A sure sign of summer will be the event Summer Welcoming, "Suomen suven avaus", at Laulurinne on 31 May. A choir of 6 000 primary school children will gather to perform the songs they have been practising all spring and to wish the whole country a happy summer.

For the first time, the event will be hosted by pupils, sixth-graders Ella Hirvonen and Janna Kettunen from Karhunmäki school.

The public is invited to the Laulurinne, at Linnunlahdentie 3. The event starts at 18:00 and lasts 45 minutes.

Summer Welcoming is free of charge and can also be watched live on the website of Sanomalehti Karjalainen or listened to on the radio on the Karjalainen Syke channel.

– The theme this year is Yhdessä eteenpäin, “Moving forward together”. It calls for the power of positivity in a world in turmoil," says Timo Nykänen, head of the planning team for Summer Welcoming, the headmaster of Karhunmäki school.

The songs will be accompanied by the Joensuu Wind Band, supplemented by musicians from the Joensuu City Orchestra. The conductor is Mika Hirvonen.

Summer Welcoming often features a guest artist, and this year the stage will be taken by Voice of Finland stars Eemeli and Aleksi Nissi. They will perform a song with the choir and sing a solo number.

– The public is also offered the opportunity to sing with us. You can check out the lyrics on the city's website and join the choir," says Nykänen.

More information is available in Finnish at joensuu.fi/suven-avaus.

The tradition of Summer Welcoming began back in 1985. The event is a beloved tradition for the people of Joensuu and in 2017 it was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

(The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence.)