The summer of events in Kalajoki and the entire summer season will kick off with the action-packed Kalabaliikki event on 10 and 11 June. The event will include activities for people of all ages and with various interests. X-Games Kalajoki will fill the visitor centre with experts of various extreme sports, such as parkour and BMX racing. The public will also have the opportunity to try parkour, i.e. to literally go up the wall. Visitors will also be able to try sumo wrestling, and the bravest of visitors can even do a bungee jump. Bouncy castles will be available for the youngest members of the family.

During the Kalabaliikki weekend, Kalajoki Top Camping will host a windsurfing and kiteboarding course race and the Kite Big Air. The event will also include a beach rescue demonstration that will be organised together with The Finnish Swimming Teaching and Lifesaving Federation (FSL).

For car enthusiasts, Kalajoki’s offering of events will include plenty of events to choose from. Fans of the Opel, BMW, Volkswagen and Fiat brands will gather together in Kalajoki on different weekends to spend a few summer days together and showcase their cars. Kalajoki will also be hosting a hot rod drag race and a tractor pulling competition.

In addition to motor sports, the coast will also serve as the arena for other sports competitions. The Beachfutis Finnish Open tournament will be held in Hiekkasärkät in mid-June, i.e. 17–18 June. This beach football tournament has been held every year since 2000, and it is the largest and longest-running tournament of its kind in Finland. The title of the strongest man on the coast will be decided at the beginning of July, i.e. on 9 July. July will also see a competition in ultimate, a team sport played with a frisbee, and we will find out who becomes the World Champion in beach floorball.

One must-visit destination for families with children is Kalajoki Summer Theatre, where the theatre group Willi Lakeus will be performing Ronia the Robber’s Daughter, a classic by Astrid Lindgren. The covered stands with their 400 seats are an excellent place to enjoy summer theatre. On Tuesdays between 13 June and 7 August, Children’s Tuesdays will be held at Havula Villa, located in Plassi, the old town of Kalajoki. The activities available will feature singing and adventure games, among other things. Families with children should also remember the Children’s Venetian Festival, which will take place at the end of August.

The summer will offer a variety of events for music enthusiasts, from individual concerts to festivals.  The Kalajoki Midsummer Festival will bring top artists in the Finnish pop and rap scene to the area, while the Kajari event that will be held at the end of July will gather together local rock bands. The multi-musical Camus Calla event week will be held in Kalajoki at the beginning of August, from 3 to 7 August.

Towards the beginning of August, from 5 to 7 August, Kalajoki will host the major international geocaching event Sea, Sand, Sun Kalajoki 2016. Thousands of geocaching enthusiasts are expected to come to Kalajoki for the event. On 20 August, women will flock to Hiekkasärkät in large numbers. The joyful sports festival Nice Run will gather a few thousand women together to participate in a 5-kilometre long run and a picnic. This year, the event will be complemented by a well-being fair, which will introduce visitors to companies in the wellness and fitness sector and provide information on the importance of healthy nutrition and mental well-being. The fair will also be attended by Ski Jumper Toni Nieminen, who is making a comeback to competitive ski jumping and aiming for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.

Other top athletes will also be visiting Kalajoki when Kalajoki’s own son Jussi Jokinen gathers NHL players in his hometown to play in the Hockey Carnival on 13 August. The NHL stars will be playing against Kalajoki’s own team, JHT. The aim is to collect money for the operations of the JHT juniors. The event will culminate in a gala dinner. In addition to Jokinen, our NHL stars Pekka Rinne, Leo Komarov, Aleksander Barkov and Joonas Donskoi have already confirmed that they will be attending the event.

 

‘The summer season will end with the Venetian Festival’s impressive firework display.’

 

The summer season will officially conclude with the Venetian Festival. Thousands of people will come to the end of the summer festival that will be held in Kalajoki from 26 to 28 August to enjoy the weekend’s diverse programme, performers and the impressive firework display.

Although the summer season will end with the Venetian Festival, Kalajoki is always full of events, so we recommend that you keep an eye on the event calendar!

 

Main events

 

June

Time	Event
10.6. – 11.6.2016	Kalabaliikki – the official opening event of summer in Finland and the 2016 summer season in Kalajoki	A wide range of activities
10.6. – 11.6.2016	X-Games Kalajoki 2016 – On land, at sea and in the air!	Speed sports, artists and performances
10.6. – 11.6.2016	The Windsurf & Kite Course Race and Kite Big Air, a beach rescue demonstration	A windsurfing and kiteboarding competition. The Finnish Swimming Teaching and Lifesaving Federation (FSL) will also be participating
11.6.2016	Fiat 127 Summer Special	A national Fiat 127 gathering in Kalajoki
13.6. – 7.8.2016	Children’s Tuesdays at Havula	Singing and adventure games and other activities
17.6. – 18.6.2016	Beach Futis Finnish Open 2016	A beach football tournament
23.6. – 25.6.2016	KJJ 2016 – Kalajoki Midsummer Festival 2016	A music festival in Hiekkasärkät, featuring Finnish pop and rap artists

 

July

Time	Event
1.7. – 3.7.2016	Bimmerparty	An event for BMW enthusiasts, featuring a variety of activities, such as competitions and performers
7.7. –  9.7.2016	Irish Hooley	An Irish festival
8.7.- 10.7.2016	Opel CF Summerparty	An event for Opel enthusiasts
9.7.2016	The strongest man on the coast
15.7.2016	Dyyni Texas Scramble	A golf tournament
16.7.2016	Kalajoki Beach Ultimate 2016	A frisbee tournament
23.7.  – 24.7.2016	FHRA Summer Nationals, Drag Race SM & Cup	A hot rod drag race, Kalajoki Airport
23.7. – 14.8.	Summer theatre: Ronia the Robber’s Daughter	A theatre performance for the whole family, (in Finnish)
24.7. – 26.7.2016	Serviisi Breikki 2015	An international event for cocktail bartenders and flairtenders
24.7.	Dyyni Cocktail Derby
25.7.	Dyyni Flair Derby & Restaurant Beachfutis
26.7.	Dyyni Restaurant Golf
30.7.2016	KAJARI 10 years	A festival with local rock bands
30.7.2016	Beach Floorball World Championships 2016	World championships in beach floorball
30.7.2016	Acceleration test day, Kalajokilaakson USA Cars

 

August

Time	Event
23.7. – 14.8.2016	Summer theatre: Ronia the Robber’s Daughter	A theatre performance for the whole family
3.8. – 7.8.2016	Camus Calla 2016	A multi-musical event week
5.8. – 7.8.2016	Sea Sand Sun Kalajoki 2016	A major geocaching event
13.8.2016	Jussi Jokinen Gala / Hockey Carnival	A hockey game between NHL stars and JHT, a gala dinner
19.8. – 21.8.2016	Volkswagen Meeting
19.8. – 21.8.2016	West Coast Street Cars Cup & Sea Sand Run	A drag race and American car event
20.8.2016	Nice Run 10th anniversary event	A women’s sports event, well-being fair
26.8. – 28.8.2016	Venetian Festival 2016	End of summer festival with a wide range of activities, performers and a firework display
26.8. – 28.8.2016	Enjoy the Venetian Festival	A show jumping competition, race track
26.8. – 28.8.2016	Children’s Venetian Festival
27.8. – 28.8.2016	Perämeri Open	A 1-hour course race for windsurfing boards, kiteboards and SUP boards

 

September

Time	Event
3.9.2016	Finnish beach baseball	Finnish Beach Baseball World Championships
16.9. – 18.9.2016	Oktoberfest	Performers, beer festival-style food and ambience

 

See our event calendar for more events.