Sugrifest 2025

Sugrifest, or Finno-Ugric Family Day, has been celebrated in Tampere since 2014. Finno-Ugric refers to linguistic kinship—peoples who speak related languages. Languages related to Finnish include Estonian, Sámi, Hungarian, Mari, Komi, and Udmurt. The event showcases a rich variety of Finno-Ugric cultures through music, dance, traditional costumes, and storytelling.

The Music Hall programme includes lectures of various themes introducing us to, among other things, sauna culture, Ingria, Vepsians, the Hungarian minorities of Romania and Estonian costume heritage. The colorful folk costume parade gathers dozens of traditional outfits for a group photo each year. Join in with your own attire—all kinds of folk costumes are welcome!

The Finno-Ugric Market in the Lecture Hall offers books, jewelry, clothing, accessories, and treats from various cultures. The market stage also features folk music and dance performances from various groups.

New this year are the language workshops! In the approximately half-hour crash courses, you will learn vocabulary in different languages, such as greetings and numbers. You will also get an idea of what Finnish and its related languages have in common. Workshops are held in the Lauri & Viita space on the 3rd floor.

Come experience and learn something new about Finnishness and its linguistic relatives! The event is free of charge. Spoken programmes are in Finnish, but there is plenty of music and dance as well as festive atmosphere to enjoy without language barriers (suggestions in bold text in the programme below).

Welcome to Sugrifest! Culture House Laikku (Keskustori 4), Saturday 4th of October, 10-17. Information about accessibility and safer space guidelines coming soon!

PROGRAMME (subject to change)

Music Hall 3rd Floor

10 Pekka Lehtonen: Inkerinmaa - alue ja asukkaat - ennen ja nyt

11 Elina Pallas: Parantavia kylpyjä ja metisiä löylyjä: Saunan merkitys esivanhemmillemme

12 Luento: Lassi Saressalo: vepsäläiset

13 Folk Costume Parade and Group Photo

13:15 Tormisen Laulusumm Laulutunti, jossa lauletaan Celia Roosen ja Ants Johansonin johdolla regilauluja

14 Magdolna Kovács: Unkarilaisia vähemmistöjä Romaniassa

15 Inkeri-visailu

16 Music from Komi, Udmurt, Mari, Erzya, and Moksha Peoples from Estonia

Lecture Hall 2nd Floor (15 min performances)

10:30 Music of Small Nations

12:30 Sudenmorsiamet: Ingrian Finnish Music

13:30 Music of Small Nations

14:30 Karelian Kruugu: Karelian and Ingrian Finnish Songs and Poems

15:30 Vingerpussid: Estonian folk dance group

Lauri & Viita 3rd Floor – Language Workshops

10:00 Hungarian

10:45 Estonian

11:15 Udmurt

11:45 Komi

12:15 Anbur Society: Write Your Name in Ancient Permic Script

13:15 Tver Karelians: Photos and Videos

13:45 Karelian

14:15 Erzya

14:45 Moksha

15:15 Mari

15:45 Northern Sámi