Finland’s first drag show staged in Hämeenlinna 45 years ago

Hämeenlinna City Museum has opened an exhibition tracing the cultural history of drag and burlesque through performance costumes, Yle reports.

The Yöperhoset – kimallusta ja kannanottoja (Night Butterflies – Glitter and Statements) display at the museum’s Museo Skogster features outfits and materials from drag artist Pola Ivanka and burlesque artist Petra Innanen, known on stage as Bettie Blackheart.

Innanen described the inclusion of drag and burlesque—long labelled as subcultures—in a museum as significant, underscoring their historical and artistic legitimacy. She noted that burlesque, now 18 years old in Finland, has addressed issues of gender, sexuality, power, and gaze when such discussions were taboo elsewhere.

The exhibition’s local connection stems from Finland’s first televised drag show, performed in Hämeenlinna’s Aulanko in 1981 by a group led by theatre director Reijo Paukku. This historical link prompted the museum to host the display.

Drag artist Pola Ivanka, who once joked that his costumes would end up in a “Pola Ivanka museum,” now sees them showcased in the city museum. He said his work aims to inspire others to pursue their passions, whether in drag or other fields.

Innanen acknowledged lingering prejudices around burlesque, including its association with undressing and its challenge to traditional notions of gender and performance. She values that burlesque remains partially outside the mainstream, allowing it to provoke thought and tackle difficult themes.