A free-admission World Village Festival will be organised in Suvilahti, Helsinki, in the last weekend of May (25–26 May 2024). The programme line-up includes Dub FX feat. Mr. Woodnote, Hassan Maikal and Finnish MP Eva Biaudet (Swedish People’s Party in Finland). The festival has an even stronger focus on sustainable and responsible solutions. Going forward, the festival food vendors will only be serving vegetarian food. With last year’s festival attracting 50,000 people, the theme for the 2024 World Village Festival is Courage.
– Our vegetarian-only food policy helps us to reduce our carbon footprint and promote environmentally friendly practices. We aim to maximise our compatibility with the principles of sustainable development, says World Village Communications Manager Nelli Korpi.
– In practice, this means actions such as minimising and offsetting any adverse environmental effects caused by the festival. For example, we donate an annual total of 10% of the flights of artists arriving from abroad to environmental action carried out by a Fingo Member Organisation. We also seek to avoid long-haul flights.
Dub FX, Hassan Maikal and Eva Biaudet lined up for this spring’s festival
To be seen for the first time in Finland, one of the headliners of the 2024 World Village Festival is Dub FX, who will take the stage with Mr. Woodnote. Creator of his original live looping style, this Australian artist has sold more than a hundred thousand records, rocked major festivals all over the world and racked up more than 150 million YouTube views. He promotes self-empowerment and positivity through his lyrics:
– I decided long ago that I want to project positivity to the world. I can do this through inspiring people with conscious lyrical content that people can associate with.
Also confirmed for the festival line-up is Hassan Maikal, a rap/R&B artist based in Kontula, Helsinki, who received no less than four nominations for the Emma Awards for his debut album, Betonitarha. Currently working on his second album, Maikal’s music is now more influenced by African, especially Somali, music. Maikal says he wants to contribute towards preventing social exclusion among young people.
The talks and discussions programme will feature Finnish Member of Parliament Eva Biaudet (Swedish People’s Party in Finland), who was elected in November as the Chair of the festival organiser, Fingo. Known as a human rights, non-discrimination and gender equality proponent, Biaudet will be interviewed by journalist Wali Hashi.
More programme releases will be made in March. The festival will feature around 75 programme items from music to talks and discussions, films, kids’ programme, art, workshops, and street art performances. The main partners of the festival are Finn Church Aid, the European Commission Representation in Finland, the European Parliament Liaison Office in Finland and Maailman Kuvalehti-magazine.
Interested in becoming an exhibitor or volunteer?
World Village Festival is a major fair event for those acting for sustainable development and a just world. The exhibitor sign-up is still open until the end of February. Advertising space can be booked until the end of March. Plenty of volunteers will also be needed; the sign-up for fun and educational festival roles opens in February and closes at the beginning of May.
Tap into your courage and join the festival, as courage can change the world.
More information
Exhibitors: Maria Hopponen, maria.hopponen@fingo.fi, +358 50 317 6742
Food vendors: Anu Wiik, anu.wiik@maailmakylassa.fi, +358 50 317 6709
Cooperation: Marjo Martin, marjo.martin@fingo.fi, +358 50 317 6694
Programme: Johanna Eurakoski, johanna.eurakoski@fingo.fi, +358 50 317 6696
Communications: Nelli Korpi, nelli.korpi@fingo.fi, +358 50 317 6698
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World Village Festival is Finland’s leading event for global action for the whole family, an admission free cultural festival, and a trade fair for sustainable development. The event will be organised in the Suvilahti event venue, Helsinki, in 25–26 May 2024 with Courage as the theme. Festival’s core values are diversity, equality, responsibility, and communality. The organiser is Finnish Development NGOs Fingo. Main partners are Finn Church Aid, the European Commission Representation in Finland, the European Parliament Liaison Office in Finland and Maailman Kuvalehti -magazine.