Tampere arena secured higher state funding share than Helsinki Garden project

Tampere’s arena received a larger proportion of state funding relative to its total cost than the planned Helsinki Garden project, an investigation by Yle has confirmed.

The state covered 15% of the Tampere arena’s costs, while Helsinki Garden is set to receive 7%. Both projects advanced through direct lobbying of ministers and senior officials, rather than standard procedures.

Kalervo Kummola, a Tampere city councillor and key figure behind the arena, stated that large-scale projects of this nature typically require political advocacy. He confirmed that negotiations involved multiple ministers, including Pia Viitase, Sanni Grahn-Laasonen, Timo Soini, Juha Sipilä, and Alexander Stubb.

Rikard Bjurström, another early advocate for the Tampere arena, recalled informal discussions with then-minister Jan Vapaavuori about securing state funds, as no budget had been allocated. The initial state contribution was estimated at 5–10 million euros, far below the final 18 million euros granted in 2017, primarily from Veikkaus (Finnish lottery) funds.

Helsinki Garden’s conditional state funding has faced criticism over a lack of political transparency, with comparisons drawn to Tampere’s process. Both projects were pushed forward outside conventional channels, according to sources cited by Yle.