The capping event of May Day Eve will once again be held in the usual location at the Havis Amanda fountain square. May Day will be celebrated through various events held around Helsinki. The City of Helsinki will provide additional toilets and bins in the parks in the city centre.
One of Helsinki’s most beloved May Day traditions is the capping of the Havis Amanda sculpture, also known as Manta. This year, the ceremony to place a student cap on Manta’s head will take place in the usual location at the Havis Amanda fountain square, next to the Market Square. This year’s capping event is organised by Svenska Handelshögskolans studentkår SHS, meaning students of Hanken.
The programme organised by the students will begin at Manta’s square on May Day Eve 30 April at 15.45.
15.45 The Mayor opens the event with a May Day greeting
16.00 DJ show
17.00 Washing of the Havis Amanda sculpture
18.00 Capping of Manta and a music performance 18.30 The event ends
Last year, Havis Amanda was conserved. Designed by Ville Vallgren (1855–1940) and completed in 1908, the fountain and its bronze sculptures form a work of art that not only has artistic value but also holds particular significance for cultural history and the cityscape.
As part of the conservation efforts, the sculpture’s structure was reinforced and all of the tears and holes were patched up by welding with bronze wire. The seams of the fountain’s bronze upper basin were also reinforced by welding. During the renovation of the Havis Amanda fountain square, a permanent lifting location was built for the forklifts used for the capping ceremony and maintenance of the sculpture. Additionally, the fountain’s technology and piping were replaced.
This spring, Havis Amanda underwent maintenance that involved washing the sculpture and applying a wax coat. Due to the harsh marine climate in Helsinki, HAM Helsinki Art Museum recommends annual maintenance measures. To the students in charge of this year’s capping
ceremony, HAM recommended washing Manta with water only, without any special cleaning agents. The public are welcome to come and celebrate the spring festivities next to Havis Amanda as long as the sculpture, which is very important and dear to Helsinki residents, remains protected. You can admire and greet the sea lions, the basin and Manta herself from a small distance away. Havis Amanda is an excellent focal point for the celebration as long as the festivities do not involve touching the sculpture – even though the sculpture has undergone renovation, it still cannot withstand being climbed on.
The Esplanadi streets and their side streets will be closed to motor traffic on 30 April from 15.00 to 20.00 for the capping of the Manta sculpture. Parking will be prohibited in the area.
On Tehtaankatu, Laivurinkatu and part of Eiranranta, parking will be prohibited from 30 April to 1 May in order to ensure the smooth flow of public transport. The prohibition will be enforced with relocation notices.
The City of Helsinki will provide 198 toilets and 51 urinals in the parks in the city centre for revellers. Of these toilets, 18 will be accessible toilets. Additionally, the City will provide event bins, skips and metal barrels for smouldering BBQ waste for May Day revellers in the city centre and Kaivopuisto Park.
Toilets will be available at Kaivopuisto Park, Tähtitorninmäki, Sinebrychoff Park, Vanha Kirkkopuisto Park, Kaisaniemi Park, Meripuisto Park and Esplanade Park. They will be erected on May Day Eve.
The City of Helsinki will organise its traditional collection of sparkling wine bottles at Kaivopuisto Park. If you deposit 20 of these bottles at the collection points, you will receive a movie ticket. A total of 1,300 tickets will be handed out. The heavy sparkling wine bottles will be taken to Palautuspakkaus Oy to be recycled into raw material for glass wool.
The purpose of the Litter-free Helsinki campaign is to prompt Helsinki residents to think about the problems posed by littering and encourage them to be responsible.
The faces of the campaign are seagull mascots Tuula and Börje. The mascots will walk around Kaivopuisto Park on May Day, 1 May, from 11.00 to 16.00, reminding people to maintain tidiness. The campaign will also erect a photo wall at the park, allowing people to take selfies in front of the dystopic landscape full of waste.
On the eve and night of May Day, youth assistance operators will interact with young people in the centre of Helsinki and areas frequented by young people, such as Kaivopuisto Park, school yards and beaches.
Around 150 professionals and volunteers will assist young people by talking, providing first aid and, if necessary, directing individuals to hospital care. The workers and volunteers will start working at 17.00 and continue as needed for as long as young people are present.
