The 800th anniversary of Turku will be celebrated in 2029. The concept of this jubilee year is now ready. It encourages us all to be both active and proactive – to do new things that bring joy and invigorate city life. Just like Turku has done for hundreds of years!
The concept for the jubilee year was approved by the City Board on October 20 and by the City Council on October 27, 2025. At the same time, it was decided that the coordination of the jubilee year will occur via the Turku 2029 Foundation with funding of 5.3 million euros.
More than 1,500 Turku residents and friends of Turku from various sectors of the community have contributed to defining the guidelines for the jubilee year. The concept embracing the themes and goals of Turku 800 has been crystallized on the basis of these ideas. The programme content for the jubilee year will be initially compiled through an open call for projects starting at the beginning of 2026.
In developing the concept, the key question was how the jubilee year could contribute to consolidating the sustainability and resilience of the city, and thereby implement the slogan Now, forever, Turku. On the other hand, it is important for the concept to reflect the essence and identity of Turku. One strongly Turku characteristic is being first: Turku is the first city in Finland through which numerous remarkable things have come to Finland for the first time.
‘The main and sub-themes of the jubilee year are brought together by the idea of the active city dweller. Every city resident plays an important role in the kind of city we live in and how our fellow inhabitants enjoy living here. So the themes and goals of the anniversary year are summarised by the question What can I do first?,’ says Turku 800 Project Director Suvi Innilä.
A main theme, new firsts, makes being first a call for action and inspires new first-time achievements in the areas of remarkable things, innovations, bold experiments, new creations and new ways of thinking in, for example, the areas of urban culture, art, science, education and business. The other main theme of the jubilee year is strengthening urbanity. With this, Turku wants to reinforce urbanity and togetherness, and thus the city's sustainability.
There are five subthemes: A City for Everyone, A City of Nature, A City of Know-how, A City of Joy and A City of Oases. These themes strengthen, among other things, the identity of Turku residents, increase community and comfort, promote a positive atmosphere, and encourage good deeds for fellow city residents.
Investing in city residents and the city's future
Turku 800 is a celebration to which every city resident is invited. At the same time, it also aims for long-term impacts and permanent changes.
‘Everyone living in Turku will be a Hero of the Day in 2029. With the help of the jubilee year, we can strengthen all of our experiences of being Turku residents,’ says Mayor Piia Elo.
‘The jubilee year supports the implementation of the mayoral programme and offers an opportunity to work together and boost cooperation on many levels. We invite neighbouring municipalities as well as Finland as a whole to join us in building and enjoying the celebration. We invite the largest Finnish cities to discuss the urbanity of the future,’ Piia Elo continues.
Everyone living in Turku will be a Hero of the Day in 2029
The jubilee year and its goals will be implemented through a year-long programme as well as by communications and marketing. The programme 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 jubilee year consists of both slightly larger, unique moments as well as activities bringing people together all over the city. Every city resident can also give a gift to Turku and fellow Turku residents through a jubilee year deed. We want to make it possible for everyone to take part in the jubilee as a creator or participant. Many people have already participated in preparing the concept, for which I would like to thank them,’ says Suvi Innilä.
The celebrations will kick off with a bang: the jubilee year of the firsts of urban culture 2028 will highlight remarkable things that have arrived in Finland via Turku and which will also mark an anniversary in 2028. At that time, we will celebrate, for example, the 285th anniversary of Finnish café culture and the 300th anniversary of lilacs.
Turku’s 800th jubilee year will be implemented together
The implementation of the jubilee year will be coordinated by the Turku 2029 Foundation on behalf of the City of Turku. The jubilee year will be implemented in broad cooperation in a network-like manner.
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.