Estimated duration
2 h 30 min., incl. intermission
Organizer
Sublime Music Agency Oy
International Women’s Day will be celebrated at the Helsinki Music Centre on a scale never seen before, in a concert hosted by composer Anna-Mari Kähärä!
International Women’s Day will be celebrated with the choral music of Anna-Mari Kähärä at the Helsinki Music Centre on Saturday, 7 March 2026 at 6:00 pm.
The now well-established International Women’s Day Celebration Concert will take place at the Helsinki Music Centre for the fifth time – and bigger than ever before.
Hosted by Anna-Mari Kähärä, the concert brings together KYN, Philomela, Vino Ensemble, the Finnish Female Choir Association, and female choir singers from across Finland to form a magnificent massed choir. The choirs will be conducted by Counsellor of Music Kaija Viitasalo, Anna Gallon, Viena Kangas, and Counsellor of Music Anneli Julén.
The programme centres around two world premieres composed by Kähärä. Gruuga, set to poems by Finnish-Karelian artist Mirva Haltia, is a commissioned work by the Finnish Female Choir Association. The piece features the endangered Karelian language, sung by 400 voices.
The second world premiere draws inspiration from the forthcoming book Women of Gaza by Palestinian journalist Randa Aldawoudi, who has adapted her texts specifically for this choral work. The experiences and personal memories of women and those who grew up amid war will be heard both through the choir’s singing and through Aldawoudi’s own spoken narration.
The evening will also feature Palestinian-Jordanian folk musician Nemat Battah, who will give the world premiere of her own composition based on a folk poem. The work tells of family and the pain of separation from loved ones – an experience deeply familiar to Palestinians. On International Women’s Day, Battah wishes to honor the courageous and resilient women of Palestine, especially mothers who have endured unimaginable trauma for more than 80 years.
The hugely popular moving choral work Kaikki naiset älkööt tehkö käsitöitä will be performed in an unprecedentedly large-scale production. Based on texts by Minna Canth, the role of Canth on stage is portrayed by actress Kristiina Halttu, with choreography by Sonya Lindfors.
Welcome to a celebration of choral music.
Towards the sound, friends!
Tickets to Musiikkitalo concerts and other events are available to purchase on our website, by telephone and at our physical box office.
Book tickets for 10–20 or more people is by contacting group sales service by email at ryhmat@musiikkitalo.fi or by telephone on 0600 411 101 (Monday to Friday, 9:00–15:00).
How about a cup of coffee, a bite to eat or a glass of bubbly during the interval? Order your drinks in advance to beat the queues and make the most of your concert visit. Interval refreshments are not available at all concerts.
Our location could not be more central or easier to get to. Almost all forms of Helsinki public transport stop right outside our doors, cycle parking is provided at all our entrances, and Aimo Park Finlandia, our nearest multi-storey car park, offers lift access directly to our main foyer.
At Helsinki Music Centre we are proud to be an accessible and welcoming place for everyone. Tactile handrails and signage have been fitted across the building, and there are tactile indicator strips on the floor too to guide partially sighted and blind visitors. Induction loops are always available, and guide or companion dogs are of course permitted within the building.
Concert Hall
The route to your seat is always printed on your ticket. Check the door number to find out which entrance to take. The seating areas are marked with letters. There is level access to all wheelchair seats from the main entrances. Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with our venue – our staff are always on hand to help you find your seat.
Black Box, Camerata and Sonore
Use the row number printed on your ticket to find your seat. Wheelchair seats are situated on the same level as the entrance. Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with our venue – our staff area always on hand to help you find your seat.
Unallocated seating
Please choose your seat on the day.
Floor plans
You can view our floor plans before your visit.
Cloakroom
We ask you to leave your coat and any larger items in the cloakroom. The cloakroom is free of charge.
Latecomers
Latecomers will be asked to wait until a suitable break in the performance or admitted after the interval.
Photography
You are not permitted to record concert performances at Helsinki Music Centre. However, you may take photographs before and after the concert and during applause. Individual concert organisers may have their own, more detail guidance regarding recording and photography.
Dress code
We’re happy to say we have no dress code at Helsinki Music Centre, and we positively encourage you to come as you are. However, we would be grateful if you could avoid wearing strong perfume during your visit so that people with asthma and fragrance sensitivity can enjoy our concerts symptom free.
