HELSINKI, Dec. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In 2026, Helsinki invites international visitors to experience a city where design icons, Nordic wellbeing, and a dynamic food and culture scene come together. From major Alvar Aalto milestones and renewed landmarks to beloved sauna traditions, seasonal flavours and standout new openings, the Finnish capital offers fresh reasons to visit throughout the year.
Aalto 2026: Design milestones and a UNESCO decision ahead
The year 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark Alvar Aalto anniversary year. It marks 90 years since the creation of the avant-garde Aalto vase and 50 years since the death of the master himself. In addition, a decision is expected on the proposed inscription of 13 Aalto-designed buildings on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Five of the nominated sites are located in Helsinki: the Aalto House, Studio Aalto, Finlandia Hall, the House of Culture, and the headquarters of the National Pensions Institute.
Following extensive renovations, Finlandia Hall reopened in early 2025. The Grand Exhibition inside the building offers an excellent starting point for discovering the work of Alvar Aalto and his wives and collaborators, Aino and Elissa Aalto.
At the Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki, a brand-new exhibition, Aalto Design – Shapes of Wellbeing, will open in June 2026. The exhibition explores how Aalto’s design philosophy fostered wellbeing, a sense of connection to the natural world, and harmony between people and nature.
Seurasaari welcomes its first new site in 40 years
For visitors interested in exploring Finnish architecture and culture more deeply, a new destination will open in summer 2026: a traditional Finnish summer cottage relocated to the Seurasaari Open-Air Museum. It is the first entirely new site introduced to the museum in 40 years. Completed in 1953 and designed by architect Erkki Koiso-Kanttila for his family, the cottage has remained in the family’s summer use until now. The 41-square-metre interior includes a living room, a kitchenette, and a sleeping alcove. Illustrating the simplicity and functionality of Finnish summer homes, the cottage offers everything essential—and nothing excessive.
A Nordic classic returns: Yrjönkatu Swimming Hall reopens
In the heart of Helsinki, a true hidden gem is set to reopen in renewed splendour after an extensive renovation. Yrjönkatu Swimming Hall is the oldest still-operating public swimming hall in the Nordics, built in 1928. Designed by architect Väinö Vähäkallio, the building represents Nordic Classicism, while its interiors also feature Art Deco influences. The swimming hall and its saunas will reopen to the public in February 2026. The upper floor offers a spa-like experience, with several different types of saunas, a private relaxation cabin, and delicious refreshments from Café Yrjö. The long-standing tradition of separate swimming hours for women and men will continue, and visitors may still choose to swim without a swimsuit.
From fine dining to Helsinki’s kiosk cafés
Helsinki’s food culture is rooted in the innovative use of local ingredients and seasonal flavours. Beyond Michelin-starred restaurants, high-quality food can be found in cafés and lunch spots—and, increasingly, at Helsinki’s kiosk cafés, which have spread across the city, many of them along tram routes. To the delight of residents and visitors alike, some remain open even in winter. In the run-up to Christmas, enjoy warm drinks from Helsinki Distilling Company and rice porridge in Esplanadi Park. Vinolippa in Kruununhaka offers Mediterranean flavours, while Piirakkaleipomo Räty’s kiosks by Pitkäsilta Bridge and in Ruskeasuo sell a range of baked goods throughout the winter. In summer, when all kiosks are open, the selection widens—from Käpylä’s bohemian café atmosphere to drinks at Café Brera in Eira and frozen yogurt in Johanneksenpuisto Park. Read more from MyHelsinki.
New Visitor Experiences at Helsinki Central Railway Station
Helsinki’s tourism offering will see major highlights in 2026. At Helsinki Central Railway Station, the restored Kellotorni (clock tower) —originally designed by Eliel Saarinen in 1919—now serves as a unique venue for dining, tower tours, brewery visits, and curated experiences that celebrate the building’s historic character. In the station’s historic dining hall, also a new restaurant called Taulu(painting in English) has opened. It combines a café, bar and restaurant into a relaxed yet stylish whole, putting Eero Järnefelt’s national romantic painting in the well-deserved spotlight.
Light art, Moomins and new noir: culture in 2026
Early in the year, Helsinki’s cultural calendar offers a rich selection of events across art, literature, and light. Lux Helsinki, the city’s annual light art festival, expands to six days and takes place on 6–11 January, with installations across the city centre from Kansalaistori to Hietalahdentori, Vanha Kirkkopuisto, and the Espa Stage. Under the theme Stop Time!, works will also appear at Kanneltalo and in ten central art galleries.
Although the Moomins’ 80th anniversary year has concluded, there is still plenty for fans to experience in Helsinki. The Architecture and Design Museum’s exhibition Escape to Moominvalleyis open until 27 September 2026. At HAM Helsinki Art Museum, the newly expanded Tove Jansson Gallery opens in February 2026 with an inaugural exhibition focusing on Jansson’s artistic family and the theme of courage, inspired by Comet in Moominland.
Courage may also come in handy at the new Helsinki Noir festival (28 February–1 March 2026), a two-day crime literature event at the Aleksanteri Theatre, where leading Finnish and international authors explore crime fiction, thrillers, and true crime through panel discussions and conversations.
