Tampere Theatre Festival attracts 56 000 festivalgoers
13.8.2024
Tampere Theatre Festival, the biggest theatre event in the Nordics, reached an estimated total of 56,000 visitors last week. This number includes all of the festival’s programmes and events. The festival took place from Monday to Sunday, 5 to 11 August.
The Main Programme shows attracted over 8,000 spectators in total. The festival reached its goals, with 87% of full audience capacity reached. The most viewed performance was Joitakin keskusteluja merkityksestä by Q-Teatteri, which was performed twice on the Main Stage of TTT Theatre and seen by 1,399 viewers in total. Catarina and the Beauty of Killing Fascists was the most popular of the international productions, with its one performance reaching an audience of 800.
Some of the other crowd-pulling performances included Death in Venice by Oulu Theatre and Carl Knif Company, Plup Plup starring Samuli Niittymäki, Anna Liisa by Kajaani City Theatre and Routa Company, as well as Lungs by Jyväskylä City Theatre. The Main Programme also included free programme, as dramaturg Emil Santtu Uuttu’s Lovely Daughter Erika – Notes on a Name visited the festival.
The T Lab programme was attended by 1700 people in total. Throughout the week, 11 performances were seen at music club G Livelab Tampere, five of which were sold out. These included, for example, the Kaj Chydenius memorial concerts, in which the composer’s songs were performed by his trusted singers Minja Koski and Mikael Saari, the 60-year career celebration of Ritva Oksanen, Ylistys Elämälle, and an evening of music with Marzi Nyman and Maria Ylipää.
Additional programmes attracted audiences as well
The OFF Tampere programme consisted of 38 productions this year. These included amateur theatres, summer theatres from all around the Pirkanmaa area, Park Concert by the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra and Tampere Hall, and Circus Ruska Festival’s free circus shows. Around 24,000 people attended the diverse OFF Tampere programme.
On Thursday of the festival week, 8 August, the multi-disciplinary Great Nocturnal Happening took over the streets, parks, cafés and book stores of the city. The different events were attended by approximately 21,000 people altogether.
The festival week happenings also included the opening ceremony, seminars and discussion events, and networking events for people in the performing arts field. In addition, the festival organised a brunch concert in cooperation with Tuulensuu Palace, starred by actor-singer Samuli Edelmann.
Finland Festivals will publish comprehensive statistics and total audience numbers of domestic festivals at the end of the year.
The next Tampere Theatre Festival will be organised from 4 to 10 August, 2025. Main Programme shows will be selected by the Artistic Team consisting of Taija Helminen, Hilkka-Liisa Iivanainen and Tanjalotta Räikkä, together with the Executive Director Hanna Rosendahl. Programme selection will be published in spring 2025.
More information
Executive Director Hanna Rosendahl, tel. +358 40 594 4600
Head of PR and Marketing Tiina Hurskainen, tel. +358 40 865 5852 | tiina.hurskainen@teatterikesa.fi