THE THEME OF THE FESTIVAL 2027

The festival theme is TEAM PLAY – COOPERATION
Kaustinen Folk Music Festival 60 years

"Participate in the collective game as you are"

Joint performance is the core of the Kaustinen Festival and at the same time a promise for the next sixty years. Through it we want to remind everyone that folk music and living cultural heritage are not museum artifacts, but they only live and renew themselves by doing – by playing, dancing, singing and sharing them with others.

Collaboration is also about something bigger. Playing together has always been a place where background, wealth, or skill level don’t matter. Everyone has a place in the circle, and everyone’s voice is heard. This is the deepest democracy of folk music, and that’s what we want to keep.

That is why we invite everyone: experienced players and newcomers, old and young, from different cultures – even those who have never touched a musical instrument before. At Kaustinen, everyone participates in their own way: by playing, dancing, singing, listening, or simply being present. The music plays in every corner, and everyone sitting in front of a corner is part of a living tradition.

And that is what we want to encourage: there is no need to save up for the festival week to play together. Bring out your instrument or story, gather the group, teach the melody to everyone. The collective play continues wherever you are – and that is exactly what will keep this tradition alive for the next 60 years.

Welcome to celebrate big next year – on your own, each in their own style.