Wine festivals expand across Finland, attracting thousands of attendees

Finland is experiencing a surge in wine festivals, which have traditionally been held in Kuopio but are now spreading across the country. These events resemble traditional festivals, featuring dozens of different wines and emphasizing the pairing of wines with various dishes. Over the past four years, wine festivals have been introduced in cities such as Kokkola, Turku, Porvoo, and Espoo. This summer, they made their debut in Kouvola and are taking place this week in Lappeenranta.

Saku Hyttinen, CEO of the catering company Kattava Catering, highlighted that the idea to bring a wine festival to Lappeenranta emerged when his company was given the opportunity to create an event for the city’s jubilee year. Having participated in wine festivals in other Finnish cities, he proposed organizing one in Lappeenranta.

The wine festival concept originated in Kuopio, where the first festival was held in 1996. The inaugural event was actually organized in Oulu, inspired by a wine festival concept suggested by then-governor Eino Siuruainen after a visit to a similar event in Germany. Initially, its success was uncertain—founder Heikki Kähärä recalled that they would have been satisfied if the event lasted four years. Over time, the festival transformed into a successful annual occurrence, later moving to Kuopio when Kähärä became the director of the Kuopio Tourism Service.

With more than 32,000 attendees this summer, wine festivals are witnessing a growing interest in quality wine among Finns, moving away from stronger alcoholic beverages. The affordability of festival tickets, often under 50 euros, compared to some festivals costing over 100 euros, is also a significant draw for attendees.