Tampere students celebrate the biggest virtual May Day in Finland

For many students in Tampere, Wappu is the highlight of student life. Even though everything happens virtually, several events are organised.

“The student community has received the virtual Wappu really well,” says Hanna Vähävuori, Events Organiser from the TREY Student Union.

Rain or shine, a picnic is always a part of the programme – at least for student’s overalls. A collage of student overalls can be spotted on the Konsulinsaari island near the Satakunnansilta bridge. The student organisations will mount the exhibition of overalls on Konsulinsaari on Tuesday 27 April and the picnic of the overalls will continue until 3 May.

The brand-new tram will also be on hand to bring the Wappu mood to Tampere. You can see the tram filled with student overalls on the May Day Eve during the test runs between 15.00 and 21.00 o’clock.

“Tampere has a very special and forward-looking atmosphere which is at least partly because every sixth resident is a student. It is nice to be involved in celebrating the students’ Wappu in this way – and why not the start of the tramway traffic to boot,” says Pekka Sirviö, CEO of Tampere Tramway Ltd.

As part of the celebrations, students from Tampere will participate in the YleX radio channel’s “Finland's biggest May Day party” concept. Students will also organise their own events where they observe the safety measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Tampere Student’s Wappu is organised in co-operation between the student organisations, Tampere University and Tampere University of Applied Sciences, the city of Tampere and the Yle broadcasting company.

Further information:
The full Wappu programme is published on the TREY website.

Photo: Unsplash