Malmitalo opened its doors in 1994. Over the years, it has established itself as the neighbourhood’s own centre and meeting place for art and culture. Among other things, Malmitalo is known for its interesting music selection. In the summer of 2024, the free Malmi Summer of Events urban festival gathered a record-breaking audience in Ala-Malmi Park and Malmitalo.
Malmitalo is full of life even outside of the summer events and hosts more than 400 cultural events every year – concerts, movies, theatrical performances and family events. The changing art exhibitions in the gallery and lobby enrich the cultural offerings all year round.
“The Together theme has been an essential part of Malmitalo’s operations from the very beginning. We have been a shared space for the city’s residents – a space where culture connects people of different ages and backgrounds. Our goal is to make culture accessible to everyone by offering inexpensive and often even free performances and events,” says Director Tiina Laukkanen from Malmitalo.
The house unites under one roof a wide range of actors, such as the library, Helsinki Dance Institute, the music institute and the adult education centre. Malmitalo organises activities for children and young people. The house is also proud of cinema Kino Helios, which shows new movies and offers free screenings of old classics and documentaries.
Our goal is to make the centre even more attractive and strengthen its position as a community space open to everyone in the whole neighbourhood.
A vision of a cultural centre that serves visitors even better
Malmi is one of Helsinki’s major urban renewal areas, and 10,000 new residents are expected to move to the area in the next few years. Transport connections will also improve, thanks to the new tramway. Malmitalo is due for a renovation towards the end of the decade. The aim of the renovation is to develop the premises so that they better serve the diverse cultural offerings of the area and the needs of the residents.
In its vision for the future, Malmitalo wants to attract more new visitors while also serving those Malmi residents who have not yet found the centre’s diverse offering.
“Malmitalo has been the heart of the area for 30 years, and we want to continue this important role in the future. Our goal is to make the centre even more attractive and strengthen its position as a community space open to everyone in the whole neighbourhood,” Laukkanen says.
Malmitalo’s 30th birthday will be celebrated from 18 September. Residents of the area and other lovers of culture are invited to enjoy a varied programme and, in Malmitalo’s style, fine music. Performers include Saimaa, Tampo, Jaakko Laitinen & Väärä Raha as well as Mikko Perkoila & Vinkulelu.
