Drums have been played in Hesperia Park for years. Park drummer Jarmo has kept his regular spot there so long that he is a familiar sight to countless passers-by. His instruments are the park’s metal waste bins, from which he conjures an irresistible groove — in the early years with sticks gathered from the ground, later with real drumsticks patched up with tape.
On the Night of the Arts, 20 August, he takes to a stage in the very same park. The Amphitheatre of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet stands in Hesperia Park, behind the opera house — a few hundred metres from the spot where Jarmo has played without a stage, without an invitation, and without a festival or a cultural institution behind him.
One hundred drummers, thirty trash cans
The tribute takes place at the Amphitheatre from 18:00 to 20:00 and brings together one hundred drummers. The trash cans are provided by Stara.
Taking part are Sami Kuoppamäki, Aleksi Kinnunen, Jaska Lukkarinen, Markus Raivio, Petri Sämpi, Janne Flinkkilä, Creat, Tero Vänttinen and Timo Kinnunen of Cleaning Women, Toni Välitalo and Kari Aalto of PKN, Drummers’ Association of Finland and the drummers of the Resonaari music school.
The audience is not just an audience here. Bring your drumsticks and join in.
“We all give rhythm to our lives in the most varied ways – what matters is being inspired by new and even surprising ways of falling into time together. The Night of the Arts opens a singular chance for that, when a happening accessible to everyone breaks out in the open air, made by people attuned to rhythm. What’s on offer is genuine energy created in the moment.”
— Sami Kuoppamäki (translated from Finnish)
The rest of the evening at the Opera
Main Foyer, 16:00–20:00: OAF Encounters of Hope At low-threshold meeting points, audience and artists share their thoughts on what brings hope right now. You can take part by listening, by talking, or by writing your own thoughts on paper. Hosted by OAF curators Fri Nilas Lindell and Maija Karhunen.
18:45–19:00: A conversation Javier Torres, Artistic Director of the Finnish National Ballet, and Heini Merkkiniemi, Executive Director of the Outsider Art Festival.
18:00–20:00: Dash Che, One Day of Pekka’s Life Artist Dash Che’s performance travels across Töölönlahti from Central Library Oodi to the Opera during the Night of the Arts. It gives voice to Che’s alter ego, the drag character Pekka Suomalainen: a satirical embodiment of a conservative Finnish man who proudly defends Nordic excellence and eagerly showcases its supposed virtues. The character stems from the tension created at the intersection of Che’s own immigrant background, genderqueer body and Finnish culture.
More happens around Töölönlahti that evening: the participatory megaphone work MegOAFone under the Oodi canopy from 16:00 to 18:00, Natalia Tong-Ochoa’s Sauna of Hope in Oodi’s Kuutio from 17:00 to 20:30, and OAF’s literature evening at the National Theatre’s Lavaklubi from 19:00.
Practical information
Time: Thursday 20 August 2026, 16:00–20:00 Place: Finnish National Opera and Ballet, Main Foyer and Amphitheatre, Helsinginkatu 58, 00260 Helsinki. The Amphitheatre is located in Hesperia Park, behind the opera house. Admission: free
Outsider Art Festival is a friend festival of Helsinki Festival. The festival runs 20–30 August 2026 in Helsinki and Espoo, and this year’s theme is Hope. Most events are free. You can support the work by buying a supporter ticket from the OAF ticket shop, which supports the employment of people with partial work ability in the creative industries.