Plenty of opportunities for leisure
Every day is a good day, when you can combine work with leisure. A relaxed pace of life in an environment that combines the forward-pushing pulse of the city with the soothing lacustrine waves and green forests, nourishing your creativity and giving rise to innovations that serve society as a whole.
“Kuopio is known as a place where people have realised something about life”
Inspiration can be found from different cultural experiences and events, or perhaps from quiet nature trails in Kuopio region located in several nature reserves and in Finland’s fourth largest ski centre, Tahko. The local landmark, Puijo, is also located in this city of twin peaks. The views from the top are as Finnish as they get!
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The summer begins with the largest and most wide-ranging international dance festival in the Nordic countries, Kuopio Dance Festival (Kuopio tanssii ja soi). This major June event is followed by Kuopio Wine Festival at the end of the month, known for its relaxed, neat atmosphere and Finnish top artists. At the end of July, rock music festival Kuopiorock takes over the Väinölänniemi recreational area, and in September it is time for the fish market suitable for the whole family.
The event calendars of Kuopio are here!
See more events on the Kuopio-Tahko website.
Read the article – Culture, sports, and business events organised all year round in Kuopio region. The article Tule ja löydä omasi lists the top events for 2023 (in Finnish)!
Below you can find the links leading to the websites of larger international events:
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The cultural delights in the Kuopio region are sure to please everyone. Music Centre, Kuopio City Theatre, theatres, exhibitions, and provincial museums offer plenty to see for every day of the year.
Let the acoustics of the 1050-seat concert hall at the Kuopio Music Centre impress you, enjoy a performance by the largest professional theatre in Eastern Finland, or admire the mammoth living in a museum. Art exhibitions, museums, and libraries also provide information and insights about life before, now, and in the future, and challenge people to truly consider the prevailing views of the world around us.
People in Kuopio love dance and music. Over time, our strong will and persistent cooperation have brought a professional orchestra, a unique Music Centre, a dance art festival, a music-specialised upper secondary school, and even Sibelius Academy to the city. The results of music education in Kuopio can be enjoyed both in concert halls all over the world and at the top of album charts. Recent decades have also brought a lot of international talent to Kuopio.
Read more about Culture Kuopio!
- Kuopio Music Centre
- Kuopio City Theatre
- Museums in Kuopio
- RIISA – Museum of the Finnish Orthodox Church
- Kuopio City Library
Check out these articles:
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Kuopio offers over 700 indoor and outdoor sports facilities. Joy of exercise can be found, for example, from one of the 32 public beaches, 8 local sports facilities for the whole family, Finland’s second largest swimming pool, a world-class skatepark or a heated football stadium.
Other opportunities include Bellanranta activity and experience centre that offers a lot of things to do for people of all ages; the legendary Puijo Sports Valley stairs and nature trails, where you can have a real strength training session in the middle of magnificent nature; and Tahko’s diverse range of services can attract even the most discriminating of skiers to its slopes. The excitement found from Leppävirta climbing park is beautifully counterbalanced by the water exercise offered by Fontanella, Kunnonpaikka, and Rauhalahti spas.
Read more about Kuopio in Motion!
Our wide-ranging sports services in a nutshell:
- different trails in summer and winter
- ski trails 4– 500 km
- snowmobile trails 400 km
- Finland Ice Marathon 12.5 km
- downhill skiing
- campfire sites, huts, fisherman’s shelters and lean-to shelters (approx. 100)
- off-road and bicycle trails
- canoeing and boating
- nature trails (ca. 10) and three hiking trails
Check out this article: Hiking and trails TOP 10 (in Finnish)
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Kuopio Adult Education Centre offers nearly 2,000 courses in eleven different subject areas. Some of our courses and all our free lectures are also available online. The courses help you experience the joy of learning and provide a fun way to pursue your hobbies.
In addition to Kuopio and its merged municipalities, the Kuopio Adult Education Centre operates in the municipalities of Kaavi, Rautavaara, and Tuusniemi. The head office and the customer service desk are located in downtown Kuopio, in the historical building called Puistokartano.
Animated videos about enrolment can be found from the Centre’s YouTube channel. In addition to Finnish, some of the videos are also subtitled in English and Russian or dubbed and subtitled in Arabic.
For more information, visit the website of the Kuopio Adult Education Centre.
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Football: KuPS
Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS) football teams, both women and men, play on the highest league level of Finnish football, offering great sports moments for the football enthusiasts in Kuopio. KuPS women are the two-time reigning Finnish champions, while the men’s team have established their place among the best teams of Veikkausliiga while winning the Finnish Cup twice in succession. Thanks to their success, both teams have also had a chance to play on international fields.
More KuPS stories can be found from
- KuPS: suuria tunteita ja jalkapalloa, KBN2022
- Kolumni2022_Ari Lahti
- Kuopio_byNature2021_jalkapallo
American football: Kuopio Steelers
The reigning Vaahteraliiga champion, Kuopio Steelers, have truly established American football and a culture of winning in Kuopio. Steelers are now a permanent favourite in Vaahteraliiga, and offer the best gridiron games in Finland at their home stadium of Väinölänniemi. There’s no lack of emotion at the stadium as the champions regnant defend their title!
Volleyball: Savo Volley and Puijo Wolley
After uniting the different men’s teams in Savo, Savo Volley have quickly established their position at the top level of Finnish volleyball. Savo Volley play their home games around Savo region and have truly managed to mobilise the volleyball fans – the game atmosphere is practically electric, especially during the deciding games of the season.
The women’s team Puijo Wolley play in the Finnish volleyball champions league. The team works in close cooperation with Puijo Wolley Juniors, which enables a player path for everyone to play according to their own goals.
Other ball sports: Finnish baseball and floorball
Men’s team Puijon Pesis and women’s team Puijottaret both play Finnish baseball on the second highest national level, in Ykköspesis. Floorball team Welhot play on the highest national level in women’s F-liiga league.
Ice hockey: Kalpa
KalPa is a traditional ice hockey club in the Finnish Liiga. During their long history, the team have presented spectators with memorable matches and fantastic players that have showed the world how this game really should be played. The latest to show the way are the former KalPa players Teemu Hartikainen, Olympic and World Championship gold medallist, and Artturi Lehkonen, Stanley Cup winner.