Culture and entertainment
The history of Kotka is marked by multiculturalism. The port, international companies and the XAMK University of Applied Sciences have all contributed to the visible internationality of the area.
Cultural life in the city is lively. The city offers a wide range of music, museums, art, libraries, theatre, dance and cinema. Kotka also has an active events scene, the biggest of which are the summer Sea Days, which attract many festival-goers to the area.
If you are on a low income, you can apply for a Kaikukortti card, which gives you free access to sporting and cultural events.
Click here to find out more about events in the Etelä-Kymenlaakso (Kymenlaaksonyt.fi)
Kotka
Satama Areena
Satama Areena is Kotka’s event centre, offering facilities and experiences for various events and functions.
The architecturally unique building has adaptable spaces for concerts, fairs, seminars, meetings, corporate and private events up to 3 000 people.
Satama Areena will be the hub of events in Kotka and will complement the offerings of the harbour area together with other operators such as Maritime Centre Vellamo and university of applied sciences Xamk.
The building has modern event technology and a wide range of services. It also offers restaurant and reception services.
Maritime Centre Vellamo
Maritime Centre Vellamo is a maritime museum centre located in Kotka’s harbour, presenting the history of shipping, the coastal city and Kymenlaakso.
The modern, wave-like building houses the Finnish Maritime Museum and the Kymenlaakso Museum, among others.
Vellamo has both permanent and temporary exhibitions, and on Wednesdays the exhibitions are open to the public, meaning free admission in the evening. The building also has a restaurant, a museum shop, an auditorium and event and meeting rooms.
Icebreaker Tarmo
The icebreaker Tarmo is a historic steam icebreaker, which is part of the Vellamo Maritime Centre museum ships in Kotka. It was once the most powerful and efficient icebreaker in Finland.
Tarmo has also played an important role in military history. It served in the First World War and the Finland-Soviet Union war.
Tarmo is open to the public at the Vellamo museum ship dock at the Maritime Centre Vellamo as part of the Finnish Maritime Museum’s exhibitions. There are also other museum ships next to the Tarmo, such as the lighthouse ship Kemi and the guard ship Telkkä.
Maretarium
The Maretarium is an aquarium house and aquatic exhibit in Kotka, where you can learn about the fauna and fish species of Finland’s waterways.
The Maretarium has aquariums depicting the original nature of Finnish waters, with more than 50 different species of fish and around 1 500 fish species. Species can vary according to the seasons.
In addition to touring the aquarium, you can watch nature films, visit nature exhibitions, take part in nature school activities, relax in the café and shop in the souvenir shop at the Sea Shop.
Gallery Uusikuva
Gallery Uusikuva is an art gallery run by the Kotka Artists’ Association on Satamakatu, next to Kotka Harbour.
The gallery hosts free art exhibitions in the Aava and Luoto spaces, which change monthly. The exhibitions of the year are selected by the Kotka Artists’ Association’s Exhibition Committee.
The gallery also serves as an exhibition space for the Kaakko’s art lending library. The exhibitions include paintings, prints and sculptures.
Langinkoski Imperial Fishing Lodge
The Langinkoski Imperial Fishing Lodge is a historical museum site in the Langinkoski Nature Reserve in Kotka, built by the Russian Emperor Alexander III in the late 19th century.
The only building owned by the Emperor to have survived outside Russia’s borders, it is now a museum where visitors can see original artefacts, photographs and the life of the imperial family.
There is also a small chapel, a fishermen’s cottage and other historic buildings on the site of the fishing hut, and the surrounding nature reserve offers trails for hiking and nature experiences.
Kotka Concert Hall
The Kotka Concert Hall is a concert, banquet, meeting and event venue in the centre of Kotka, which was completed in 1907 and is owned by the City of Kotka.
The Concert Hall is a regular venue for the Kymi Sinfonietta, hosting concerts and other cultural events throughout the year.
The house has rooms available for meetings, parties, seminars and other events. The building also houses the Vausti restaurant, which serves events and functions.
Kotka City Theatre
Kotka City Theatre is a professional theatre company based in Kotka, offering theatre performances for audiences of all ages. The programme includes domestic and foreign plays, musical theatre and other performing arts productions.
In addition to performances, the theatre organises public events and activities.
The theatre is located in Kotkansaari on Keskuskatu. The building was completed in 1927 and the theatre has been operating there since the 1940s. The Kotka City Theatre also presents its productions in the restaurant Kairo.
Restaurant Kairo
The historic and protected harbour restaurant Kairo is located on Satamakatu in Kotka. Its history dates back to the end of the 19th century and the restaurant is known for its seafaring tradition.
Kairo offers food and drinks and a variety of events, including theme nights, concerts and stand-up shows.
The restaurant also serves as the third stage of the Kotka City Theatre, and theatre performances have been held in Kairo since 1986.
Finnish Wooden Boat Centre
The Finnish Wooden Boat Centre is a shipyard and cultural attraction specialising in the construction, repair and restoration of wooden boats, located in Kotka’s harbour, which preserves the Finnish wooden boat tradition.
