The May Day activities and events once again offer something for everyone.
The sTYYlish May Day organised by the Student Union of the University of Turku starts with the traditional punch event, where the Student Union and student organisations offer refreshing drinks around the Turku campus. After the punch, the traditional May Day Parade starts its trek towards the Turku Art Museum hill, where thousands of people gather for the “capping” ceremony (known as lakitus in Finnish).
The traditional capping ceremony at the Turku Art Museum Hill will start at 17.30, and everyone will put on their white student caps at 18.00, at the end of the speech given by the Chair of the Student Union Executive Board.
After the capping, the Parade continues to the Runeberginpuisto park, where the Lily of Turku statue will be washed and given a student cap. This will be followed by the capping of the statue of Paavo Nurmi at the intersection of Hämeenkatu and Kaskenkatu streets by the technology students (Teekkarikomissio).
On 1 May, everyone is welcome to gather at Vartiovuorenmäki hill for the sTYYlish May Day picnic to enjoy music and the spring.
This year's May Day celebrations will once again feature the #SiistiVappu (Clean May Day) campaign, encouraging people to keep the campus and the city free of litter.
Read more: STYYlish May Day Eve and May Day Picnic
Synapsi ry, the association for geography and biology students, will once again organise the joyful Vappusumppu event for families with children at the Natura building on the University Hill on 1 May 2024 at 10–14. The theme of the event is the kingdom of buzzy bugs. Entrance fee is 5€/child, adults free.
The event is also a great opportunity to visit the Zoological Museum of the University of Turku. For the little ones, there will also be face painting, an obstacle course, pony rides (extra €4), a fishing game, and crafts.
Read more: Vappusumppu (page in Finnish)
Turun Wappuradio has started its broadcast already on 22 April and will continue until May Day Eve, 30 April. There is a wide range of topics and genres to listen to on the programme. Wappuradio broadcasts around the clock on 93,8MHz.
Read more: Turku Wappuradio
Around May Day, the higher education communities organise many other festivities around Turku, such as Teekkariwappu (page in Finnish).
Open-air sitz party and hill car race in Rauma
The Rauma campus will host an open-air sitz party on Monday, 28 April during the May Day week. The May Day Eve on 30 April gets an exciting start with the TK-Kilta hill car race on the Seminaarinmäki hill at 15.00. The day will culminate in the traditional capping of the Kanali Helm statue at 18.00.
On 1 May, there will be a traditional May Day picnic in the Parpansali Park at 12.00.
The joint Finnish baseball tournament of the higher education institutions in Satakunta kicked off the May Day celebrations already on 22 April. This time the victory went to the team from Rauma.
Mead and a rowing challenge in Pori
In Pori, students celebrate May Day for over a week, culminating in the city-wide May Day Eve celebrations on 30 April.
On May Day Eve, the Wappumatinea of the University Consortium of Pori will be held at the Old Town Hall, where, among other things, the accomplishments of the past academic year will be celebrated. The programme for the whole city will begin at 17.30 with speeches by the Chair of the Student Association of Pori (Pointer ry) and the Director of the University Consortium of Pori, and continues with the traditional washing and capping of the Bear statue.
The programme has already included a joint mead celebration (wappusimahetki in Finnish) for the students and staff of the University Consortium on 23 April, and on the same day a rowing challenge where students of Satakunta University of Applied Sciences and the University Consortium competed against each other.
Read more: May Day celebrations in Pori (page in Finnish)
TK / SY
Photos: Hanna Oksanen and Hanna Rissanen