You might have heard stories that Finns share an unconditional love for two things - sauna - and maybe surprisingly - karaoke.
Throughout the years, karaoke has secured its spot as an essential part of the nightlife in Finland, and basically whichever Finnish city you travel to, you are most likely to come across a karaoke bar. The Finnish capital Helsinki, especially, could be officially named the Karaoke Capital of the World, if you ask me. In Helsinki you'll find not only hundreds of karaoke bars and restaurants, but also a library with top-notch karaoke, outdoor karaoke, karaoke dining, and one of the tiniest karaoke bars ever.
The Finnish capital Helsinki could be officially named as the Karaoke Capital of the World, if you ask me.
Let's take a look at some of the must-visit karaoke spots in Helsinki!
Wallis Karaoke Bar - Party Until Morning
The 3-year-old karaoke bar Wallis has taken a spot as one of the hottest go-to places in Helsinki from sunny summer days to the darkest winter nights. Located on the beautiful Katajanokka island in central Helsinki, Wallis is the place to go when you are after a full-on karaoke party night until late. Wallis is open from Monday to Sunday, and on weekends until 4:30 AM. Browse the karaoke songs here and jump on stage!
Wallis Skatta Karaoke Bar, Kanavaranta 7 E 22, 00160 Helsinki
Karaoke at Central Library Oodi
Have your private karaoke session for free at Oodi Library, one of the world's greatest places listed by Time Magazine! The new Oodi Library is definitely more than just a library - it's more like a very well-equipped living room for Helsinki-goers. As it's stated on their website - Oodi is a venue for events, a house of reading and a diverse urban experience.
Studio room with karaoke can be booked for free with a Finnish library card here. You can go with max. 6 persons and book the venue for 4 hours. So definitely a great place for a proper singing extravaganza! In the library, you can also find for example a Fazer cafe with a very Instagram-friendly terrace. So you might as well treat yourself and grab a bite of the famous chocolates or cakes to complete your Oodi karaoke experience.
Oodi Central Library, Töölönlahdenkatu 4, 00100 Helsinki
Singa Open Air Karaoke - the epic outdoor karaoke
Have you daydreamed about singing karaoke on the biggest outdoor screen in the Nordics in front of thousands of people? We all have, right?
Singa Open Air Karaoke can make your dreams come true, as it has for numerous karaoke singers. And even if you've never dreamed about it (like, how!?), I'd strongly encourage you to give it a go.
Singa Open Air Karaoke is a massive outdoor karaoke event which has been held 4 times in Helsinki's Music House Park and in several other locations. Traditionally the event takes place during Helsinki day, on June 12th, and on The Night of the Arts in August.
Have you ever wondered how it's like to sing karaoke on the biggest outdoor screen of the Nordics, in front of thousands of people?
The 2020 summer has obviously been a little different summer when it comes to events. However, Singa Open Air Karaoke successfully took place this June with special arrangements within the Suvilahti Summer event series. Modestly, on a big festival stage. Take a look at how it was!
And luckily that's not it for this summer! In August, the Helsinki's park life will be spiced up by an event series called Singa Open Air Karaoke goes Koffin puisto (Koffin puisto is a nickname locals has lovingly given to the Sinebrychoff Park). The karaoke event takes place at the famous Sinebrychoff Park every Saturday evening from 5 to 8 PM.
In August, the Helsinki's park life will be spiced up by an event series called Singa Open Air Karaoke goes Koffin puisto.
This is the closest you get to Berlin's famous Mauerpark karaoke vibes in Helsinki. So get your picnic baskets ready and navigate yourself to Sinebrychoff Park to experience a karaoke party to remember. The Finnish karaoke audience is known to be very supportive - we are all there to have fun, enjoy the sing-along, and cheer for other karaoke singers! (Note: safety and hygiene updates coming to Singa's Facebook before the event.)
Singa Open Air Karaoke, Various Locations
In August 2020 at Sinebrychoff Park, Sinebrychoffinkatu, 00120 Helsinki
Holiday Bar Singalong Karaoke Dinners
Karaoke while dining in a chic and cozy local favorite? Say no more.
Holiday Bar wanted to bring something new to the dinner table. "Most karaoke venues in Finland tend to be more late night oriented, with booze playing a big role. We wanted to offer a new kind of karaoke experience that doesn't compromise the quality of cuisine, drinks and design", the owner Ville Relander says. Read more about this singalong karaoke dining experience from our blog post.
Holiday Bar, Kanavaranta 7, 00170 Helsinki
Other karaoke picks
Skohan - High-end night club with Singa karaoke party room - a place where many celebrities (eg. G-Eazy and Machine Gun Kelly) have been spotted partying
Oficina / The Cartel Room - The smallest Karaoke bar in Helsinki - a "secret bar" behind a cocktail bar, that you can book for private use
Treffipub - a restaurant in Herttoniemi, which is known from their burgers being one of the best ones in town - but you can also sing karaoke here!
Apollo Karaoke Bar - Big nightclub with karaoke right in the core of Helsinki
Pub Hertas - Popular Karaoke Bar in Vantaa
That's my picks for this time for the top karaoke places in Helsinki. Get your vocal chords warmed up, shortlist some songs, and jump onboard to experience this magical side of Helsinki. I warn you though - karaoke is very addictive, and you might even make some new singing friends.
Have a singing time in Helsinki!
x Silja from Singa
