Kaustinen folk festival draws record crowd

Kaustinen Folk Music Festival drew a record 58,531 visitors this year, organisers said on Sunday, marking a seven per cent increase from 2025.

The week-long event sold nearly 22,000 tickets, matching the rise in attendance. It also featured the highest number of performers in its history, with 5,100 musicians, singers and dancers taking part.

“Every second person who came to Kaustinen this week was a pelimanni,” the festival’s organiser noted, referring to traditional Finnish folk musicians.

Next year’s festival, which will celebrate its 60th anniversary from 12 to 18 July 2027, will carry the theme “yhteispeli” (teamwork) and spotlight the regions of Pohjanmaa and Keski-Pohjanmaa.

“The anniversary does not mean we will only look back,” said festival director Valtteri Valo. “Our focus is on the next 60 years.”