Fireworks in Helsinki, Friday night 21:30

Around 100,000 expected for annual show

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Pyrotechnics! Everybody seems to love a good firework show, and for those whose appetites were not fully gorged by the Beijing Olympics extravaganza, then Friday night sees the holding of the 11th Finnish Championships in Töölönlahti in downtown Helsinki.
      Five companies from around the country will be taking part, from Mariehamn in the Åland Islands to Oulu, attempting to outblast last year’s winner, Ilotulitus Oy from Tuusula.
     
The event, which is arranged by the commercial TV channel Nelonen, is bound to be a big draw if the weather holds fair (low clouds and high-flying fireworks are not a good combination).
      Last year around 100,000 turned up, making it the largest individual public gathering in the country.
     
The area at the south end of the Töölönlahti Bay will be off-limits to the public, as that is where the fireworks are set off from.
      Good viewing can be had from Parliament, from the large area just to the south of the Olympic Stadium, from the shore of Töölönlahti Bay close to the National Opera, and from Kaisaniemi and Hakaniemi.
     
The show starts at 21:30, and details are given in the link below.
      The map indicates the area close to Finlandia Hall that is cordoned off (yellow and black stripes) as a firing zone.
      As always in these things, taking the car downtown is NOT a good idea.
      Helsinki City Transport and Finnish Railways will be laying on extra bus, Metro, and commuter train services to get people home.


Links:
  Nelonen (in Finnish)
  Finnish Railways - extra commuter services, 5.9.2008

Helsingin Sanomat