WOW Finland

WOW Finland took place on 11 March 2017 at Tampere Hall, as part of Finland’s official Centenary of Independence celebrations. It was the first WOW festival in the Nordic region, and a truly landmark event for the WOW movement – drawing in thousands of participants and becoming one of the most diverse, ambitious WOW festivals to date.

WOW Finland welcomed more than 3,800 visitors, featured 250 performers, and hosted over 85 events in a single day – ranging from awards ceremonies and keynote speeches to theatre, comedy, panel discussions, and exhibitions. The festival embraced Finland’s progressive history while critically examining the barriers that still remain for women, girls and non-binary people across the country and around the world.

Headline guests included former Finnish President Tarja Halonen, Iceland’s former Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, and internationally recognised feminist voices like Lenita Airisto and Beauty Katebe. The festival also featured music performances by top Finnish artists, workshops on self-expression, and space for open dialogue about inclusion, power, and identity.

The festival programme was planned in eleven WOW Think Ins all over Finland, where nearly 700 people engaged in producing the content by proposing subjects and speakers for the festival. These events brought together a programme of over 250 performers, supported by 70 people in the active working group.

The legacy of WOW Finland included the launch of the International Gender Equality Prize by the Finnish Prime Minister – a new award honouring individuals or organisations advancing global gender equality, to be presented biennially.

WOW Finland was a joyful and vital celebration of equity and freedom in one of the world’s most gender-progressive nations, while also acknowledging the work still to be done to ensure that equality is truly lived by all.

WOW Finland, in cooperation with Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE, produced a short documentary in English, The History of Equality. Directed and written by Maarit Tastula.