The City of Kouvola will once again participate in the Night of the Arts, organized by Kouvolan Ydinkeskusta ry, on Friday, August 15. At Kouvolatalo, its surrounding area, and the Poikilo Museum, visitors can enjoy a rich program of music, dance, theater, and visual arts from 5 PM to 10 PM – free of charge and open to all.
The Night of the Arts at Kouvolatalo offers an immersive evening full of art and culture. The program, organized by the City of Kouvola’s cultural services, will spread across the indoor spaces of Kouvolatalo, the surrounding park, and the Poikilo Museums. Highlights include remix sessions by KVL United DJs, and an experimental performance by RAErave, combining bass music and contemporary dance. Visitors can also enjoy various forms of music, theater, and dance, as well as explore art exhibitions and galleries.
Rhythmic Program for All Ages at Simelius Hall
At 5 PM, the Children’s Orchestra Musamasiina kicks off the evening with fresh rhythms that take listeners on a journey around the world – even into space! This is followed by an interactive Body Rhythm Workshop, where the North Kymi Music Institute’s orchestra invites the audience to create rhythms in various ways alongside the music.
In the Mermaid’s New Adventure fairy tale dance performance, students from Kouvola Dance Institute blend movement languages from different dance styles to suit the story’s characters and elements. The performance is a delightful experience for all, especially children under 8 years old.
At 6:45 PM, talented singer Upendra Siriwardana, known from The Voice of Finland, takes the stage. She sings in multiple languages and captivates the audience with her powerful and expressive voice.
The evening continues with a performance by the Opera Class of the North Kymi Music Institute, breathtaking acrobatics by Circus Bravuuri, and empowering, humorous dance by Dance Group Cougars. The final musical act in Simelius Hall is Hämärä Päivää, known for their garage-style sound.
Poikilo Museum Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary
To mark the occasion, the museum will host a pin badge workshop, where visitors can create their own Kouvola-themed badge using images from the museum’s photo collections. The activity is suitable for all ages. The event also introduces the Finna online archive, showing how to access the museum’s collections online.
Exhibitions at Poikilo Museums, Galleries, and Honkasali
- Poikilo Museums, galleries, and the museum shop are open until 9 PM, with free entry to exhibitions from 4 PM to 9 PM.
- Special Night of the Arts offers at the museum shop.
- City Museum Poikilo: What is Kouvola Made Of? exhibition.
- Kouvola Art Museum Poikilo: So Beautiful – Rugs and Ceramics from Tuomas Sopanen’s collection.
- KOUTA Gallery: Mind’s Garden by Sirpa Hannele Heinonen.
- Poikilo Gallery: Glimpses of Light – A Story of Breast Cancer by Virve Kukkonen, featuring photographs and texts.
- Kouvola Videographers present their productions at Honkasali starting at 5 PM.
Outdoor Stage at Kouvolatalo Offers Musical Delights and Circus Fun
Early in the evening, the outdoor stage features singers and musicians from Kouvola’s music classes in various ensembles. After them, Circus Bravuuri performs circus tricks, followed by dancers from Kymen Flamenco ry.
Later, Arto Rinne and Nina Casten, singer-musicians with roots in Petrozavodsk and now living in Kouvola, perform folk music in Karelian, Ingrian, and Finnish – reflecting the traditions of their birthplace in Russian Karelia. Their newly formed duo Casten & Rinne is accompanied by violin virtuoso Artemius.
The evening on the outdoor stage concludes with Jules Jazz Quartet, offering a tasty mix of swing and good vibes from ballads to blues.
New Musical and Dance Experiences in Kouvolatalo´s Park
VL UNITED DJs is a collective of four long-time DJs who have each contributed to the music culture in the Kymenlaakso region over the years.
- Shine Fish is a producer and DJ who began making music in the late 1990s. His remixes of past hits have played in clubs and on the radio. His main genres are house and trance.
- Roy Trek started his music journey in the early 2000s, drawn into DJing by Geek and Shine Fish. He founded the house-focused Kesämökki and is a regular on the 4/4 Beats Show, playing house, techno, and trance depending on his mood.
- DJ Giik is a member of the legendary Trance Connection club and founder of the 4/4 Beats Show. A long-time trance DJ, he also plays other styles and is known for summer house sets at Kesämökki events.
- DJ Radioactive began his career in Kotka bars in 2000 and helped launch the 4/4 Beats Show online radio. He mainly plays energetic and melodic psy-trance, mixing in other genres.
The RAErave concept features professional dancers Aino Karstinen and Roosa Kääriäinen from Kotka, and Kouvola-based electronic music producer Anübis (Emilia Kärkäs). Their performance merges the underground rave world with experimental and interdisciplinary dance art, combining bass music and contemporary dance. RAErave draws inspiration from space, environment, seasons, and the intersection of rave culture and contemporary dance.