Tampere invests €50,000 in Eurovision visibility with sauna promotion

The city of Tampere is spending approximately €50,000 to promote itself at this week’s Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, with a dedicated sauna area as its centerpiece, reports Finnish broadcaster Yle.

Saara Saarteinen, Tampere’s event director, confirmed the city and its subsidiaries are sending seven staff members to Vienna in shifts to manage the promotional space. The budget covers travel, furnishings, rent, and electricity for the on-site area, where visitors can experience a Finnish sauna.

“Once all the invoices arrive, we’ll see the full total, but we’re operating in that price range,” Saarteinen said, emphasizing the investment’s value. “For €50,000, we gain massive visibility compared to, say, a single magazine ad.”

The campaign aims to boost Tampere’s recognition as a hub for music, urban events, and sports—while also positioning it as the “world’s sauna capital.” Saarteinen noted that sauna and wellness culture is currently trending globally, and Tampere seeks to turn sauna expertise into an exportable asset.

Though Finland’s 2024 Eurovision entry advanced to the final, Tampere’s delegation stressed they are not actively lobbying to host future contests. The city currently hosts Finland’s national Eurovision preselection, UMK, through 2027. “As event director, I won’t deny dreaming of Tampere hosting Eurovision someday,” Saarteinen admitted, “but there’s no rush—we’ll see what happens if Finland wins.”

The initiative comes amid Tampere’s broader cost-cutting measures due to a budget deficit. However, Saarteinen argued the Eurovision exposure—reaching thousands of attendees, tourists, and media—justifies the expense by driving long-term tourism and economic benefits.