At the Carving Centre, you can watch craftsmen at work in the woodcarving workshop and admire the woodcarvings. As well as restoration work, the Redsky shipyard at the centre is also building a new generation of wooden boats, as part of the development of the tradition.
The Finnish Wooden Boat Centre is open to the public during working hours without an entrance fee and is also connected to Café Kalaranta.
House of Culture Kyminsuu
House of culture Kyminsuu is a cultural centre located in Karhula, Kotka, which offers spaces and programmes for performing arts and various public events. Kyminsuu serves as a venue for theatre performances, concerts, dance and other cultural activities.
Kyminsuu also offers rooms for rent for meetings, parties and other events. The facilities include a theatre and a café-restaurant.
It is run by a cultural association and has strong roots in local amateur theatre.
Hamina
Hamina Bastion
Hamina Bastion is an event venue that truly leaves a lasting impression. The historic fortress surroundings, combined with Europe’s largest summer tent canopy, offer a superb setting for VIP events, concerts, trade fairs, and sporting events alike.
The unique historical ambiance, great acoustics, and an excellent location in the heart of Hamina ensure a successful and memorable event. Thanks to the canopy, summer events are a success regardless of the weather! The world-class small town of Hamina, with its sights and services, ensures a comprehensive and enjoyable experience for your visitors.
The Hamina Bastion arena provides versatile, high-quality facilities for events and occasions of all sizes.
Hamina City Museum
Hamina City Museum tells the history of Hamina from the Stone Age to the present day. It is housed in a stone building dating from around 1760 and has been a museum since 1957. Exhibitions show the development of the town, local maritime history and everyday life, and changing themes.
The museum also has an upstairs space called Vintti, which is used for workshops, events and meetings.
The Hamina Museum is part of a wider museum complex which, together with other sites such as the Museum of the Merchant’s House and the Vehkalahti Village Museum, presents the cultural and life history of Hamina and its surroundings.
The Merchant’s House Museum
The Merchant’s House Museum is a log building in Hamina, completed in 1841. The museum displays early 20th-century domestic and commercial premises, including objects and furnishings, and tells the story of the city’s commercial Finnish-Russian past.
In the museum, you can explore not only the shop environment but also the living rooms and their objects, which reflect life and everyday life in times gone by.
The Merchant’s House Museum is part of the Hamina Museum complex, which presents the history of the city and its surroundings.
Vehkalahti Village Museum
Vehkalahti Village Museum is located in the village of Husula in Hamina, in the first elementary school building in Vehkalahti, which was completed in 1871. The building has served as a museum since 1960 and presents rural life and the village community in the 1870s and 1950s.
The exhibitions showcase the activities of the old folk school, folk costumes, artefacts and practical tools. The Village Museum also organises events and guided tours.
In the museum’s courtyard you can see old yard games and activities during the summer, and you can also learn about the rural history of the surrounding area.
RUK Museum
The RUK Museum is located along Hamina’s Museum Street in a former military hospital building, completed in 1948.
The building originally served as a military barracks and later as a garrison officers’ club. Since 1996, the building has housed the Museum of the Reserve Officers’ School.
The museum presents the training and history of the Reserve Officers’ School (RUK) in Finland from 1920 to the present day. Exhibits include artefacts, documents, photos and equipment relating to military training, including the phases of leadership training and garrison operations.
Museum of the Old Veteran
The Old Veteran is the Peacekeeping and Veteran Work Tradition Center operating in the center of Hamina. The museum presents Finland’s peacekeeping history that began in 1956, as well as all Finnish peacekeeping and crisis management operations up to the present day. Changing exhibitions cherish the heritage of war veterans, voluntary national defence and peacekeeping.
It also serves as a meeting and training center for regional and local veteran and national defense associations. At Wanha Veteraani, you can discover the heritage and artifacts of our war veterans presented in a modern way.
Hamina Theatre and Kino Hamina
Hamina Theatre is an amateur theatre located in the centre of Hamina, producing performances throughout the year.
The theatre stages productions at its own venue in the Raittiustalo building in central Hamina and also organises popular summer theatre performances at various outdoor stages. Summer theatre has become an important part of its activities and attracts audiences from across the Kymenlaakso region.
Hamina Theatre operates on a volunteer basis and involves theatre enthusiasts of all ages. The theatre also arranges courses, workshops and other community activities that support the local cultural scene.
Kino Hamina operates in the same premises as the Hamina Theatre. Owned and operated by the Town of Hamina, the cinema provides a versatile selection of films for audiences of all ages.
Miehikkälä
Salpa Line museum
The Salpa Line Museum is located in Miehikkälä, as part of the extensive Salpapolku complex. The museum presents the history of the Salpa Defense Line during World War II and its importance for the defence of Finland.
In the museum area you can visit the original forts, battle trenches and fortifications, which have been preserved and restored as authentically as possible. The exhibitions present the phases of fortification work, the everyday life of soldiers and the wider historical background through objects, photographs and guided tours.
The Salpalinja Museum is both an indoor and outdoor museum, with several signposted routes leading visitors through the structures and landscapes of the fortification chain. The museum also offers accommodation, rented sauna, meeting and banquet facilities, a lunch café and the Rasla museum shop.
