Frequently Asked Questions

How is New Year celebrated in Helsinki?
Helsinki’s official New Year’s celebration is organized at Kansalaistori on Wednesday, December 31st. The evening begins with a celebration for families with children from 5 PM to 6 PM, which includes a Hevisaurus concert and a children’s pyro show. Later in the evening, from 10:15 PM to 12:15 AM, the year changes with DJ music, the Mayor’s greeting, performances by star artists, and a pyro display.

Can the event be watched on television?
The late-night event can be watched live on Nelonen and Ruutu starting at 10:30 PM. The children’s New Year’s event is not recorded.

Where can the concert and pyro show be viewed?
Kansalaistori offers the best conditions for viewing the event from close range. Good visibility is also available, for example, on the elevated green deck in front of the Music Centre (Musiikkitalo) and in Makasiinipuisto, between Oodi and the Music Centre.

The midnight pyro show rises to a height of about 40 meters and is visible all the way to Mannerheimintie and Töölönlahti Event Park.

How do you enter and exit the area?
The event area can be accessed via several different routes from the directions of Mannerheimintie and Töölönlahti. We recommend arriving at the event well in advance and noting the exceptional traffic arrangements around Kansalaistori. Exiting the event area follows the same routes.

Does the event cause special traffic arrangements?
The event causes exceptional arrangements for light traffic in the vicinity of Kansalaistori Square starting at 4:30 p.m. and for vehicle traffic from approximately 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. The event will also cause exceptional arrangements for public transport from 9:45 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Baana will be closed at Kansalaistori at 4:30 p.m. The passageway from Sanomatalo to Kansalaistori will be closed at 5 p.m., and the passageway between Sanomatalo and Oodi (Eero Erkon katu) will be closed to the public from 7 p.m. It is recommended to arrive at the event area from Mannerheimintie. For those arriving by metro, the most convenient exit stop is Kamppi.

Is the event area accessible? Are strollers or pets allowed at the event?
The Kansalaistori event area is accessible. The stepped green deck of the Music Centre offers the best visibility to the stage if the crowd potentially obstructs the view in the Kansalaistori and Event Park areas, and a wheelchair grandstand is also located there.

Strollers are welcome at the children’s New Year’s event, but please note that there is no stroller parking at the square. Authorities do not recommend attending the late-night concert with children under 12. We do not recommend bringing pets to the area.

Are personal fireworks or sparklers allowed in the area?
The use of personal fireworks in the city center is strictly prohibited by authorities, and personal fireworks or sparklers are not permitted in the event area.