Information about the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival

Kaustinen Folk Music Festival is the largest folk music event in the Nordic countries, and has been held since 1968. Even before that, Kaustinen has had local events, and pelican music has been part of the life of Kaustinen since long before that. Over the years, the festival has been organised by various organisations, but from the beginning, folk music and dance in its various forms has been a constant. From the very beginning, the festival has had a gamelan focus, an international flavour and a distinctive atmosphere. Since 2011, the event has been organised by Pro Kaustinen Association.

The duration of the event has varied from an initial few days and a one-day programme to a nine-day spectacle with back-up departures. It has now settled down to a week, starting on Monday afternoon. The scale of the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival is something unique. There are around thirty stages, more performers than people in Kaustinen and music from dawn to dusk.

The core of the event is the Festival Park in the centre of Kaustinen. It is home to the Festival Arena, several other venues and the Pelimann House. The area will also host most of the event's services, including various food and product sales. Other key attractions, such as the Kalliopaviljonki with its Kallioklube and Krouve, and the Volksantaiteenkeskus Kaustinen with its halls, are also within a short walking distance. The event also blends in with its surroundings, as Kaustinen visits the village, bringing the music to the shops and services. The annual village music festival takes place in a changing village, as different villages even have different styles of playing and different ways of crousata, or colouring their music.

The principle is that one day ticket covers everything in the handicap programme for that day. It allows you to wander, listen, watch and experience from the early hours of the morning until the early hours of the night. You can also stop off at accommodation, by car, or at local services, because you can leave the area and return as many times as you like during the period of validity of the ticket. The ticket is simply read optically at the gates. For more information on tickets, visit Kaustinen.net/tickets.

The festival area is family-friendly and there are plenty of activities for children, a children's tent with play stations and a playground. Children under seven years old can get their own Children's Kaustinen ticket at the gate, which they can attach to their clothes and on which they can write their name and the phone number of their guardian.

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor areas, guide dogs are also welcome in the restaurant areas and indoors. Dogs must be kept on a lead and their droppings must be collected. Smoking is allowed only in designated areas. First aid is available at the high school and first aid patrols also circulate in the area. Information points are located at the Music High School and at the Info Shop in the centre of the area. For more information, please visit Kaustinen.net/info.

In 1970, the fairground looked like this. How the view has changed! Photo by Leo Torppa / archive of the Folk Music Institute