Kuopio could be celebrating in 2025

Kuopio will turn 250 years old on 17 November 2025.The celebrations started in November 2024, and the buzz will grow throughout 2025 towards the big anniversary. There will be a varied programme of events, experiences and surprises! Special co-productions of the City of Kuopio’s centenary year will include a festive concert open to all Kuopio residents, a light event and birthday events in November 2025.

Highlights in the coming year include Made in Kuopio250 concert and the lighting event

In 2025, the anniversary will be visible in the city’s streets, suburbs and also in rural areas, with a varied programme of events open to all. The program will be mainly free, available to all, accessible and alcohol-free. So far, 180 programme proposals have been received.

Special co-productions of the City of Kuopio will be the Made in Kuopio250 concert on 23 August, open to all Kuopio residents, as well as a lighting event and birthday events in November 2025.The Made in Kuopio250 concert will support local awareness and present Kuopio and modern Savoism in a positive way. The concert will also employ local businesses and Kuopio-based artists.

Also new events for children and young people are coming

New events are also planned for children and young people, the main target group of the Year. On 31 May, an age-neutral rap event will take place at the Savilahti Sports and Events Centre Luola on the day of the end of school.

A drawing competition for Kuopio’s children and young people will be organised at the beginning of the year, seeking the target group’s views on how they would like Kuopio to look in the future.

The aim is also to raise national awareness

National communications and campaigns will be used to raise Kuopio’s profile and present Kuopio as a vibrant and developing event city. 

In January 2025, the Kuopio250 theme will also be taken to the Travel Fair at the Helsinki Exhibition Centre with ten Kuopio companies and local event organisers, and later also to the Congress Fair.

One of the objectives of the anniversary year is to develop Kuopio as an event city and thus increase Kuopio’s attractiveness. The hope is to experiment with new, more permanent ways of working in Kuopio’s event scene – to leave a mark on Kuopio’s history.

New events are announced on the events calendar all the time. The full program for the anniversary year will be published at: kuopio250.fi