Kuhmo’s summer 2023 events

Published: 10.05.2023

Ethno Music Festival Sommelo

Place: Kuhmo, Finland
Time: 26.6.−2.7.2023
Description: Ethno Music Festival Sommelo will take place for the 17th time in Kuhmo next summer. In the Ethno Music Sommelo’s program, runo-songs and old and new forms of folk music play a major role. In addition to concerts, the event includes courses, public lectures and art exhibitions.

Kuhmo is the Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture 2023 and Sommelo Festival is the flagship event of the year. The Festival will last an entire week, and many Finno-Ugric cultural areas are represented in the program, especially the Nordic cultures, such as different Sámi, Kven from Norway and Forest Finn – cultures and so called Meänkieliset (“our language”) from Sweden will participate at the Festival. Naturally Finns, Estonians and Hungarians are included in the program.

Website: www.sommelo.net

In the photo, Katarina Barruk, who performs in Sommelo.
Photo: Sara Berglund

 

55th Kainuu Orienteering Week

Place: Jämäsvaara, Kuhmo, Finland
Time: 2.-7.7.2023
Description: Kainuu Orienteering Week is a joint orienteering week for the whole family and at the same time a holiday week for families, groups of friends, clubs and other enthusiasts who are enthusiastic about orienteering. During orienteering week, both beginners in the orienteering hobby and top names in the world's top orienteering are in the forest at the same time looking for the same control points. 

Orienteering week offers a versatile orienteering and vacation experience for all orienteers and others interested in orienteering. Kainuu Orienteering Week competition center also offers entertainment for the youngest members of the family, while adults can focus on orienteering, so the whole family can easily enjoy the event. There are four orienteering days and two rest days during the week. There are age groups H/D8-95 in the competition categories and 10 different skill levels in the open courses (recreational orienteering), from courses for children under school age to courses for competitive and elite orienteers.

Website: www.rastiviikko.fi

Photo: Kainuu Orientering Week, Touho Häkkinen

 

53rd Kuhmo Chamber Music

Place: Kuhmo, Finland
Time: 9.–22.7.2023
Description: Kuhmo's Chamber Music will be organised for the 53rd time. The theme is Roots and Wings. Through the roots, the new artistic directors Minna Pensola and Antti Tikkanen respect the tradition of the festival and the entire chamber music genre, through the wings we fly to the new winds. Kuhmo is the Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture in 2023, which also brings its own touch to the summer program.

The number of concerts is 60, 4–5 per day. Among the pieces are traditional chamber works, but also surprises, novelties and exotic experiences. In addition to the main concerts there are children’s concerts, student concerts, talks on the programmes for the day, instrument demonstrations, meetings with artists and composers, art exhibitions workshops and unexpected musical moments in the surrounding nature. Together these side events amount to some 30 events.

Website: www.kuhmofestival.fi

Minna Pensola and Antti Tikkanen, artistic directors of Kuhmo Chamber Music.
Photo: Stefan Bremer