Pikku Kakkonen summer tour offers free children’s culture

The Pikku Kakkonen summer tour begins this Friday in Salo, offering free children’s concerts in five Finnish towns over the coming week, Yle reports.

Stops include Kotka, Ruokolahti, Hämeenlinna, and Kauhava. All events are free, a point organisers stress is critical as more families face poverty.

“Free admission gives everyone the chance to enjoy joy, play, and children’s culture. We’re dealing with big issues,” says producer Jyrki Laaksonen.

The tour is run with the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (MLL), whose local branches handle logistics and secure partners for side activities. Without MLL, Laaksonen says free entry would not be possible.

MLL’s Tarja Satuli-Kukkonen calls the tour socially vital, noting many families now weigh every expense while still wanting shared experiences. For some, she says, this may be the only cultural outing they can afford.

Since its 2022 revival after a decades-long hiatus, the tour has visited 31 municipalities and reached 125,000 children and adults. This year, organisers expect around 5,000 attendees per event, down from last year’s peak of nearly 10,000.

Large crowds have occasionally drawn criticism over the small stage—a repurposed container—but Laaksonen notes concerts are recorded and later broadcast on television.

Tour producer Teija Ryösä says meeting children in person underscores the work’s impact. “We hear heartwarming stories. Kids come to tell us about their favourite shows and hug our characters,” she says. Their feedback also shapes future Pikku Kakkonen programming.

The events are designed for all ages, from infants to grandparents, with Yle Galaxi—Yle’s school-age service—bringing older siblings into the mix.