The Dream Year of Culture in Lappeenranta is a year of doing things together, and celebrating cultural diversity. It highlights local artists and cultural practitioners and encourages people to get involved in culture. The year will strengthen economic vitality of culture and lay foundations for the growth of the events sector. Culture contributes to well-being, inclusion and community.

Lappeenranta's Dream Year of culture is made with the citizens in mind - the dreams of Lappeenranta residents have been mapped since summer 2022 and will be taken into account in the planning of the Dream Year. The Dream Year will start with a winter event at the turn of January and February, and the closing ceremony will bring light to the end of November. Throughout the year, the arts will surprise and engage citizens with pop-up cultural events.

2024 will also mark the 375th birthday of the city of Lappeenranta, which will be celebrated in August, and the anniversary Saimaa European Region of Gastronomy which celebrates food culture. The Dream Year of Culture 2024 will cooperate with these celebrations.

Come and join us in creating the Dream Year of Culture!

Cultural operators are invited to bring their own event as part of the Dream Year of Culture. Anyone can download the Dream Year Of Culture logo and be part of the Dream Year of Culture. By using the logo, you will get involved in the city's communication.

Download the logo and use it prominently in your marketing materials, add your event in South Karelia's event calendar under the Lappeenranta the Dream Year Of Culture, and after the event let us know the number of participants. This way we get valuable information about the number of events and participants and can better verify the effectiveness of culture and events. Read more and download the logo for your use here!

In exchange for the use of the logo, the city's marketing and communications will upload content on its own channels: Instagram @lappeenrantafi and Facebook Lappeenranta City .

During the Dream Year of Culture, there will be open calls for cultural operators to produce "Culture pop-ups". The Lappeenranta Dream Year of Culture 2024 will enable an inclusive experience for all. It means new accessible experiments that meet the wishes of the city's residents. The Culture pop-ups will be free of charge, open to all; performances, participatory workshops and different art forms. The aim is to enable artists and cultural operators to work professionally and showcase their skills, and to create low-threshold cultural experiences that inspire people to get involved in culture and events.

Culture pop-ups are provided by cultural professionals: individual self-employed artists, associations, cooperatives and companies from which the City of Lappeenranta buys the Culture pop-ups as a purchased service. For each selected culture content the Dream Year of Culture pays 1000€. The artists will be selected on the basis of the applications. Information about the applications will be published on the News page. 

For more information, please contact:

Tuulia Ahokas, tel. +358 40 844 0252, tuulia.ahokas@lappeenranta.fi 

Anni Pellikka, tel. +358 40 559 0710, anni.pellikka@lappeenranta.fi