Acrobats turn Helsinki railway station clock tower into stage

Acrobats will transform the famous clock tower of Helsinki Central Railway Station into a stage for an outdoor performance on Wednesday, Yle reports.

The aerial acrobatics show begins at 18:00, while other circus performances will take place inside the station from 17:00. The 50-metre-high clock tower was used for rehearsals earlier in the afternoon.

Heidi Miikki, a vertical dancer, is one of four performers who will climb the tower’s exterior wall. The artists will descend from balconies, hanging and dancing during the performance.

“Outdoor performances have wonderful variables, such as the weather. It is raining here at the moment, and when the wind blows, it takes you in whichever direction it takes you,” Miikki said during rehearsals, according to Yle.

Miikki said she was pleased that people could enjoy the work in a prominent location, potentially even by chance as they walked past the building. She also highlighted the views from the tower.

The performance is part of Circus and Dance Finland’s Sirkus tulee campaign, which aims to increase the visibility of contemporary circus in Finland. Helsinki is also hosting the first Helsinki Circus Festival this week, with events taking place around the city.

Emma Vainio, a communications designer, said Finland has around 40 contemporary circus groups and approximately 12,000 people who practise the art form. She said circus had received particularly strong visibility this summer.