Amphitheatre and Main Foyer of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, Töölönlahti, August 20, 2026
The Main Foyer
Main Foyer OAF Encounters of Hope
Time: 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Welcome to the Main Foyer for a moment of pause and hope! Facilitated by OAF guides, the Encounters of Hope provide a low-threshold space for the audience and artists to share their thoughts. What brings us hope right now? You can participate in the moment by listening, having a conversation, or leaving your own hopeful thoughts and drawings on paper.
Amfi theater
Tribute to Park Drummer Jarmo
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
A tribute to the legendary Park Drummer Jarmo will be held at the Amphitheatre of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet. Jarmo, who has his regular spot by the shores of Töölönlahti in Hesperia Park, is a familiar sight to countless passersby. His instruments of choice are the park’s metal trash bins, from which he conjures up an irresistible groove – in the early years with sticks gathered from the ground, and later with real drumsticks patched up with tape. The event brings together 100 drummers, including Sami Kuoppamäki, Aleksi Kinnunen, Jaska Lukkarinen, Markus Raivio, CW04 / Tero Vänttinen & CW03 / Timo Kinnunen (Cleaning Women), Petri Sämpi, Toni Välitalo (PKN), Kari Aalto (PKN), Janne Flinkkilä, Creat, Drummers’ Association of Finland ry, and drummers from the Resonaari Music School. The trash bins are provided by Stara. Bring your drumsticks and join in!
Discussion: Javier Torres & Heini Merkkiniemi
Time: 18:45–19:00
A discussion between Javier Torres, Artistic Director of the Finnish National Ballet, and Heini Merkkiniemi, Executive Director of the Outsider Art Festival, from 18:45 to 19:00.
Dash Che: “One Day of Pekka’s Life” – Töölönlahti Art Tour between Oodi and the Opera, 17:30–19:30
OAF’s Night of the Arts program is guided by artist Dash Che with their performance “One Day of Pekka’s Life”, which will move around Töölönlahti from Central Library Oodi to the Opera during the Night of the Arts. The performance gives voice to Che’s alter ego, the fictional drag character Pekka Suomalainen, who is a satirical embodiment of a conservative Finnish man.
The tour begins at 17:30 in Kuutio on the second floor of Oodi, where Pekka Suomalainen meets the audience — you can practise handshaking with Pekka. At 18:00 the tour sets off from under Oodi’s Lippa canopy, in front of the main entrance, and makes its way across Töölönlahti to the Opera, arriving at 19:00. At 19:15 there is an interview with Pekka Suomalainen in the Opera’s Amphitheatre.
Location: The Opera Amphitheatre is located in Hesperia Park, behind the National Opera. Hesperianpuisto, 00260 Helsinki, Taka-Töölö.
Read more: Park Drummer Jarmo’s artist profile, Dash Che’s artist profile
