Our Kuopio Festival

For the success of the event, it is important that the plans are made in time. You should start with what kind of event you are organising: what is the content and program of the event? Who is the event aimed at? When and where do you want to organise the event? It is advisable to start planning the event no later than about 3 months before the event. The bigger the event, the earlier you should start the planning.

Permit matters should be handled in the following order:

• 1 month before the landowner’s permit = event permit (if necessary, traffic control plan, noise notification, funding application)
• 14 days before the rescue plan (events involving more than 200 people)
• 5 days before the incident is reported to the police. (events involving more than 200 people)

The use of the venue must always be agreed upon in advance. The event permit must be applied for well in advance from the landowner, no later than about 1 month before the event. However, this should be done as soon as possible, when the time and program of the event are known. It is advisable to make preliminary inquiries before the actual permit application (whether the venue is free and whether there are any restrictions or conditions that should be considered in the planning, for example).

The use of the areas is agreed upon:

• Public areas of the city of Kuopio, e.g. parks and street areas. Free-form application by email: kunnossapito@kuopio.fi. For small non-commercial transactions, the permit is usually free of charge. More information: https://www.kuopio.fi/tapahtuma-ja-mainostamisluvat/
• Market Square, Harbour Square: Event Manager tel. 044 373 4887, more information: https://www.ilovekuopio.fi/fi/tori-tapahtumapaikkana
• Indoor spaces owned by the City of Kuopio, e.g. school gymnasiums: https://www.kuopio.fi/vapaa-aika-ja-hyvinvointi/tilavaraukset/
• Permission for activities on plots directly from the owner/occupant of the plot.

The application should state:

• applicant’s contact and billing information
• Description of the event
  • Estimated number of participants
  • whether music will be performed at the event,
  • whether food will be served or
  • whether there will be alcohol serving;
  • whether deviating traffic arrangements are required
    o whether the area requires closure
• the exact date and the time involved in the preparations;
• Map appendix of the venue (e.g. https://kartta.kuopio.fi/)

When choosing an event venue, it is good to pay attention to e.g. accessibility and the technical needs of the event (e.g. electricity, water). Please note that Our Kuopio Festival events must be alcohol-free, so they cannot be organised, for example in restaurants.

Public performance of music always requires permission from copyright organisations, e.g. from Teosto: https://www.teosto.fi/musiikin-kayttoluvat/tapahtumien-jarjestaminen-ja-musiikin-kaytto/. Permission is required for both paid and free events. In addition, in street areas, parks, etc. public areas, performing music requires permission from the landowner, which in Kuopio is granted by the maintenance services of the Urban Environment Service Area: kunnossapito@kuopio.fi

Permission to perform music on the market square is requested from the market supervisor: tel. 044 493 4734, torivalvoja@kuopionkeskus.fi

Instructions for street musicians: Since 1.1.2019, small-scale, i.e. spontaneous, short-term or occasional street playing, has been included in the music use agreement between municipalities and cities concluded between Teosto and the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities. This means that you don’t need to buy a music license separately. Because municipalities do not pay a separate music performance fee for street playing, street musicians do not need to submit performance notices for small-scale street playing, nor are performance fees paid.

If street music is regular, frequent or otherwise professionally performed (a street musician has been hired to play in front of a shop or restaurant, for example), a separate music licence must be obtained for it. Suitable permits are Event License or Ten License (10 plays), depending on the number of performances.

After obtaining a license, street musicians must also submit performance notifications in Teosto’s online service so that performance royalties can be paid to the composers, lyricists, arrangers and publishers of the songs. To submit a performance notification, you need the performer’s online service credentials.

To supervise the safety of the event, the event organiser must arrange a sufficient number of security stewards for the event. As a general criterion, high-risk events require 1 steward per 100 event visitors. For low-risk events, 1 security steward per 500 customers is sufficient. However, there must always be at least enough security stewards to enable them to carry out their duties, such as opening escape routes and guiding and assisting people to assembly areas. Security stewards must be able to intervene without delay and prevent, for example, disturbances in public order.

