Festival Clubs

Thursday 5 March, 9:15 pm, Kupla
Kauppamiehentie 7, Tapiola (next to Espoo Cultural Center)

DJ Pexi, aka Pekka Haavisto, will be playing his favorite music at the opening night. Pekka Haavisto is a member of parliament and former foreign minister of Finland.

Sat 7 March, 5:30 pm, &Revontuli, Bar Juoru

Kerma is a hugely popular Finnish-language culture show in which cultural journalists go head-to-head in a lively debate, before each speaker gets the floor to champion a topic close to their heart.
At the Saturday club of &Fest, a new episode of Kerma will be recorded, and the audience can follow the recording on screen.

Sat 7 March, 6:30 pm, &Revontuli, Bar Juoru

I Liked It – I Didn’t Like It is an open and relaxed discussion club where the audience is warmly invited to share their thoughts on The Employees and on theatre generally. You can join the conversation, or simply sit back and listen. The discussion is guided by audience engagement coordinator Martta Pesonen.
The club is mainly in Finnish, with audience contributions also welcome in English.

Sat 7 March, 7:30 pm - 00 am, &Revontuli, Bar Juoru

From the intimate spaces to the dance floor – that is Yalla’s recipe for celebration. Blending traditional and contemporary soundscapes from the SWANA* region, the collective has pioneered a unique series of parties in the Helsinki music scene since 2022. Whether it is electrifying dabke from the Levant or chaabi from North Africa, combined with pop, house or techno, Yalla Collective's mission is for the audience to feel at home, wherever home might be outside the dance floor.

*SWANA is an anti-colonial term referring to the regions of South-West Asia and North Africa

Sat 14 March, 5 pm–midnight, &Revontuli

Ballroom is a community and cultural movement that emerged in 1960s New York, created by Black and Latinx trans women and rooted in drag ball culture. Balls are competitive events where members of the community and their houses compete in categories such as fashion, performance and voguing.

Balls are safer spaces for the QBIPOC community, while everyone is welcome to come together to celebrate creativity and community. Doll Domination Kiki Ball brings Pussycat Dolls inspired aesthetics to Espoo, celebrating femininity in all its forms. Free entrance, age limit 18.

POLICY:
Ballroom is first and foremost a space for the QBIPOC community. This event follows a safer safe policy. If you are a guest, please be respectful and mindful of the space you are entering. Racism, transphobia, queerphobia, sexism, ableism, body shaming or any form of discrimination will not be tolerated.

If filming, make sure you have the permission of the individuals in your photos/videos. Certain categories of the night are NOT ALLOWED to be filmed. Respect the performers, their space and their craft.

Sat 21 March, 4 pm, &Revontuli / Bar Juoru

The Science and Hope Club brings together researchers from Puistokatu 4 to share perspectives on some of the most pressing questions of our time. The discussion is hosted by singer-songwriter Vesta Burman, who will also perform songs from different stages of her career between the talks.

The programme is in Finnish and includes space for audience comments and shared discussion.

Fri 27 March, 8:15 pm, Kupla

Jussi Sorjanen hosts an open mic where anyone is welcome to step up and share something they’ve been wrong about.
The open mic segment is mainly in Finnish, but contributions in English or other languages are also welcome. After the confessions, the night continues with a party.