COMING SOON: PUNK! 50 years of buzz in the streets of Helsinki
Mannerheimintie 13b • 23 Oct 2026 – 29 Aug 2027
Punk arrived in Helsinki half a century ago, and this non-conforming subculture is still going strong today. A joint exhibition Helsinki City Museum and Punk Museum will explore the 50-year history of the punk scene in Helsinki.
Leather jackets and mohawks, zines and self-published albums, sweaty gigs and a DIY attitude. The exhibition ‘PUNK! 50 years of buzz in the streets of Helsinki’ takes visitors to key meeting spaces from the late 1970s to the present day – from the Kill City neighbourhood to the Lepakko urban culture centre, and from the legendary second-hand record shop Oskun Divari to the Vuoritalo centre for alternative culture.
You can watch the story of Finnish punk unfold through photographs, video interviews, album covers, zines, gig posters, clothing, musical instruments and other artefacts, such as a drum stool built by Pelle Miljoona himself and Maukka Perusjätkä’s chainsaw.
Punk breaks out of the displays
Punk classics are playing on the jukebox, and you can pogo in the pit or pick up an instrument in the practice space. Through the young band Mökä, visitors get to see how punk music is made in the 2020s. The exhibition also sheds light on punk’s journey from an oppressed subculture to being part of Finnish cultural history.
Punk emerged in London and New York in the mid-1970s, giving a voice to the rebellious youth. Despite opposition from the Finnish Government and youth organisations, this counter-culture also drew in Helsinki residents who had grown tired of elitist rock music. Half a century later, punk is still alive and well, living on in art, fashion and activism.
The past calls, the present answers
The exhibition has been curated by Teijo Hintikka, Timo ‘Kipi’ Kiippa and Vilja Joensuu from the Punk Museum. Many other members of the Punk Museum have also helped with the project.
“The exhibition is a tribute to this 50-year-old subculture. Punk hasn’t become socially acceptable, but punk has no problem with venues of high society,” says Joensuu.
“Punk in Helsinki brings back many memories, thoughts and feelings. We warmly welcome all interested visitors – from punk veterans to record collectors, and from the young ones to seniors,” adds Hintikka.
Story of punk continues at Kino Regina
At Villa Hakasalmi, visitors can delve deeper into the exhibition’s themes through discussion sessions that serve as an introduction to the documentary films in Kino Regina’s series ‘Punk 50 vuotta’ (‘Punk 50 Years’). The autumn programme includes documentaries such as ‘The Punk Singer’ (2013), a film about the musician Kathleen Hanna, and ‘White Riot’ (2019), a documentary exploring the links between punk and anti-racist activism.
The exhibition has been produced by Tuomas Nolvi, a researcher at the Helsinki City Museum. Kristian Palmu is responsible for the exhibition design, and Jari Mikkola for its graphic design.
PUNK! 50 years of buzz in the streets of Helsinki
23 October 2026 – 29 August 2027
Villa Hakasalmi (Mannerheimintie 13 B, Helsinki)
Opening hours
Tue 11.00–19.00, Wed–Sun 11.00–17.00
Admission fee
€17/11, free of charge to persons under 18 and Museum Card holders
Admission free day at Villa Hakasalmi
Last Friday of every month at 11.00–17.00
Photo: Kaide’s leather jacket, 1986. J-P Inkinen / Punk Museum
Photos:
Kaide’s leather jacket. J-P Inkinen, 1986 / Punk Museum
Päivi and Heidi at Lepakko. Jan Kaila, 1982 / Punk Museum
Punks on the steps of Helsinki Cathedral. J-P Inkinen, 1986 / Punk Museum
Anti-nuclear weapons demonstration. J-P Inkinen, 1985 / Punk Museum
Katu on Punk. Timo Kiippa, 2025 / Punk Museum
The floors of Vuoritalo. Jussi Jänis, 2007 / Music Archive Finland
