Musical tributes, international atmosphere and a bed-time story for adults at T Lab!
17.7.2025
Tampere Theatre Festival’s music-focused T Lab programme provides performances ranging from ambient concerts to more energetic gigs all through the festival week. The shows take place at G Livelab from Tuesday to Saturday August 5-9.
The celebrations kick off on opening day, when Finnish music entertainment's Grand Old Man Olli Ahvenlahti and renowned actor Tapio Liinoja celebrate their long careers as artists. Stories, poems and shared merriment enrich the musical journey down memory lane.
The opening night will also include the music of Kaj Chydenius, performed by Antti Heikkinen & Nyhtöpelimanni group, who are joined by Laura Malmivaara and Puntti Valtonen.
Soloist from several generations, including Monna Kamu, Minja Koski, and Kielo Kärkkäinen, will also entertain the T Lab audience with performances and tributes of the music of Liisa Tavi (1953 – 2023). The ensemble of Kokkola City Theatre will send us on a journey through the past decades with Carola's music.
The queen of ethnopop, Vilma Jää, the master of gripping Balkan rhythms, Jaakko Laitinen & Väärä raha, and Finland's biggest, baddest, and most long-standing skiffle orchestra, Werner Bros. serve the audience some sizzling late-night gigs. To balance this, Panu Savolainen’s three-piece ensemble of vibraphones and marimba guide the audience to a dreamland, as they perform original versions of some beloved, dreamy compositions of Brahm, starting with their Lullaby. This calming performance also features narration from Eppu Nuotio.
A breeze of international whimsy blows through the last day of T Lab festivities. Reetta Ristimäki will transport the audience to 20th-century Berlin in her cabaree-style performance, while Jorma Uotinen will serve the audience a slice of Piazzolla’s Argentina in his drama concert.
Tickets are sold by Lippu.fi and Tampere Theatre Festival's box office, Finlaysoninkuja 21 A, 4th floor.