The City Theatre published its annual report for 2024 – a staggering 327,000 spectators in the 2024–2025 performance year
A total of 19 premieres were produced at the Helsinki City Theatre in the 2024–2025 performance year. A total of more than 327,000 spectators visited the theatre during the autumn and spring (2023–2024: 267,000, 2022–2023: 251,000). In addition, a total of more than 18,000 people participated in audience outreach activities and various events. A total of 811 performances were seen during the year.
Helsinki City Theatre’s Annual Report 2024 is available on the theatre’s website.
“The performance year 2024–2025 has been a huge success in many ways. Thanks for this go to all our wonderful, highly professional staff, of which I am really proud! Thank you also to our audience, who trust us and want to come to the theatre. We exceeded 300,000 spectators for the first time in six years. The performances on the main stage managed to gather full audiences, and the occupancy rate of all our stages was a magnificent 87%,” says Theatre Director Kari Arffman.
On the big stage, the mega-hit Moulin Rouge! Musical (119,200). The other premieres of the season on the main stage, Sinun, Margot (26,600) and the classic fairy tale Veljeni Leijonamieli (29,800), based on the novel by Meri Valkama, also filled the auditoriums and were almost sold out throughout the season.
The most watched performance on the Arena stage was the chilling mystery of a closed space And None Was Saved (31,600). On the small stage, the drama comedy Jenny Hill attracted the most viewers (6,200), and on the Swedish-language stage of Lilla Teatern, the musical Dancer in the Dark received the most viewers (5,600).
Studio Pasila’s most watched performance was the apocalyptic musical New Eden (6,500). The most popular performance of the year by the City Theatre’s dance group, Helsinki Dance Company, was Silence (5,400), choreographed by Jarkko Mandelin. The stage of the contemporary performance attracted a total of more than 2,000 spectators during the year of the performance, and the most popular was the contemporary puppet show Whatever Love Means (1,400 spectators).
In the repertoire in the autumn season 2025
The diverse programme of the autumn 2025 season will start with the Contemporary Performance Stage’s little_star95 – ooksä online? performance from the early 2000s on 7 August at Studio Pasila.
The premiere of the autumn season on the Main Stage on 30 August will be Juha Jokela’s new comedy Let’s Play Business. In addition, the hugely successful Moulin Rouge! The musical and Astrid Lindgren’s beloved fairytale adventure My Brother the Lionheart. In addition, the public’s beloved Coffee with the Writer events will continue in the balcony foyer of the main stage.
In the autumn, the Arena Stage will feature a brand new farce comedy Sutina ja säätöa, which will premiere on 3 September. In addition, the ever-popular Stones in Your Pocket will continue on the Arena stage. In November, comedian Iikka Kivi will visit the Arena Stage with his stand-up solo performance Special Relationship with Nature. Comedian André Wickström will also visit the Arena stage and Lilla Teatern in November with his jubilee show Andre Wickström 30 years on stage – and there is no end in sight!.
On 28 August, the historical contemporary drama The Queen’s Play will premiere on the Small Stage, and on 9 October, Aleksi from Finland, based on the true story of Finnish professional soldier Aleksi Lysander. In addition, a fun and participatory performance for families with children, Molli’s Evening Party, will continue in the foyer of the small stage.
From 25 September, Studio Pasila will host a musical play for the whole family, Who Captured the Sun. The popular stand-up club Club Act!one will continue in Studio Pasila.
Hyenans dagar, based on the novel by Saara Turunen and directed by Turunen herself, will premiere on the stage of Lilla Teatern on 11 September. In addition, Red Nose Company will visit Lillan in September and October with their performance Strömsö.
The premieres for November and December will be announced and opened for sale on 12 August.
Annual report 2024in English Annual report 2024 in EnglishÅrsberättelse 2024 på svenskaNext premieres at the Helsinki City Theatre
7.8.2025 Stage of the contemporary performance: little_star95 – ooksä online?, performance concept: Koiranen, Hägglund, Ahonen, Kujansuu, Kotkaniemi, Kotkaniemi
28.8.2025 The Queen’s Play, dir. Sini Pesonen
30.8.2025 Let’s Play Business, dir. Juha Jokela
3.9.2025 Buzzing and Adjustment, dir. Sari Siikander
11.9.2025 Hyena Days, dir. Saara Turunen
25.9.2025 Who Captured the Sun, dir. Liila Jokelin
9.10.2025 Aleksi from Finland, dir. Tuomas Rinta-Panttila
In autumn 2025, the following will continue in the programme:
Moulin Rouge! Musical, dir. Anders Albien
My Brother Lionheart, dir. Jakob Höglund
Stones in Your Pocket, dir. Pentti Kotkaniemi
Mollin iltahepuli, dir. Jenny Jumppanen
Club act!oneOver coffee with the authorGuest performances
From 16.9.2025 Strömsö, Red Nose Company, Lilla Teatern
20. and 21.11.2025 Iikka Kivi – Special Relationship with Nature, Arena Stage
22.11.2025 André Wickström 30 years on stage – and there is no end in sight!, Arena Stage
27.11.2025 André Wickström – 30 years on stage and no end in sight!, Lilla Teatern
Helsinki City Theatre’s ticket sales and customer service by phone (09) 394022 Mon-Fri 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ticket offices Ensi linja 2, Mon-Fri 12-17, Eläintarhantie 5, Sat (performance days) 11-18 and one hour before the performance (ticket offices during summer break 17.5.-27.7.) and Lippu.fi, Mon-Sat 9-19, Sun 12-16, tel. 0600 900 900 (2 €/min + local network charge) www.hkt.fi
Press release photo Moulin Rouge! About the musical, cinematographer Otto-Ville Väätäinen.
Further information, media ticket reservations and interview requests:
Peppi Lehmussaari, Communications Coordinator, peppi.lehmussaari@hkt.fi, 050 336 4747
Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja 2, 00530 Helsinki