Minispere festival brings joy to children in Pori as organizers call for more youth events
Elli Vestervik from Pori and Helmi Pelli, a resident of Rauma, are seasoned festival-goers who both consider Minispere the highlight of their summer. On Sunday, the girls participated in a playful pom-pom making contest. Although they didn’t win, they came away with a couple of homemade pom-poms, a diploma, and a hug if requested.
When given the freedom to suggest artists for next summer’s Minispere, several names come to mind without hesitation—at least Schleichtallin Rambo and likely Mirella. “There would also be massive ice cream servings available, which you can customize,” Vestervik shared. Pelli also expressed a desire to see Mirella perform, along with popular YouTubers Deryan, Patricia, and Iha Just Imus.
Harri Vilkuna, promoter of the Porispere and Minispere events, admitted on Sunday afternoon to feeling a bit fatigued after a busy festival weekend. While normal events involve cleanup on Sundays, Kirjurinluoto in Pori is filled with thousands of happy children and youths. “The thought of a day like this after Porispere feels quite heavy, but looking around, I feel grateful,” Vilkuna commented.
Vilkuna argued that organizing a youth-focused festival like Minispere independently would be economically unfeasible. There has been a growing discussion this summer on restricting events to adults only. He believes there should be significantly more events permitted for children and young people, as they cultivate future festival attendees.
“The harsh reality is that Minispere can only thrive as part of Porispere due to the significant costs involved, including compliance with legal requirements. Ticket prices also cannot be excessively raised.”
Currently, while under-12s can enjoy the music early in the evening, Finnish alcohol laws complicate their presence in designated areas. Vilkuna found it absurd that minors are protected from seeing adults consume alcohol within controlled zones, while they remain unmonitored outside the gates.