Yle marks centenary with live Helsinki arena celebration

Yle is celebrating its 100th anniversary at an arena in Helsinki on Saturday, with a live broadcast beginning at 11 a.m., Yle reports.

The day opens with a bilingual children’s concert featuring characters familiar from Pikku Kakkonen and BUU-klubben. The concert will last one hour, followed by a break of several hours.

The doors for the main event will open at 5 p.m. Visitors can see an exhibition by Yle’s costume department and the sets from the Viki & Köpi Show.

At 5.30 p.m., journalists Jaakko Oleander and Pyry Vaismaa will answer questions from the audience. They will also guide viewers around the arena and behind the scenes for about an hour.

The 90-minute Yle 100 Show will begin at 7 p.m. It will feature memories from the organisation’s 100-year history and music by artists including Erika Vikman, Hector, Jenni Vartiainen, JVG and Mirella.

The band will be an orchestra led by Kalle Torniainen. The show will be hosted by Jenni Poikelus, Mikko Kekäläinen and Sonja Kailassaari.

The evening will end from 9 to 10 p.m. with metal classics performed by conductor Eero Lehtimäki and the Radio Symphony Orchestra. The vocalists will include Marko Hietala, Noora Louhimo and Timo Kotipelto.

Yle’s first broadcast was heard on 9 September 1926, when managing director Leonard Maurits Viherjuuri gave a speech on the radio.

The full programme and broadcasts for the celebration day are available on Yle Areena.