Finland's oldest city, Turku, will celebrate its 800th anniversary in 2029. The anniversary year will be a common celebration of urban culture for the whole Finland.
Turku 800 inspires new firsts and strengthens the urbanity. Everyone living in Turku will be a Hero of the Day in 2029 – we invite everyone to join us in celebration!
The jubilee year consists of a wide variety of projects, campaigns, events and festive decisions, as well as gifts and jubilee year deeds completed by the city's residents. The programme consists of both slightly larger, unique moments as well as activities bringing people together all over the city.
Turku’s 800th jubilee year will be implemented together
The jubilee year will be implemented in broad cooperation in a network-like manner. The implementation of the jubilee year will be coordinated by the Turku 2029 Foundation on behalf of the City of Turku.
The funding for the jubilee year will consist of the Turku 2029 Foundation's budget, as well as the jubilee year projects' own and other funding. The foundation's jubilee year budget is 6.9 million euros, of which the amount of 5.3 million euros will be funded by the Turku 2029 Foundation. Other funding consists of, for example, income from corporate collaborations.
The total economic volume and regional economic impacts of Turku 800 are estimated to be many times greater than the funding provided through the foundation. A Turku 800 monitoring and evaluation programme will be prepared to measure and study the impacts.
Turku, Finland's first city, will turn 800 in 2029. What is the ultimate meaning of being first? A spirit of progress, seeing opportunities, and seizing them.
We want to celebrate such firsts, and we invite you to join us. Perhaps your roots are in Turku's soil, going back generations. Maybe you moved to Turku yesterday. Perhaps your maiden voyage to Turku is still to come. A momentary sense of being a resident of Turku is as precious as a timeless one.
No one can say that their family is originally from Turku – rather, people from different countries and cultures have always come to Turku. In a real city, urbanity is not measured by where you were born or what language you speak.
There is a lot of what we now call Nordicism growing in Turku. The Church and University built the foundations of understanding and a good life for the community. Also for openness and curiosity. This is what we cherish.
Turku has always been a home and transmitter of remarkable new things. It is thrilling to consider what new firsts may be born in and embraced by Turku over the next 800 years.
The jubilee is intent on giving a gift to Turku, Finland as a whole and to urban culture: to create a call to action out of firstness. So that every city resident wants to ask: "What can I do first?" Because if no one does it first, nothing new is born – no cities or anything else that’s good, beautiful, exciting and inspiring. Firstness as well as warmth and openness also open doors to the world. To Stockholm, Tallinn, and beyond the seas.
The jubilee year is as much a year of the future as it is a year of the past. It charges Turku up with ideas and the energy to move forward. Not to mention everlasting resilience, powered by city dwellers and by working together. The dialogue on urbanity is particularly topical now – Turku wants to raise up the flag and lead the discussion.
Towards 2029 and beyond, we celebrate the firsts with joy: it is a huge force – our human capital. We celebrate with the busy bee, with the mayor, and with someone who has just moved to Turku or is visiting. With you.
What's the first thing you will do?
Subscibe to the Turku 800 newsletter to stay up to date with the progress of the anniversary preparations and related events.
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The anniversary year has received its own logo, featuring the number 800 combined with the infinity symbol (∞) and the words Now, forever, Turku. The anniversary logo is available to use for everyone, and its infinity shape will be strongly present in Turku's marketing and communications.
Download the anniversary logo: Turku 800 logo
