Celebrating the holy connection between the creative process and alcohol!

This August, for 10 long days and 10 adrenaline and action packed nights beloved city festival Art Goes Kapakka will be celebrated across the nations capital. Since the beginning of ages, across all cultures, continents and inhabited planets, especially on Friday, Saturday and payday nights have neurons been firing and brain cells dying in what can only be described as a beautiful cacophony. The chemistry is well known to man. The experience is personal and predictable, yet never fails to produce something unexpected having turned many lives upside down in countless ways. A powerful genetic wildcard that has a hand in both the mixing as well as the ending of bloodlines.

The process of intoxication has helped create many traditions. Art Goes Kapakka is being organized for the 20th time this year. Those who remember attending are sure to be there again. Others will simply get the pleasure to enjoy the festival for the first time, for perhaps what may very well be the 7th or 8th time in a row.

As with a proper night of intoxication, with Art Goes Kapakka too, many such things are unsure and irrelevant details. What we do know is that the festival starts with the legendary Kuorojen Kierros on Senaatintori on 18.8 at 19 hrs. The choirs will be doing rounds in the various bars that are officially taking part in the festival.  Honoring the grueling creative process, the festival will go on foe the next 240 hrs with official program in 34 different establishments, stretching from the city center over to Sörnäinen and Töölö and even to the deep dark corners of Kallio.

A platform to dive into the Finnish mind.

On the first day, as a foreigner the festival crowd will be very understanding. You are likely to be given some leeway in what is perhaps simply ignorance regarding the local social norms resulting in occasional inappropriate behavior. Trying to make contact with strangers in the queues or sitting at the next table may be tolerated for a while. but beware, the locals introversion should not be mistaken for kindness.

A few days on and blood alcohol levels will have reached levels where the Finns natural intolerance will begin to surface. Streaks of latent madness from surfacing within the dark depths of their fractured psyche will give appropriate Finns courage to shout guidance and directions at you, and you will be expected to begin conforming. This means you appearance must make it clear you have been drinking for days, as well as begun ignoring things like personal hygiene and calls from the office. To truly experience that what is Finnish, there are few things better suited than sitting drunk, naked and in total silence, in a hot, dimly lit room with a stranger mumbling incoherently. While this does often take place at the back of the bars, on and around the more secluded tables, make sure you also take full advantage of the opportunities provided by the sauna in your hotel as well.

Taste the Art!

Participation is voluntary. Drinks will be necessarily. Art will be presented and opinions can be expected. By towards the end of the 10 days communication will be minimal and urine will be present. Song and dance can be observed. Especially when walking on the streets of and visiting some of the venues in Kallio, a neighborhood known for its natives proudly expressing their opinions in public at all hours of the day and night.