Thank you for the Festival – Tampere Theatre Festival brought in over 55,000 visitors
12.8.2025
Tampere Theatre Festival, the largest theatre festival in the Nordic countries, gathered together an estimated over 55,000 visitors last week. This number includes all of the festival’s programmes and events. Tampere Theatre Festival spanned from Monday to Sunday on August 4th to 10th. In addition, one international performance was seen already on the Saturday before the festival week.
Over 8,100 people visited the Main Programme performances. This number includes the free admission street performances. The full audience capacity reached 82,7 percent.
The Main Programme’s star attractions included Finnish National Theatre’s Lessons for the Living, Crime and Punishment by Q-Teatteri, Risen from the Dead by Kuopion kaupunginteatteri, Helsinki 98 group’s Last of the Soviets, and Tampere Theatre’s Tin Plate Angels. La vie secrète des vieux by the French Zirlib group and Elements of Freestyle by the Dutch ISH Dance Collective were the international shows that brought in the most visitors.
Over 1,300 people visited the T Lab programme performances. There were ten performances in the G Livelab music venue during the week. Sold out shows included Kyllä Kaj, the tribute show of the music of Kaj Chydenius, the Prepare for Peace concert in memory of Liisa Tavi, and Tribute to Carola from Kokkola kaupunginteatteri.
So much to see and experience in the fringe programmes
The OFF Tampere fringe programme included 35 different productions this year. In addition to the summer season theatre performances within the Pirkanmaa area, audiences were interested in the Circus Ruska festival programme’s contemporary circus performance Ensembled by Arctic Ensemble, The Park Concert produced by Tampere Philharmonics in collaboration with Tampere Hall, and the improv show Kuutamokeikka by Improvisaatioteatteri Snorkkeli. The OFF Tampere programme brought in over 23,000 visitors.
The Nocturnal Happening on Thursday August 7th was very popular. Tampere streets, cafes, museums, and parks were taken over by the mixed arts event, and the various shows, workshops, and events brought in an estimated 21,500 visitors.
The festival week also included the Opening ceremony, performance art seminars, gatherings, and discussion panels. Tampere Theatre Festival was regranted the EcoCompass environmental certificate for its successful continuous environmental work.
The next Tampere Theatre Festival happens August 3rd to 9th in 2026. The Main Programme performances will be released in May.