Volunteers rebuild unique Lieksa concert site after logging cleared the area

A small arts association in Lieksa is leading a major renovation of the Mätäsvaara quarry theatre, transforming the former molybdenum mine into a modern performance space after a forestry company cleared the surrounding trees.

The Metka arts and culture association purchased the site from Tornator, which had legally felled the forest around the open-pit mine, citing safety concerns. Without the association’s intervention, the concert venue—known for its dramatic rock walls and exceptional acoustics—might have been abandoned.

Work has been underway for two years, with volunteers dismantling old seating structures, widening access roads, and planting new trees. This summer, professionals joined the effort to meet safety standards: the access road was too narrow for wheelchairs or emergency vehicles, and parking had relied on a sand lot requiring a level crossing to reach the audience area.

The renovation includes a new parking lot, seating, and stage. Concrete elements, chosen for durability after past arson attempts on wooden structures, are already on site. The project, estimated at €300,000, is partially funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, covering roughly half the costs.

Ville Lodders, a cellist and music teacher involved in the project, said the logging did not diminish the site’s magic. “The most remarkable features—the towering cliffs, the incredible acoustics, the unique history—remain,” he said. The quarry, mined for molybdenum during wartime, became a concert venue in the 1990s.

Lodders estimates the work may take another two to three years, though he hopes some events could be held as early as next summer.