Youth Services and their partners ask that parents talk to their teenagers about where, how and with whom they intend to spend their May Day. The police and paramedics will also offer help to young people and, where required, will call the parents from an unknown number. Calls from such numbers should be answered on May Day, in particular. The operation is organised by the City of Helsinki Youth Services. The partners for the operation include the Helsinki and Uusimaa district of the Finnish Red Cross, Saapas activities of Christian youth work, Children of the Station, the police and emergency medical services.
On May Day Eve and May Day, the City of Helsinki Rescue Department will raise the readiness of both rescue services and emergency medical services.
On May Day, 1 May, the Rescue Department will increase its rescue readiness in the Ullanlinna area. In addition to the usual equipment, there will be two quad bikes suitable for rescue and first aid operations present at the location.
The Rescue Department reminds barbequers in particular about fire safety: people should take particular care when using and disposing of disposable grills, which are popular on May Day. Disposing of hot charcoals and disposable grills in waste bins is not allowed.
The City of Helsinki’s cultural centres and libraries offer a diverse May Day programme. See below for what events will be held on May Day Eve and May Day.
Annantalo will once again host the hugely popular AnnanHouse disco on Tuesday, 30 April, from 16.00 onwards. On the disco night, which features the theme ‘Wild with colours’, you can also take a break from the dancing to participate in various art workshops and an exhibition tour.
May Day disco in the event calendar (Link leads to external service) (Link to external service)
At Stoa, you can participate in the action-packed circus May Day of Race Horse Company on Wednesday 30 April from 16.00 to 18.00. The atmosphere is guaranteed to be through the roof when these fearless circus artists take over Stoa’s Theatre Hall. Come alone, with your entire family or with another May Day group for a surprise-filled, bubbling and cheerful kick-off of to May Day. There are also workshops available: At the ‘Blooming May Day’ workshop, you can create silk paper flowers with voluminous and colourful tuft-like blooms. At Stoa Square, you can also try making giant soap bubbles.
Race Horse Company’s circus May Day in the event calendar(Link leads to external service) (Link to external service)
The KirppariFEST flea market event will be held in the yard of Cultural Centre Stoa on Friday 30 April from 15.00 to 18.00. In the event of rain, the flea market will be relocated indoors.
KirppariFEST in the event calendar(Link leads to external service) (Link to external service)
At the ‘Creative crafts’ workshop at Kontula Library, we will be making May Day pompoms on Monday 28 April from 15.00 to 17.00. The May Day pre-party of the Vallila network will take place on Tuesday 29 April from 15.00 to 17.00, with the event programme featuring a living library, a wheel of fortune, Tarot readings, a dream workshop and crafts, among other things. The event will offer sima (mead) and doughnuts!
Tiivistämö will organise the best youth May Day party of 2025 by bringing the amazing Mikayla and SENYA to the stage! Brilliant make-up artists from Glitternisti will give May Day revellers a makeover, and Bobabao will take care of catering. The event will also offer snacks and the opportunity to get to know other young people at the May Day party. The event has no age limit.
Book your free ticket to the event via Kide.app(Link leads to external service) (Link to external service)
The Linnanmäki amusement park will open its doors on May Day Eve, 30 April, at 13.00. The amusement park will celebrate Children's May Day, offering a variety of activities tailored for kids.
The May Day celebrations on Thursday 1 May will bring Helsinki residents together in places such as Kaivopuisto Park and Kaisaniemi Park. Various May Day events, including concerts, May Day marches and lunches, will be organised throughout the city.
What would a May Day in Helsinki be without the May Day Matinee of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra? This year, the May Day pompoms will dance to familiar dance music from movies and musicals. The May Day Matinee at Musiikkitalo on Thursday, 1 May, at 12.00 and 14.00.
May Day Matinee of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra(Link leads to external service)
Poet Harri Hertell wrote a poem about Havis Amanda that is based on memories collected from Helsinki residents. This communal poem was read at the ceremony held in honour of Manta at the Market Square on 29 August 2024.
Poet Harri Hertell wrote a poem about Havis Amanda that is based on memories collected from Helsinki residents. This communal poem was read at the ceremony held in honour of Manta at the Market Square on 29 August 2024.
