Tampere has completed the extensive renovation of the Tullikamari Cultural Centre, one of the city’s key event venues. The building has been approved for use, and the renewed facilities will be brought into use at the beginning of September. For the city centre, this brings back a major venue for concerts and events, with the first events planned for the turn of October and November.
What changes
The renovation aimed to ensure the building’s functionality and attractiveness as one of Tampere’s key event venues well into the future. The project improved the facilities to meet current event, safety and accessibility requirements. At the same time, it preserved the building’s culturally and historically significant features.
More than 500 professionals took part in the works. According to Minnakaisa Kuivalainen, Executive Director of Tampere Music Festivals, the project was completed on schedule.
Handover and operation
The key dates are:
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| Official handover of the premises | 31 August 2026 |
| Transfer to users | 1 September 2026 |
| Publication of the Tampere Jazz Happening programme | 1 September 2026 |
| 45th Tampere Jazz Happening | 29 October to 1 November 2026 |
The renewed facilities will be operated by Tampereen Kulttuurikamari Oy, which is responsible for launching event operations at Tullikamari. Janne Laurila, Program Manager at the company, said it already has dozens of events booked, ranging from concerts to gala events.
First event
The first event in the renewed building will be the 45th Tampere Jazz Happening, which launches event operations at Pakkahuone and Klubi. The festival returns to a building that has played a significant role in its history for decades. According to Laurila, the festival has been recognised as Europe’s best jazz festival.