Schedule
Friday 10.7.2026
Changes possible.
Piälava / Main Stage
18:00 Niina Annika & Sielun tila
Start your Kihaus Folk weekend with the soulful sounds of Niina Annika & Sielun tila. Their concert takes listeners on a hypnotic journey through ethno, pop, and groove.
21:00 Maria Kalaniemi & Timo Alakotila
Sensitivity, brilliance, and emotional intensity – two legends of contemporary Finnish folk music come together for a special 35th Anniversary Concert.
Tsaiju
16:00 Festival Opening Ceremony
The 35th anniversary festival opens in the spirit of tradition.
Featuring Kihauspelimannit, the Children’s and Youth Folk Music Camp participants, Set’Akat, and the Lummo Kati Leelo Choir from Setomaa.
18:30 Karelian Bessodas!
Besoduniekat presents and invites everyone to join in the Karelian BEssoda dance tradition.
20:00 Nyt mie ruppeen laulamaan!
For all 35 years of Kihaus Folk, Värttinä has been one of the festival’s defining forces. But what does Värttinä sound like when performed by others?
The concert is hosted by Värttinä singers Mari Kaasinen, Karoliina Kantelinen, and Susan Aho. Variations are performed by Kärhämä, Äkkinäiset ja Susirekka, Kimmel, Korvenloitsu duo, and ÄNA.
21:30 Pipopojat
Pipopojat ensemble from the Central Karelia Music Institute brings a relaxed atmosphere of pop and rock to the evening.
23:00 Lauri Schreck!
Friday night culminates with Lauri Schreck, bold innovator of the kantele. His music combines traditional sound of Finland’s national instrument with influences from pop, rock, and electronic music.
Käspeli
17:30 Let’s Meet Through Stories!
In honor of the anniversary year’s theme, we will look back at where it all began. How was Kihaus born? Hosted and moderated by Marja-Riitta Topcu.
19:00 LEELO!
Discover the rich singing traditions of the Seto people and join in singing together under the guidance of Helen Aluemäki, Project Manager at the Seto Institute, and the Lummo Kati Leelo Choir.
20:30 The Poem I Would Like to Hear
Local folk musician Mammu Koskelo performs audience members’ favourite poems, singing them with kantele accompaniment.
You are warmly invited to submit your favourite poem—or an original poem of your own—by Midsummer to mammukoskelo@gmail.com and hear it performed during the concert.
22:00 EVENING MUSIC
Rääkkylä Church
18:30 The Grand Kantele Evening
The kantele has been at the heart of Rääkkylä’s folk music revival since the 1980s and a central part of Kihaus Folk since the festival’s very beginning. In Rääkkylä, the kantele is not only played—it is developed, built, and boldly taken in new directions.
The Grand Kantele Evening celebrates this living tradition by bringing together young kantele talents, dedicated tradition bearers, and fearless innovators.
Expect an inspiring evening devoted to an instrument that lies at the very core of Rääkkylä’s musical heritage.
The Grand Kantele Evening is featured by Veila, Ritva Koistinen, Duo Soittu, and Central Karelia Music Institute Kantele Ensemble.
Tickets: 35€
