Classical music venues in and around Helsinki

Giuseppe Verdi: Aida

Orchestra playing on the stage of the Temppeliaukio "Rock" Church

Alvar Aalto's Finlandia Hall is located in Helsinki

G Livelab, flyygeli

Venues on the map

Musiikkitalo is an acoustically first-class concert hall as well as other facilities providing a wide range of musical experiences for people of all ages and a place to study music. The residents of Musiikkitalo are Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Sibelius Academy, Uniarts Helsinki.

Alongside music and architecture, it is also possible to enjoy visual art during a visit to Helsinki Music Centre. Reijo Hukkanen's Song Trees and Kirsi Kaulanen's Gaia were both specifically commissioned for the building. Works from the Finnish State Art Deposit collection are also on display.

The building was designed by LPR-Arkkitehdit.

There's also a café, lunch restaurant, a shop specialized in classical music, Fuga, and a sheet music shop, Ostinato, at Musiikkitalo. 

There are also guided tours in the building during summer, both to architecture and behind the scenes.

1. Musiikkitalo - Helsinki Music Centre

The Finnish National Opera and Ballet is the only professional opera company in Finland. It traces its history back to 1911 and the Ballet was founded in 1922. 

There are generally four new opera productions and three new ballet productions staged each year. Added to these are revivals of old productions. The Finnish National Opera and Ballet performs both established classics and contemporary opera and dance works, especially new Finnish works.

Following international practice, operas are generally performed in their original languages. There is a surtitling screen above the proscenium arch, usually with the text in Finnish, Swedish and English.

2. Finnish National Opera and Ballet

Finlandia Hall is a unique centre for domestic and international conferences, concerts and other events. It is a popular architectural sight in Helsinki and one of the most beautiful places to visit in the city. Finlandia Hall is one of the most iconic buildings designed by world-renowned Finnish architect, Alvar Aalto, and was planned from the ground up for visitors and a wide range of events. 

If not attending an event, the building can be visited by attending a guided tour open to public, please see webpages for dates. 

A café, FINLANDIA CAFÉ, is open to public as well as a gallery, both situated on the Töölönlahti bay side.

3. Finlandia Hall

Espoo Cultural Centre is the main scene for performing arts and cultural life in Espoo.

4. Espoo Cultural Centre

Temppeliaukio Church is a major sight in Helsinki: an architectural gem, a world famous concert venue and an active Lutheran church.

5. Temppeliaukio Church

The Swedish-born architect G. T. Chiewitz draw the neo-gothic plan for the palace and it was was completed in 1862, suitably for the Diet of all four estates in 1863. The inside decoration of the palace is largely contemporary with the palace itself.

The festive premises of the House of Nobility can be rented out for events that require a special setting in a unique location, eg. concerts, seminars as well as corporate and society events.

6. House of Nobility (Ritarihuone)

The Aleksanterin teatteri (Alexander theatre), named after Russian tsar Alexander II, is a beautiful building completed on the Bulevardi in 1879. Former Finnish National Opera. Since 1993 visiting music and theatre performances, concerts and dance performances.

7. Aleksanterin teatteri

The Sibelius Academy is part of the University of the Arts Helsinki concentrating on music. It arranges student concerts mainly in Helsinki Music Centre, but also in the R Building and other locations in Helsinki.

8. Sibelius Academy, R Building

The Main Building of the university, designed by Carl Ludvig Engel, was completed in 1832. It is located next to the Senate Square in the heart of Helsinki's neoclassical centre, facing the Cathedral and the Government's Palace. The Fabianinkatu side was completed in 1937, before the war. The architect was J.S Sirén, who also designed the Parliament House.

Today Helsinki University consists of 11 faculties and almost 40 000 students spread across four different campuses.

9. University of Helsinki, main building

G Livelab is a chance to experience live music in a context which enables the performance to succeed beyond expectations.

10. G Livelab

The old public changing rooms on the beach have been refurbished and offers affordable space to events, exhibitions, meetings, or parties.

11. Hietsun Paviljonki

Located in a former private home, the Kirpilä Art Collection is a unique art museum that presents a passionate art lover's collection and provides a glimpse of the life of well-to-do Helsinkians in the second half of the twentieth century. 

The museum is housed in the apartment that was the home of the rheumatologist Juhani Kirpilä (1931-1988) and his partner, the antiques dealer Karl (Kalle) Rosenqvist, between 1979 and 1988. It covers nearly 350 square metres on the top floor of a functionalist house in the district of Töölö.

12. Kirpilä Art Collection

Savoy Theatre is located in the heart of Helsinki, next to the Esplanadi park. International and Finnish stars, dance, music and theatre. Savoy Theatre is particularly known as a leading concert venue for world music.

13. Savoy Theatre

Kanneltalo is a theatre and concert hall and a hub for all kinds of events and activities, close to the Kannelmäki train station. In the building also eg. a café and library.

14. Kanneltalo

Malmitalo's versatile programme attracts people not only from Malmi, but from all districts of Helsinki to enjoy concerts, films, art and children's culture. The building also houses the Malmi Library, café-restaurant Malmitalo, the Helsinki Adult Education Centre and a total of four art schools for music, dance, visual arts and handwork.

15. Malmitalo

Stoa is a lively and varied culture centre in East Helsinki situated by the metro station in Itäkeskus, next door to the Itis Shopping Centre. The high quality events at Stoa attract visitors of all ages. Stoa's programme includes Finnish and international contemporary dance and circus, theatre, music, children's performances and exhibitions. Stoa's auditorium is one of the best venues for contemporary dance in Helsinki. in the building also Itäkeskus library and Café Stoa.

16. Stoa

Caisa is an open and dynamic cultural centre in Helsinki, promoting the development of Helsinki into a more culturally diverse city. Concerts, performances, exhibitions etc. are organized at Caisa.

17. Cultural Centre Caisa

Vuotalo provides a wide range of cultural events, changing exhibitions in the gallery, and art education activities intended for children, young people, day care centres and schools.

The programme features films, matinees and a variety of concerts for both children and adults.

In the building also Vuosaari library and Pokkari café.

18. Vuotalo

International dance and theatre stages in Helsinki

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Finnish classical music scene is world-famous because of excellent musicians and conductors as well as composers and top-notch music studies. Here are some of the most renowned classical music venues in Helsinki region....