Finland's Helsinki Philharmonic Offers Young People €2 Tickets

Young people aged between 15 and 25 will be able to purchase these tickets for the entirety of the 2024/25 season

The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (HPO) is offering young people aged between 15 and 25 the opportunity to attend its mainstage concerts for just two euros.

The offer first came about in 2022, as part of the orchestra's 140th anniversary celebrations — but the tickets proved so popular that the orchestra has reinstated the policy for the 2023/24 season.

These tickets will be available for purchase one week before each concert, provided that seats are still available. The policy will allow younger people, who may not otherwise be able to afford concert tickets, to experience their local orchestra.

Founded by Robert Kajanus in 1882, the HPO was the first permanent professional orchestra of its kind in the Nordic countries. The ensemble gave the premiere performances of almost all of Sibelius's symphonic works, with the composer himself at the helm.

In the present day, the orchestra is led by the renowned Finnish conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste.

"Young people and young adults are among the groups that have suffered most during the Covid-19 period," said Aleksi Malmberg, the HPO's general manager. "Accordingly, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra is supporting young audiences in particular during our anniversary season by offering them a special price for tickets to our concerts this autumn and next spring."

"Robert Kajanus, founder of the HPO, was himself just 25 when he assembled an orchestra for Helsinki."