The festival arena atmosphere. Photo by Krista Järvelä.

Finland Festivalsin hallitus on nimennyt Kaustinen Folk Music Festivalin Vuoden festivaaliksi 2024. Hallitus toteaa perusteluissaan:

Kaustinen Folk Music Festival is all about community: professionals and amateurs are one big equal family, where everyone can be an active participant in playing, singing and dancing. Kaustinen has a strong folk music tradition, passed down from generation to generation, from masters to juniors. The festival is firmly rooted in the region's tradition of playing folk music, but at the same time it boldly introduces the latest trends in contemporary folk music, bringing the two worlds together. The festival has played a major role in the inclusion of the Kausti violin in UNESCO's list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The Kaustinen Folk Music Festival was first held in 1968 and has since become one of the most important folk music events in the Nordic countries and Europe. Since its inception, the festival has been built on a strong, unbroken Kaustinen folk tradition, and four centuries of the folk spirit is still strong and dynamic in the Kaustinen region. Year after year, people return to the family-friendly festival because the atmosphere in Kaustinen is unforgettable.

Kaustinen Folk Music Festival will take place next summer on 8-14 July, and the first programme information will be published on 12 January 2024.

Finland Festivals on nimennyt pandemiavuosia lukuun ottamatta säännöllisesti Vuoden festivaalin 1999 alkaen. Tuoreimmat viisi palkittua festivaalia ovat:

  • 2023 Mikkeli Music Festival
  • 2020 Tampere Film Festival
  • 2019 KUULAS – Children’s Theatre Festival
  • 2018 Tampere Biennale
  • 2017 Ilmajoki Music Festival

More information: - Kai Amberla, Executive Director, Finland Festivals, tel. 040 5515 752, kai.amberla@festivals.fi, - Valtteri Valo, Executive Director, Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, tel. 040 358 2413, valtteri.valo@kaustinen.net

Finland Festivals kokoaa sateenvarjonsa alle Suomen parhaat ja kiinnostavimmat festivaalit. Musiikin eri lajien lisäksi mukana on niin tanssin, teatterin, kirjallisuuden, kuvataiteen, elokuvan kuin lastenkulttuurinkin parhaat tekijät. Jäsenfestivaaleja on tällä hetkellä lähes sata. Finland Festivals toimii kulttuurin ja matkailun alalla ja sen tärkeimmät tehtävät ovat festivaalien edunvalvonta, promootio, tiedotus, tiedonkeruu ja tutkimus sekä koulutus.