Helsinki Samba Carnaval, Finland
Stockholm Carnival, Sweden
Riga Carnival, Latvia
Content of this article
What is the Helsinki Samba Carnival?
The Helsinki Samba Carnival is a celebration held every year in Finland. The festival takes place in June, usually on the 12th to commemorate Helsinki Day. The event is held during these dates because it is not feasible to hold it during the month of February due to weather conditions in the city.
The Helsinki carnival celebration is one of the largest summer festivals held in the city, attended by some 40,000 visitors and 1,000 performers from the samba schools of the city and the country.
During the event the different schools compete against each other with their traditional Brazilian dance repertoires. In addition, all people are invited to attend, regardless of gender or age. The most anticipated event is the parade that takes place in the streets of the city and where the presence of musicians, samba schools, dancers and carrozas is seen.
The Helsinki Carnival has been gaining popularity over the past few years, even boasting the presence of ex-Finland’s exmandarians and politicians.
The Helsinki Samba Carnival is a celebration that includes different elements of Brazilian culture in Finland’s capital
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When is the Helsinki Samba Carnival
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The Helsinki Samba Carnival takes place every year during the month of June. The Helsinki Samba Carnival will be taking place from approximately June 7 to 16.
History of the Helsinki Samba Carnivals
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The Helsinki Samba Carnival is a fairly young celebration, as it arose from the initiative by the Finnish Association of Samba Schools (Suomen Sambakoulujen Liitto) which includes the different samba schools of the city and the country. The Helsinki Carnival has been held for 30 years and its purpose is to develop and preserve Brazilian culture in the city through carnival, dancing, music and different cultural performances.
The schools participating in the event, which are also part of the Finnish Association of Samba Schools are: Império do Papagaio and Força Natural, both from the city of Helsinki; Samba Carioca from the city of Turku; G. R.E.S Samba Maracanã from Lahti, Samba El Gambo from Kokkola; Samba Tropical from Seinäjoki and União da Roseira from Tampere.
Where is the Helsinki Samba Carnival
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The carnival is held in the city of Helsinki, the capital of Finland.
Helsinki Carnivals holds parades and events with a deep Brazilian feeling. People wear colorful costumes for the occasion
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How the Helsinki Samba Carnival is celebrated
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Helsinki Carnival begins with workshops and lessons of a popular dance called Forró involving the elderly and children. Likewise, lessons of samba are held, teaching the basic concepts of the genre and the types of steps. Finally, presentations and lessons of capoeira are given to the children who attend.
Then, an event called “Noite das Fantasias” takes place, which involves a costume contest and carnival costumes. People compete against each other for the best costume and the winner is selected through popular vote. In addition, there is a music show with DJs and performances of salsa, funk and reggaeton music.
If you want to know more about tourism in this country I recommend this guide:
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The Helsinki carnival parade is held in the streets of the city and involves all citizens and constitutes a battle of the samba groups from the different cities of the country. Each group has a different theme, including costumes, floats and a rich repertoire of music and dancing.
The party continues in the afternoon of the same day and, in addition, there is a continuing party during the weekend with Latin music, samba, reggaeton and other musical presentations.
Tips for going to the Helsinki Samba Carnivals
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If you want to attend the Helsinki Samba Carnival, we recommend planning your trip in advance, making a itinerary of activities and reserving your accommodation a few weeks in advance.
Also, pack some warm clothes, because even though the celebrations take place in summer, temperatures usually stay below 20 degrees Celsius.
Events at the Helsinki Samba Carnival
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The Forró workshops for adults and children begin to take place from 10:30 am the day before the Grand Parade. The activity lasts for one hour and once finished, the workshops and lessons of Samba and Capoeira take place. Both events are free.
Later that day, the “Noite das Fantasias” ceremony takes place, where the Carnival costume contests, voting and Latin music, samba and reggaeton shows are held.
The following day, the program and parade of floats, dancers and musicians from the samba schools of the different cities of the country takes place. Each of the groups develops a theme per year and their costumes and carrozas match the type of theme of their selection. In addition, each school contemplates a dance repertoire and different songs.
The day ends with a great music event and live performances that include different types of music genres such as samba, reggaeton and salsa. During the weekend after the festivities, different presentations and events are held following the carnival theme.
