Around 75,000 people gathered at Kansalaistori to celebrate the New Year

The turn of the year was again celebrated in spectacular fashion in Helsinki with a gala event at Kansalaistori. The family disco in the early evening and late-evening gala concert attracted around 75,000 visitors.

As in earlier years, people gathered to celebrate the turn of the year in Helsinki with an early evening children’s programme and a late-evening gala concert headlined by top artists. The evening programme attracted an estimated total of 75,000 people to Kansalaistori and surroundings.

The celebrations kicked off with Skidit Disko, which got the whole family dancing, and during which Windows95man and Sara Siipola also took to the stage. Mirella, Sara Siipola and Anssi Kela, entertained the public in the late-evening concert and the turn of the year was marked in high spirits with an impressive pyrotechnics display led by Windows95man. In his address, Helsinki Mayor Juhana Vartiainen wished people a Happy New Year and encouraged people to look ahead, trusting in themselves and each other.

The atmosphere of the celebrations at Kansalaistori was both enthusiastic and positive, with no exceptional disturbances. “The number of people present would have filled the Olympic Stadium one and a half times over and this once again made the last concert of the year the biggest. But what was most gratifying was the joy with which people welcomed in the new and hopefully better year,” says CEO Stuba Nikula at Helsinki Events Foundation.

Yle livestreamed both evening events and people can revisit the atmosphere of the New Year celebrations on Yle Areena.

Helsinki’s New Year event is organised by the City of Helsinki. This traditional event has been held since the 1930s. The event is produced by Helsinki Events Foundation.

Image: Lotta Taarasti