If security stewards are appointed to the event, their details must be reported to the police in connection with the event notification.

Security stewarding can be requested from companies in the field and, for example, sports clubs. There may also be acquaintances in your immediate circle who have a security steward card.

Events with fewer than 200 participants do not necessarily require security stewarding at all, in which case there is no need to notify the police of a public event.

Sometimes organising an event requires temporary traffic arrangements, such as closing streets, turning on traffic lights, temporary parking areas or other measures in the traffic area. When the road operator is the City of Kuopio, a permit for these measures is applied for from the maintenance services of the Urban Environment Service Area: kunnossapito@kuopio.fi. Temporary traffic arrangements should be notified already when applying for an event permit.

A traffic control plan must be drawn up for temporary traffic arrangements at the event. The plan indicates the details of traffic controllers, the placement and number of traffic signs and closing devices, and possible detours. Temporary traffic arrangements must be notified in connection with the application for a permit to use the area. Information about traffic controllers is also reported to the police (event notification to the police).

Traffic controllers must have completed the Road Safety 1 qualification when operating in areas administered by the City of Kuopio. The Road Safety 1 course can be completed free of charge online.

The rescue plan for a public event and a notification of a fire show or the use of pyrotechnics must be submitted to the rescue authority in the area for information no later than 14 days before the start of the event.

An rescue plan must be drawn up for an event or public event where:

• It is estimated that at least 200 people will be present at the same time;
• Open fire, fireworks or other pyrotechnic articles or flammable and explosive chemicals are used as special effects;
• The exit arrangements for the venue are different from the usual; or
• The nature of the event poses a particular danger to people.

For more information and instructions, see: https://pelastustoimi.fi

We highly recommend conducting a risk analysis for all events. What kind of risks are involved in the event and how can they be prepared? For example, how to protect electrical wiring or how to prepare for a bad weather.

Small and low-risk events do not require a separate first aid team, but even then, the event area must have equipment for providing first aid. The event organiser is responsible for emergency medical preparedness and alerting for additional help.

Events with more than 200 participants must have a designated first aid officer who has completed at least the EA 1 course or equivalent. Other first aid personnel must have sufficient first aid skills.

There is no need to draw up a separate first aid plan for events with 200–2000 people, but first aid preparedness is described in the event’s rescue plan.

Not all public events need to be reported to the police. Often the nature of such events is such that no harm is caused to bystanders and the environment, and no separate traffic arrangements are required. The venue of the event or the small number of audience may also be grounds for not having to notify of the event.

Notification of the organisation of a public event must be made for the following events:

• large events (several hundred participants)
• Outdoor events in public places (especially traffic routes)
• Events for special groups
• Late evening or overnight events (after 22:00)
• Security stewarding or traffic control is required at the event
• There will be alcohol serving at the event
• The event requires emergency planning (event for more than 200 people)
• Events that arouse strong emotions (there is a risk that the event will be disrupted in some way).

The police must be notified no later than 5 days before the event. More information can be found on the police’s website: https://poliisi.fi/en/public-events. To report to the police, you need, among other things, the consent of the owner of the event area to use the venue, a safety and rescue plan, information on liability insurance, information on possible music performances and a possible plan for traffic arrangements.

If electricity is needed for the event, this must be reported already in connection with the area permit application. In Kuopio city areas (e.g. parks), electricity is priced separately according to the required power (charged 4 euros/day for less than 1000 W, 6 euros/day for 1000–2500 W).

It is advisable to contact the party managing the planned event area well in advance about any electricity needs. First, it is a good idea to check whether electricity is available in that location.

The event organiser can also rent an aggregate or a mobile power station if the need for electricity is relatively small and electricity is not otherwise available at the venue.

The Market Square and the Port Square have electricity and water points. For more information, contact the Market Supervisor on 044 493 4734. Large electricity needs must be agreed separately with Kuopion Energia.

