immersive live shows and distinctive sonic palette. The band blends ambient electronic music with Nordic jazz traditions, post-rock and psychedelia.
G Livelab 9.1.2026
KULT Live: Iron Country Sisters + Rosita Luu
Emotional americana meets Finnish indie pop. Taking a break from performing, Iron Country Sisters play what is, for now, their final show at the KULT club. Founded by three sisters, Iron Country Sisters channel the spirit of americana in their music. The band’s distinctive sound rests on strong interpretation and soulful three-part vocal harmonies, honed through a lifetime of singing together. The sisters’ individual voices blend beautifully, with each taking turns as the lead vocalist.
Also taking to the stage is Rosita Luu, the band led by singer-songwriter Merita Berg. In her world, nothing is black and white or sacred, and there is always a sense of danger and surprise in the air.
Kulttuuritalo KULT club 10.1.2026
New Year's Viennese Concert
Who hasn’t watched the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert on television? A similar atmosphere comes to Musiikkitalo in January, when the Schönbrunn Palace Orchestra visits Helsinki from Vienna, conducted by Guido Mancusi. The soloists are soprano Jennifer Lary and baritone Marco Di Sapia. The programme consists largely of music by Johann Strauss the Younger and other composers of the classical Viennese era.
Musiikkitalo 10.1.2026
Aili Ikonen & Jukka Perko Klasstet
Singer Aili Ikonen and saxophonist Jukka Perko’s new ensemble interprets some of classical music’s most famous melodies with a jazz-infused approach. Originally known as instrumental works, the compositions are given new Finnish-language lyrics written by Paleface, Mariska, Mikko Kuustonen and Kanerva Salomaa. The concert features well-known melodies ranging from P. Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker and E. Grieg’s Peer Gynt to J. Sibelius (Valse Triste).
G Livelab 14.1.2026
Travel fair Matka 2026
For the first time, the internationally renowned city media brand Time Out will be part of the Matka travel fair in Helsinki. Familiar from cities around the world, Time Out landed in Finland in November 2025. Come and meet the team and hear how to plan the perfect weekend break in different Finnish cities, as well as where to find Helsinki’s most surprising restaurant discoveries. The talks are in Finnish.
Messukeskus 16–18.1.2026
THE SHOW – A Tribute to ABBA
The ABBA tribute show that has been playing to sold-out venues around the world returns to Helsinki with a brand-new programme. This time, the focus is on celebrating the 50th anniversary of the hit ‘Dancing Queen’. Expect plenty of glamour, sparkle and, of course, ABBA’s unforgettable songs. Shining on stage in THE SHOW are Swedish singers Katja Nord and Camilla Dahlin, with Lasse Jonsson on guitar. He has played on ABBA’s Voyage album and worked with Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson on the musicals Chess and Mamma Mia.
Kulttuuritalo 16.1.2026
ARTMS World Tour ‘Grand Club Icarus’
ARTMS, made up of former members of the hit group LOONA (HeeJin, HaSeul, Kim Lip, JinSoul and Choerry), has quickly risen to become an international phenomenon thanks to its distinctive K-pop sound and narrative-driven concepts. The group is known for visually striking releases, ambitious world tours and hits such as ‘Burn’ and ‘Icarus’, which have attracted millions of listeners and broken sales records. Now ARTMS brings its successful Club Icarus world tour to Helsinki.
Kulttuuritalo 21.1.2026
KULT Live: Panssarijuna, Äyräs + Tanssiva Karhu
A standard-bearer of psychedelic pop, Tanssiva Karhu returns to the stage after a composing break, offering listeners a dreamlike weave of folk rock, psychedelic currents and shimmering pop.
The three-band night opens with Äyräs, the poetry-rock project of Kauko Röyhkä and Olga Välimaa, whose Finnish-language psychedelic music draws inspiration from both classic poets and alternative bands of the 1960s.
Bringing a full blast of energy is Panssarijuna, a cult-favourite trauma blues outfit whose exuberant mix of blues, country, punk and rillumarei has carried the band from small pubs all the way to Flow Festival.
Kulttuuritalo KULT club 22.1.2026
TAROT 40TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR
Finnish heavy metal pioneers Tarot from Kuopio make a long-awaited return to the live stage to mark their anniversary year. Their debut album The Spell of Iron turns 40, and to celebrate, Marco Hietala, Zachary Hietala, Janne Tolsa and Tuple Salmela are back to show how heavy metal is really played.
At the time of The Spell of Iron’s release, Tarot was something of a freak on the Finnish music scene. A self-directed, uncompromising metal band of international calibre at a time when heavy metal wasn’t played on the radio and the genre was anything but mainstream. The classic album didn’t just launch Tarot’s career, it helped pave the way for the entire Finnish metal scene.
The night is opened by Arion, a shining example of the new generation of melodic metal from Finland.
Kulttuuritalo 24.1.2026
Ania Nowak: Future Tongues
Ania Nowak’s group work Future Tongues visits the Kiasma Theatre at the end of January. The performance explores the future of language and embodied communication, drawing inspiration from both the myth of the Tower of Babel and the cult film Café Flesh (1982). Speech and touch resonate in the digital age, where intimacy is both a pleasure and a disturbance.
Kiasma Theatre 24.1.2026
Wilma-Emilia Kuosa Company: Instinct
Instinct is a communal, multi-sensory jazz dance work by Wilma-Emilia Kuosa Company, in which the audience is guided, as part of a safe ritual, on a sensory journey to the roots of jazz dance. Drawing inspiration from Kuosa’s travels in West Africa, the performance combines dance, sound, video, poetry, as well as experiences of smell and taste.
The work takes place in the Kanneltalo gallery space as part of the Sensation/Aistimus/Sensation exhibition, which comes to life through interaction between the performers and the audience. The audience is free to move around the space and choose how to take part, either as an observer or an active participant. The one-hour performance is free of charge, but places must be booked in advance.
Kanneltalo 27.1., 30.1. and 31.1.2026
KULT Live: Lassy–Eskola: Nordic Stew
Saxophonist Timo Lassy (b. 1974) and trumpeter Jukka Eskola (b. 1978), both regarded as among the most significant musicians of their generation, join forces on the album and live project ‘Nordic Stew’. After years of solo careers, the two friends fulfilled a shared dream by recording an album in New Orleans with top local musicians. The result is a Nordic Stew, blending Lassy’s and Eskola’s musical experiences with their love for the birthplace of jazz.
The Nordic Stew live line-up has captivated audiences everywhere from the main stage at Pori Jazz and Flow Festival to London’s legendary Ronnie Scott’s club.
Kulttuuritalo KULT club Fri 30.1.2026
Goldielocks
Goldielocks rose to public attention in Finland’s Eurovision Song Contest selections with her song Made Of, which placed second and won the international jury vote. The platinum-certified hit is the most successful English-language Finnish song on radio in more than 15 years.
Goldielocks’ music blends the sensitivity of electro ballads with the energy of indie pop. Her distinctive voice and catchy melodies form a sound where storytelling, visuality and strong expression take centre stage.
G Livelab 31.1.2026