Record 8,500 Visit Hiedanranta Garden Festival Amid Packed Weekend

Aamulehti reported that a free garden festival in Hiedanranta attracted a record 8,500 visitors last Saturday.

Organisers Hiedanrannan kehitys Oy and Tampere's urban culture unit ran the event. Laura Niittymäki, marketing manager for Hiedanrannan kehitys Oy, said the festival largely went smoothly but food supplies ran out in places after some local vendors cancelled at the last minute because of illness.

The busy weekend, with Blockfest and Festivaali happening at the same time, made it hard to find replacements; Aamulehti described it as a packed festival weekend.

The event was headlined by Ellimei, whose song Mun ihminen has more than 12.4 million Spotify streams. It also featured Emma Salokoski and Ville Leinonen & Valumo, alongside family workshops.

Niittymäki called the garden festival the organisers' biggest event of the year. She said it draws people from across Tampere and neighbouring municipalities, and confirmed the festival will return next year. Attendance has grown from about 7,000 in 2024 and an estimated 4,500 in a rain-hit year. The celebration has been held since 2015.