Luoston tähtiartistit & kevät 2026

Composers are among the few who can truly pack light, eternal souvenirs from their travels. This concert features works that describe journeys and places.

The renowned Finnish saxophone quartet Saxtronauts is the perfect guest for this year’s festival. After all, they like to call themselves an exploratory ensemble. In a unique concert in the magnificent Aittakuru.

Every journey begins somewhere, and even the longest ones start with a single step. This evening concert tells the story of that first moment, full of anticipation and expectation, when everything is still possible.

Traveling by ship has an almost mythical significance in human history, as water is so important in bringing people and cultures together. This concert reflects on the sea, which connects and carries us. The performance culminates in a harp quintet composed by naval officer Jean Cras while serving on a warship.

In the fall of 2018, Tarmo Järvilehto began a series of performances of Ludwig van Beethoven’s piano sonatas in Sodankylä. Now, after eight years, the journey is coming to an end. In the final recital of the series, we will experience three milestones in Beethoven’s life: his first sonata, his last sonata, and the monumental Appassionata.

Every year, the festival’s penultimate evening ends on the terrace of Restaurant Punakettu, where the festival musicians perform a lighter repertoire and spend time with festival guests. A shared moment of enjoyment – like sitting by a campfire on a long journey.