The Night of the Arts will be celebrated in Helsinki this year on Thursday, August 20, when the entire city fills with art and art lovers. On the evening of the event, admission to the museum is free from 5–9 pm, and there is something to see and experience for all ages!

When	Thu 20.8.2026 at 17:00–21:00
Where	The entire museum
Admission	Free entrance

Night of the Arts programme at the Theatre Museum

Open house from 5–9 pm

Events

5 pm Joint guided tour of the Cable Museums: Triplasti kivaa

Triplasti kivaa is a one-hour introduction to the Cable Museums. You will get a taste of the Theatre Museum, the Hotel and Restaurant Museum, and the Finnish Museum of Photography. The guided tour is in Finnish and starts from the museum lobby. Space is limited to the first 20 participants; no advance registration. Suitable for all ages, children must be accompanied by an adult.

6 pm Heli Keskikallio: Ordinary Matters

The Theatre Museum’s artist-in-residence, Heli Keskikallio, presents a demo version of her piece Ordinary Matters. During the residency, she is developing the work into an installation-like, long- duration performance event. Drawing from the everyday world of experience simmering beneath the skin, the piece brings everyday items and materials into the work to perform alongside Keskikallio. The audience is welcome to observe the process freely for as long as they wish. 

Exhibitions

All current exhibitions are on view: Amaze! Tales and Macig of Circus, It’s Showtime, and Arkadia Theatre. Visitors can also enjoy the interactive stations and stages in the exhibitions.

Circus enchants, entertains, and captivates audiences with clown antics, the courage of circus performers, magic, and skill. Finnish circus includes legendary personalities, international adventures, the joy of enthusiasts, absurd storytelling—and thousands of hours of hard training. Amaze! tells the story of Finnish circus from the 19th century to the 2020s, when Finland has become an internationally respected contemporary circus country.

It’s Showtime is an exhibition about the performing arts and the process of creating a performance. You will journey from idea to finished performance and see what happens in between.

In Arkadia Theatre, you can take a small journey into theatre history or unleash your creativity by stepping into the roles of actor, director, costume, lighting, or sound designer. In the dressing room, you can change roles and, as the curtain rises, take your place in the spotlight. Arkadia also offers theatre puppets to try out.