Hundreds of Savonlinna Opera Festival seasonal workers need summer housing

Over 200 seasonal workers for the Savonlinna Opera Festival require summer housing this year, Yle reports. Securing accommodation has become more difficult as rents rise and competition from short-term rental platforms like Airbnb intensifies.

Most seasonal staff, many of whom travel from outside Savonlinna, search for housing independently. Some end up paying double rent—maintaining their primary residence elsewhere while covering summer accommodation costs. The festival assisted around 20 artists in finding housing this year, significantly fewer than in previous years before the rise of short-term rental sites.

Elina Auvinen, 27, works in ticket sales for the festival and shares a centrally located three-room rental with tenor Aarne Mansikka, 29, a choir member in Nabucco and Madama Butterfly. The pair, who previously shared housing last summer, found their current apartment after Auvinen posted a housing request on social media. Their combined rent, including utilities, is under €600 per person—less than Auvinen’s Helsinki rent. She sublet her Helsinki apartment to avoid dual payments.

Mansikka, a professional choir singer in the Helsinki region, has encountered inconsistent rental conditions in past years. He now ensures contracts specify that apartments are delivered clean, recalling one instance where a fish skeleton was left on a bathroom mat.

The festival runs from 3 July to 1 August, but many workers need housing for the entire summer due to rehearsals starting a month before opening night. Accommodation solutions vary: some stay in rental apartments, cottages, or student dormitories. The festival collaborates with Samiedu Vocational College to provide affordable student housing options.

Rents are set by property owners, not the festival, and have risen alongside global economic pressures and local hotel pricing. Auvinen hopes costs remain manageable, noting that high rents may deter workers from returning.