Groups wear colorful and colorful costumes at the Helsinki carnival
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Helsinki Samba Carnival Parades
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The parade is held by the various samba schools in the city and the rest of the country. Each school has a theme, floats, colorful costumes, dancers and musicians. In addition, each group has a wide repertoire of dances that are performed in the streets of the city.
Parade route
Helsinki carnival parade starts at Senate Square and ends at Mikonkatu
The parade starts at Senate Square Square, crossing Unioninkatu, then crossing to Pohjoisesplanadi, continuing along Mannerheimintie, then Aleksanterinkatu and ending at Mikonkatu.
Karjalanpiirakat is a traditional Finnish dish
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What to eat at the Samba Carnival in Helsinki
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One of the typical foods of the country is the Karjalanpiirakat¸ a kind of pie or pastry that is made with rye flour and filled with potatoes and vegetables. In addition, you can try the Salmiakki, a small salted licorice candy.
The city also offers you some dining out options. Some of these are: Ravintola Kuu, Kappeli and Restaurant Lappi.
Salmiakki are typical Finnish sweets
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Travel Insurance
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From Carnavalesdelmundo.org we recommend to hire a good insurance to visit this carnival and to know the rest of the country. For being our readers we offer a 5% discount on all IATI insurances. Read more information about all insurance offers here:
What to see and do inside the Helsinki Samba Carnival
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Within the carnival you can attend the variousmusic and dance workshops offered in the days leading up to the parade. Also, you can buy a ticket and attend the “Noite de Fantasias” where you can watch the costume competition and the live performances of the different groups.
In addition, you can go to the streets where the parade takes place with the participation of the different samba schools of the country. You can end the day by attending the live music event that takes place during the night with the different latin music and samba groups.
Finally, that weekend you have the possibility to attend the different events that take place in the city in connection with the Carnival festivities..
What to see and do outside the Helsinki Samba Carnivals
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Some of the attractions that the city of Helsinki offers you are:
Ateneum
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It is an art museum that has the largest collection of classical art in the country. The museum was established in 1887 and has visits of up to 400,000 people a year.
Suomenlinna
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It is a fortress dating back to the 18th century. It is located by the sea and extends over 6 islands. Inside the attraction you can take tours of the facilities and eat or drink something in the restaurants located in the vicinity.
Helsingin keskustakirjasto Oodi
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It is the central library of the city. It currently has a total of 100,000 books and features modern architecture.
Safety at the Helsinki Samba Carnival
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Helsinki is one of the safest cities in the world, so you can feel safe walking around the city both day and night.
Pay attention to your surroundings and keep your items in a safe place so you don’t fall victim to pickpockets in some areas of the city, such as in the case of train and streetcar stations. Also, we recommend the following products to keep your belongings safe:
Climate at the Helsinki Samba Carnival
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The city’s weather during the festivities is cool, with temperatures ranging from 11 to 19 degrees Celsius. If you are a chilly person, we recommend packing something warm.
Helsinki carnival groups wear themed costumes
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How to get to the Helsinki Samba Carnival
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How to get there by plane
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The nearest airport is theHelsinki-Vantaa airport. Once there, you can approach the city center via different means of transportation.
How to get there by train
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From the airport you can take a train through the P and I lines until you reach the city center.
In addition, the capital is connected to the other cities of the country through the central station. They also receive trains from Russia..
How to get there by bus
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From the airport you can take a bus line 615 to the city center. The trip takes 1 hour.
The capital is connected to the rest of the cities through the station at Kamppi.
How to get there by car
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From the airport you can take Route 45 to the city center. The drive is about half an hour.
Where to stay at the Helsinki Samba Carnival
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Hotel Finn
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3-star hotel 350 meters from the city center. Rooms have cable TV and private bathrooms. Facilities offer heating, family rooms, Wi-Fi and free parking.
Radisson Blu Seaside Hotel
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4-star hotel 1.4 km from the city center. Rooms feature cable TV, private bathroom and minibar. The hotel offers a fitness center, bar, parking and free Wi-Fi.
Hellsten Helsinki Senate
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3-star aparthotel 1.4 km from the city center. Rooms have equipped kitchens. Facilities offer heating, family-style rooms, parking and free wifi.
We recommend using Booking.com to book hotels at a good price, check more information here:
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