Event Details
Welcome to Eteläpohjalaiset Spelit – Finland's South Ostrobothnian Folk Music Gathering
Eteläpohjalaiset Spelit is Finland's most significant annual folk music and folk dance festival in the South Ostrobothnia region. With more than 50 years of history, the festival celebrates living folk heritage and rotates between towns and villages across the region each year. In Alavus, the festival took place at the Alavus School Centre (Koulukeskus), welcoming over 1,700 visitors and bringing together more than 400 pelimannit (traditional folk musicians) and 53 folk music groups from across Finland.
Highlights
- Over 53 folk music groups and 400 folk musicians performing across multiple venues
- Concerts in the primary school hall (folk dance groups), secondary school and upper secondary halls (folk musicians)
- Saturday evening concerts in the large hall of the Kunto-Lutra sports centre
- Spontaneous folk sessions (Puskasoitto) outdoors and in the restaurant hall
- Finnish Championships for harmonica and mandolin players
- Spelit competition for the traditional one- and two-row accordion (eteläpohjalainen kaksirivinen)
- Folk music course (Spelikurssi) as a side programme
- Featured artist: Antti Paalanen on Saturday
Program
The festival runs across two days. On Friday (31 July) doors open at 3:00 PM with evening performances running until 11:00 PM. On Saturday (1 August) the full programme begins from 9:00 AM and continues until 11:00 PM. The festival's centrepiece is the Spelit competition for the traditional two-row accordion, an instrument formally recognised in Finland's national register of living cultural heritage since 2024. Alongside the competitions, visitors can enjoy Finnish championship bouts for harmonica and mandolin, folk dance performances, open-air spontaneous sessions and food services throughout the day.
Tickets
- Friday: €22 (door price)
- Saturday: €35 (door price)
- Weekend pass (Friday + Saturday): €55 (advance online, plus booking fee)
- Youth ticket (ages 7–15, full weekend): €20 (advance online, plus booking fee)
- Children under 7: free entry
Tickets are available online via Biletti and at the door. Box office opening hours: Friday 3:00–11:00 PM (school info point); Saturday 9:00 AM–11:00 PM (school info point) and 12:00–11:00 PM (Kunto-Lutra sports hall).
Getting There & Accommodation
- The school centre is located in the centre of Alavus with parking available on site.
- Motorhome and caravan pitches available near Alavus Arena (ice rink); shower facilities included; price: €20 per night; reservations via [email protected].
- Accommodation options: visitalavus.fi and Airbnb.
- The nearest large city is Seinäjoki, approximately 45 km away.
History & Tradition
Eteläpohjalaiset Spelit was first held in Kauhajoki in 1972, continuing the tradition of the South Ostrobothnian Youth Society's singing and music festivals. The rotating festival format brings the celebration of folk culture to different communities across the region each year. Since 2024, the eteläpohjalainen kaksirivinen (traditional two-row button accordion) has been listed in Finland's national register of living cultural heritage, managed by the Finnish Heritage Agency. Eteläpohjalaiset Spelit is a member of Finland Festivals, the umbrella organisation for Finnish festival events.
