Youth work in Turku is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. The anniversary programme puts a special focus on young people’s voices and achievements. October will be featuring National Youth Work Week, the autumn holiday programme and the main anniversary events.
Youth Work Week features art, open houses and a programme for professionals
National Youth Work Week will take place in Turku from 5 to 11 October 2026, offering a varied programme for young people, parents and guardians, and professionals working with young people. Throughout the week, the Library Bridge will be illuminated to mark the anniversary.
In cooperation with Turku City Theatre, the theatre will host an exhibition by Fendari Youth Workshop from 6 to 11 October. The exhibition explores young people’s views on their faith in the future. In addition to the indoor exhibition, a video installation created by young people to celebrate 80 years of youth work in Turku will be shown on the art screen in the City Theatre Square and on the screen in the lobby of the Main Library.
Open houses offer a chance to explore youth services
During Youth Work Week, youth centres and service points operated by the City of Turku will host open-house events on different days. The aim is to introduce youth work and its activities to a wider audience and give young people and their parents and guardians an opportunity to see the services in action.
Open-house events will be held at Skate Hall Cube, Auran Panimo, Vimma Youth Art and Activity Centre, Fendari Youth Workshop on Amiraalistonkatu and Ohjaamo. There will also be open-house events specifically for parents and guardians at ten different youth centres.
On Friday 9 October, eight youth centres will also host 80th anniversary parties for young people aged over 13, including both current and former visitors to the centres.
Read more about the open-house schedules and programme: October highlights from Youth Services | Turku.fi
Youth Work Days and anniversary seminar
Professionals from the City of Turku’s youth services will take part in the Southwest Finland Youth Work Days on 6–7 October. The event, organised by the youth services of the Finnish Supervisory Agency, will feature topical presentations from the field of youth work, workshops and thematic groups, networking opportunities and exhibitors.
On 8–9 October, Turku will host an anniversary seminar focusing on services for children and young people. The seminar is aimed at professionals working in basic education and youth work from across Finland. The programme will include expert presentations, music and dance performances by young people, as well as visits to various service locations for children and young people.
Workshops, music and gaming during the autumn holiday
During the autumn holiday week, 12–18 October, Vimma Youth Art and Activity Centre will offer art workshops, café activities and music from Wednesday to Friday.
Each day will feature a different programme for young people, including a quiz, a K-pop event and a Live@Vimma live music evening. The night café will be open on Friday and Saturday.
The autumn holiday weekend will also see the 10th anniversary LAN party of Turku Game Academy at Aunela Community Centre. The LAN party will run from Friday afternoon until Saturday morning, with tournaments, competitions, food and plenty of time to spend together.
Young people at the heart of the anniversary programme
As part of the 80th anniversary celebrations, an anniversary podcast will be produced during the autumn in cooperation with the cities of Turku, Oulu and Jyväskylä. Each city will produce its own episodes, while the podcasts will share jointly agreed themes.
Three episodes created by young people will be released. A group of 15 young people will be involved in scripting, recording, editing and publishing the episodes. The topics will include youth centres, the Youth Council and young adults.
The podcast episodes will be released during the autumn.
Youth Gala puts young people in the spotlight
The main event of the anniversary year, the Youth Gala, will be held at Vimma Youth Art and Activity Centre on Saturday 24 October. The gala is a celebration created by and for young people, and young people have been responsible for most of the planning and organisation. The programme will feature a wide range of performances by young people, along with a surprise guest artist.
The gala will also showcase positive news and stories about young people. The stories highlight actions and initiatives by young people that have created or contributed to a more positive atmosphere in their own communities or more broadly.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, the gala will also feature the premiere of a song created by young people. The song will be composed and written based on text ideas collected from young people. One of the contributors to the project is Tony Ewart, known as the vocalist and guitarist of the band BloodRedNails.
More information:
October highlights from Youth Services | Turku.fi