Please note that electrical cables and wires running in the event area must be protected from mechanical stress and placed in such a way that they do not pose a risk of tripping.

In public areas, the landowner’s permission must be sought for serving and selling foodstuff. Therefore, notify of possible food service already when applying for an event permit.

A professional operator preparing, offering or selling food products must inform about its activities in writing 4 working days before the event for environmental health care. The notification can be sent by e-mail: ymparistoterveys@kuopio.fi.

Outdoor sales of foodstuffs comply with the national outdoor sales guidelines issued by the Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira.

When your event involves e.g. running a café or similar, so you should check with the environmental health department whether a separate notification is required. Usually in low-risk food service related to e.g. for the club’s fundraising, no separate notification is required.

If your event has, for example, food service or even a cafeteria, remember to take care of the necessary amount of rubbish bins at the venue. The use of public waste containers in the area in connection with events is not recommended, as waste caused by events cannot be taken into account in their emptying intervals.

The event organiser must take care of cleaning the event area during the event and immediately after it has ended, or order a service, for example, Mestar Kuopio Oy.

A waste management plan must be drawn up if at least one thousand participants are expected at the event. Present the plan to the municipal environmental authorities no later than two weeks before the event.

If you think that the event will cause disturbing noise, you must submit a noise notification for the event. The noise notification must be submitted to the municipal environmental protection authority no later than 30 days before the event. https://www.lupapiste.fi/login/fi

Light sound equipment may be used without a separate noise notification Mon–Fri 7–22, Sat 9–22 and Sun, and on public holidays 12–22.

The venue shall be chosen and arranged in such a way that the short-term (5 min) average sound level from sound equipment does not exceed 65 dBA in front of the façade of residential buildings or other noise-sensitive objects. Sound equipment should be directed away from the nearest residential properties and other noise-sensitive objects. Near hospitals, old people’s homes, day care centres, schools, churches and other gathering spaces, the use of sound equipment during their operating hours is prohibited.

In connection with temporary public events, noise nuisance caused by the use of sound equipment must be notified in advance in writing to nearby residential properties and other noise-sensitive sites if the event is held in a place that is not reserved for this purpose in the town plan. The bulletin must include information on the harm caused, its time (date and time) and the contact details of the operator. The announcement must be distributed at least one week before the start of operations.

More information: https://www.kuopio.fi/uploads/2023/12/01012024-alkaen_kuopion-ymparistonsuojelumaaraykset.pdf

For the audience to find your event, the event must be actively communicated through different channels. Today, social media is an effective and cost-effective tool for marketing (e.g. Facebook event). Visual design can be done easily by anyone, for example, with the Canva app.

It’s a good idea to think about who you want to reach (the target audience of the event) and choose communication channels accordingly. A traditional newspaper advertisement holds its own when it comes to reaching, for example, the elderly population.

Remember to enter information about your event in the Kuopion Seinä event calendar no later than one month before the event. Events will be published with a delay after a small moderation.

The main responsibility for communicating the event lies with the event organiser. The City of Kuopio and Our Kuopio Festival support event organisers by sharing information about events.

Please note that it is advisable to start marketing the event only after permission has been obtained for the use of the event area.

Event expenses may include, for example: performers’ fees, newspaper advertisements, equipment rentals, security stewards’ salaries and license fees.

The event can be funded, for example, through product sales, sponsorship or cooperation agreements. The City of Kuopio also supports event organisers with production grant. Production grant is for events that are open to all, free of intoxicants and free of charge. Production grant is co-financing, which means that the event must also have some other funding.

Event liability insurance covers personal injury or property damage caused to the public, event officials or outsiders, but it does not cover damage to the event organiser, staff or volunteers. For the police to approve your notification of a public event, liability insurance must be purchased, which is a prerequisite for the police.

Many people are often involved in organising an event, and someone may be injured during the event. The law requires event organisers to pay accident insurance for each paid staff representative. It is not obligatory to insure volunteers, but it is recommended.