Helsinki will mark May Day with the return of the Havis Amanda capping at the statue’s square, as the city prepares for large crowds, traffic limits, youth outreach, public toilets and extra waste collection across the centre and Kaivopuisto.
The main May Day Eve event takes place on 30 April at Havis Amanda Square. The programme begins at 3.45pm, with Mayor Daniel Sazonov opening the event. Music and dance follow at 4pm, the statue will be washed at 5pm, and the cap will be placed on Havis Amanda at 6pm.
This year, the event is organised by the Student Union of the University of Helsinki. A volunteer student group, Manta Crew, will place the cap on the statue.
The city said the event can also be followed on large screens at Market Square and Esplanade Park. Families with children can follow the programme from a separate May Day space at the University of Helsinki’s Think Corner, though capacity there is limited.
Large crowds are expected in the centre. The city has asked people to leave bicycles and electric scooters outside the event area.
Traffic restrictions will affect central Helsinki on May Day Eve. Motor traffic will be blocked on the Esplanades and nearby side streets because of the Havis Amanda event. Parking bans will also be in place.
Trams will not run to Market Square between 2pm and 8pm on 30 April, according to the city. Tram services will continue on Aleksanterinkatu and Snellmaninkatu. The Aalto University School of Business student parade will also affect traffic between 4pm and 4.30pm.
Access to Katajanokka terminal will run through Pohjoisranta and Kanavakatu. Access to Olympia Terminal will be possible through Tehtaankatu and Laivasillankatu.
On May Day, 1 May, traffic around Kaivopuisto will change. The seaside route from Olympia Terminal towards Kaivopuisto will become one-way between 6am and 5pm. The route covers Ehrenströmintie, Merisatamanranta and Eiranranta up to the roundabout. Puistokatu will also become one-way towards Olympia Terminal and Laivasillankatu.
Iso Puistotie will be closed to motor vehicles on May Day. Parking bans will apply on several streets, including Tehtaankatu, Laivurinkatu, Eiranranta and Ludviginkatu, to support public transport and rescue services.
The city is also preparing for the waste left by celebrations. It will place 189 toilets and 50 urinals in central parks, including Kaivopuisto, Tähtitorninmäki, Sinebrychoff Park, Old Church Park, Meripuisto and Esplanade Park. Seventeen of the toilets are accessible.
Extra bins, open skips and metal barrels for hot grill waste will be brought to the city centre and Kaivopuisto. The rescue department warned that hot coals and disposable grills must not be placed in normal bins.
Kaivopuisto will have sorting points for plastic, glass, cardboard and biowaste. Mixed waste skips will stand nearby if recycling containers fill up.
The city will also organise its traditional sparkling wine bottle collection in Kaivopuisto. Anyone returning 20 bottles at a collection point will receive a cinema ticket. The city said 1,300 tickets are available. The bottles will be sent through the deposit system and used as raw material for glass wool.
Cleaning May Day waste is a large cost for the city. In 2025, the clean-up cost €88,000, according to Helsinki’s urban environment division.
Sales rules will also apply during the celebrations. Mobile sales and distribution from bicycles, carts or mopeds are banned in Esplanade Park, Senate Square and Sofiankatu. In Kaivopuisto, only vendors with reserved sales spots can operate.
Youth services will also increase their presence. Helsinki’s youth services said about 90 professionals and volunteers will be out on May Day Eve to support young people in the city centre, Kaivopuisto, Vuosaari, beaches and other popular areas.
The operation begins at 5pm and continues while young people remain outdoors. The Red Cross, church youth work, Children of the Station, police and emergency medical services will take part.
Minna Sirviö and Susanne Österlund-Toivonen from Helsinki youth services urged parents to discuss plans with young people before the celebrations.
“Young people need space to enjoy themselves and celebrate, but also adults who set limits,” they said in the city’s release. “We hope every parent knows where, how and with whom their child is spending May Day.”
Youth centres will offer alcohol-free events across the city. Suvilahti’s Tiivistämö will host a free, all-ages May Day event from 6.30pm to 10pm. Other events will take place in Vuosaari, Herttoniemi, Koskela, Laajasalo, Malmi, Munkkiniemi, Pihlajamäki, Ruoholahti, Tapanila and Kontula.
Cultural venues will also hold free events. Annantalo will host a May Day disco for children and young people on 30 April from 4pm to 7pm. Stoa will hold free May Day dances at 3pm with Amadeus Lundberg and Ari Nylund’s orchestra. Malmitalo will host free concerts by Pop & Jazz Conservatory students at 7pm.
Linnanmäki amusement park opens its season on May Day Eve at 3pm with a children’s programme.
On 1 May, crowds are expected in Kaivopuisto and Hakaniemi, while concerts, marches and lunches take place across the city. The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra will hold its May Day Matinee at Musiikkitalo at noon and 2pm, with Maria Ylipää as soloist.
HT
