The decision covers young people that are between 7 and 19 years old and Helsinki-registered. It gives them free admission to the city's outdoor swimming pools, to some events in the cultural centers as well as to the Villa Hakasalmi museum throughout 2025. The aim is for children and young people to engage in physical activity and culture on a more equal basis than before, with a lowered threshold.
- I hope that we will inspire children and young people to familiarize themselves with the city's cultural opportunities and to become more active! The decision of the City Council supports equality because we can offer opportunities for exercise, swimming and culture to young people for whom the entrance or ticket fee has been a deterrent, says Mayor of Helsinki Juhana Vartiainen.
- Democracy and the well-being and participation of children and young people are at the center of the 150th anniversary of the Helsinki City Council. We in Helsinki have made a habit of taking a so-called anniversary decision during important anniversaries, and this time the City Council wants to focus on the well-being of children and young people and on their equal opportunities for hobbies,’ emphasizes a satisfied Council Chair Reetta Vanhanen.
The free cultural programme for the spring season includes all Kino Caisa film screenings, concerts by Värttinä, M, Kalevauva.fi, Wilma and Jää, and circus performances by MUISAT, Tonton Triet and Race Horse. The entire free-of-charge spring programme can be found on the website of the Culture and Leisure Division.
Youth Service membership opens doors
The Helsinki Youth Services membership card serves as an entry ticket to the free outdoor swimming pools and Villa Hakasalmi during 2025. The online card is used to check age and residence. The membership card, called Jässäri – after a popular abbreviation of the word Jäsenkortti, which means membership card – is used with the phone app Populon. Jässäri is easy to use, but in order to start using the card, the guardian needs to register the membership with strong identification for those under 18. Those over 18 can register themselves.
With the membership card, young people and their parents will not only be informed of the free anniversary events, but also of what is happening in the city's youth centers and all other youth activities in the city.
- It is important to us that cultural and leisure activities are accessible, and we want to make sure that all young people have the opportunity to take part in celebrating our city’,’ says Juha Ahonen, Executive Director of the Culture and Leisure Division.
- The ball is now in the court of the young people and their guardians!, he says.
- I hope that children and young people will download the Youth Service membership card on their phones in consultation with their guardians. The card will give young
people access to all free cultural and leisure events throughout the year.
Free access starts in February
- The events that are free-of-charge will begin on 1 February 2025 and continue throughout the year.
- This year, the Swimming Stadium will be open from 11 September to 5 September and the Kumpula outdoor swimming pool from 26 May to 22 August.
- The fee exemption applies to children and young people born in 2006–2018 whose place of residence is Helsinki. The decision of the City Council thus applies to all Helsinki residents under 19 years of age and will last until 2025 – children aged 0-6 are already free of charge.
- Free activities for young people can be found on the nuorten.hel.fi website or on instagram under nuorten.helsinki.
