Major events strain emergency services in South Ostrobothnia

South Ostrobothnia’s central hospital emergency department faced heavy demand over the weekend as the Provinssi music festival and Suviseurat folk festival drew tens of thousands of visitors, Yle reports.

By late Friday, the hospital in Seinäjoki issued a crowd-control alert to bring in extra staff, according to Jari Nyrhilä, head physician of the emergency department. Wait times at the joint emergency services were longer than usual, and the situation did not ease overnight as it typically does.

Nyrhilä said both mass events contributed equally to the workload, with no single symptom or diagnosis standing out.

Police reported a relatively calm weekend given the large crowds. Suviseurat alone attracted an estimated 85,000 visitors, while Provinssi typically draws tens of thousands. Officers responded to disturbances outside the Suviseurat site, primarily related to traffic and noise complaints from loud music. Most incidents were resolved with warnings or orders to leave the area.

Esa Kaikkonen, chair of the Suviseurat safety committee, noted an unusually high number of disturbances caused by local youth, including dangerous situations. Dozens of young people attempted to enter the site at night on mopeds, tractors, and other vehicles. Police were called to the area every night starting Wednesday at the organisers’ request.

Kaikkonen said most of the 300-hectare event’s attendees were unaware of the incidents. The main risk arose on an internal road called Loppusuora, where motorised traffic was restricted to essential vehicles only by the final night.

At Provinssi, police investigated one assault on the festival grounds after security detained a suspect. Other assault cases under investigation occurred outside the event area. Officers also encountered intoxicated individuals unable to care for themselves both inside and near the festival site.

The region hosted several large public events over the weekend, including Mustakari Memories in Kokkola and Klacken Party in Lillby.