Helsinki Welcome Day
The City of Helsinki welcomes new residents with an exciting event!
Welcome to Helsinki!
The City of Helsinki held an event in June 2024 to welcome its newest international residents, called Helsinki Welcome Day.
New residents were warmly invited to Helsinki City Hall to be welcomed as new Helsinkians!
The next Helsinki Welcome Day for new international residents in Helsinki is planned to be organised in June 2025.
At Helsinki Welcome Day, new residents who had recently arrived from abroad were welcomed by the Mayor of Helsinki Juhana Vartiainen. Participants enjoyd a diverse programme about living a good life in Helsinki and discovered more about leisure activities in the capital.
The event was at Helsinki City Hall on Friday 07 June from 15.00–18.00. It was possible to visit the event at any time throughout its duration, or you could stay for the whole event. Traditional Finnish “pulla” (pastries) and coffee were also served.
Helsinki Welcome Day was free to attend, but sign-ups were required. The number of participants was limited.
Read more about the past event on the City of Helsinki’s website
The next Helsinki Welcome Day for new international residents in Helsinki is planned to be organised in June 2025.
A warm welcome by the Mayor of Helsinki
The Mayor of Helsinki, Juhana Vartiainen, welcomed new Helsinki residents at Helsinki Welcome Day.
New residents were encouraged to attend and be welcomed as Helsinkians!
The next Helsinki Welcome Day for new international residents in Helsinki is planned to be organised in June 2025.
Credit: Sakari Röyskö/Helsinki Partners
Helsinki Welcome Day programme
Participants at Helsinki Welcome Day enjoyed a diverse programme and a variety of activities.
The event was family friendly and also included activities for children.
Helsinki Welcome Day featured a variety of activities, such as:
- Diverse speakers
- Welcome fair stands
- Live DJ, music and dance
- Wheel of fortune
- Arts and crafts workshops
- Information about hobbies and leisure activities
- Introduction to city services
Event programme
The event was hosted by Shabana Ahmadzai from MakeSomeNoise speaker forum and journalist and writer Katja Pantzar. The keynote speaker was author Joel Willans, the content creator behind Very Finnish Problems.
15.05–15.15 Welcome to Helsinki
Juhana Vartiainen, Mayor of Helsinki
15.20–15.35 Five things I love about Helsinki
Heidi Johansson, PR Manager
Helsinki Partners
15.35–15.50 Experience Helsinki as a local – Insider tips from Helsinki Tourist Info
Mari Somero, Team Manager
Helsinki Tourist Information & Content Management, Business Helsinki
15.50–16.05 Welcome to enjoy of Helsinki’s leisure and culture
Essi Eranka, Head of Communications and Marketing
Culture and Leisure Division, City of Helsinki
16.10–16.40 – Keynote: Very Finnish reasons you’ll love Helsinki
Joel Willans, Very Finnish Problems
16.45–16.55 From one newcomer to another
Glenn Gassen, Director of Migration Affairs
Migration Affairs Unit, City of Helsinki
17.00–17.20 Haltia – The gate to Finnish nature and Nuuksio National Park
Harri Karjalainen, Director of the Finnish Nature Center Haltia
17.30–18.00 – We Love Helsinki dance floor (“lavatanssit”)
Helsinki City Hall
The event was at Helsinki City Hall in central Helsinki, located at Pohjoisesplanadi 11-13.
It is easily accessible by foot and public transport from nearby places, such as the Central Railway Station or Esplanadi Park.
Credit: Jussi Hellsten/Helsinki Partners
Reaching Helsinki City Hall using public transport
Several tram lines pass close to Helsinki City Hall, and the nearest tram stops are Senaatintori and Aleksanterinkatu. Multiple bus routes also serve the area around City Hall. While City Hall is not located directly near the metro or train stations, you can take the metro or train to the city centre and walk to the City Hall, or transfer to a tram or bus.
You can check your public transport route to Helsinki City Hall on the HSL (Helsinki Regional Transport) journey planner below, or directly on the HSL website.
Helsinki City Hall
Pohjoisesplanadi 11-13