International flavours and soulful vibes in the Turku Sea Jazz 2025 program!
17.6.2025
Celebrating its fifth edition, Turku Sea Jazz offers a diverse and atmospheric jazz festival by the sea at the turn of July and August. The festival takes place at Forum Marinum Maritime Centre, on the island of Seili, and at the Cathedral Park Terrace from 30 July to 2 August 2025. The weekend’s main concerts are held in the charming Boat Shelter at Forum Marinum, while museum musicians perform daily from the morning in different areas of the Maritime Museum.
The festival kicks off on Wednesday 30 July with a free outdoor concert in the leafy Cathedral Park. Rising Finnish jazz vocalist Siina Suutarinen and her band perform on the Terrace stage. During the intermission, John Nurminen Foundation hosts a Baltic Sea themed discussion with invited guests on the relationship between the sea and jazz.
The highly popular concert trip to Seili island is once again part of this summer’s festival. On Thursday 31 July, saxophonist Pauli Lyytinen performs a solo concert at Seili Church, and on the main building’s courtyard, the swinging top trio Antila/Tuuri/Mäkynen takes the stage. The passenger vessel M/S Lövskär departs from the Aura River in the morning and returns to Turku in the early evening.
The main concerts on Friday and Saturday take place at the Boat Shelter of the Forum Marinum Maritime Centre by the river Aura, featuring two top acts each evening.
On Friday 1 August, the evening opens with a performance by the virtuosic quartet led by Norwegian saxophonist and composer Marius Neset. His energetic show combines jazz, classical music and progressive rock in an irresistible blend. Later that evening, Turku-based ensemble Punomo takes the stage with their unique vintage soul sound that merges funk and soul traditions with Finnish lyrics.
On Saturday 2 August, the evening begins with singer-songwriter Emilia Sisco, who performs with her 10-piece band The Northern Lights. With her strong voice, Sisco seamlessly moves between soul, jazz and blues. The festival’s final concert features Ghanaian trumpeter-composer Peter Somuah performing with his Dutch-based band. Peter Somuah Group’s music blends jazz, funk and West African traditions into warm grooves and swinging melancholy.
In addition to the Boat Shelter concerts, live jazz can be enjoyed at Forum Marinum’s museum area every day from Wednesday to Saturday. In the Museum Musicians series, Finnish jazz artists offer surprise 15-minute performances in various exhibition spaces. On Thursday 31 July at 1 pm, the Girls’ Jazz Camp final concert is also held as part of the museum programme. Furthermore, Kaisa Mäensivu Summer Quartet performs on Friday 1 August at 4 pm in the champagne bar onboard the museum ship Suomen Joutsen. The museum area concerts and Suomen Joutsen can be accessed with a regular museum ticket.
Last year, Turku Sea Jazz charmed audiences with a surprise concert at the Forum Marinum attic. On Saturday 2 August, a new secret location will host another unique early evening concert featuring the acclaimed duo Antti Lötjönen & Kalle Kalima. Before the concert, guests can enjoy a three-course Sea Jazz Dinner at restaurant Göran.
Turku Sea Jazz is one of four festivals in the Archipelago Sea Jazz series, which also includes Baltic Jazz, Korpo Sea Jazz and Åland Sea Jazz. When purchasing tickets at Tiketti, visitors can also support the John Nurminen Foundation’s Baltic Sea protection work.
Wednesday 30 July, 2025
Forum Marinum, museum area
Museum musicians:
10 AM – 12 noon Ilkka Arola and 1–3 PM Pauli Lyytinen
Cathedral Park Terrace, free entry
6 PM Siina Suutarinen
7 PM Jazz lives and draws inspiration from the sea – John Nurminen Foundation’s discussion (in Finnish)
8 PM Siina Suutarinen
Thursday 31 July, 2025
Seilin church
12 PM Pauli Lyytinen
Seili main building
2 PM Antila/Tuuri/Mäkynen
Forum Marinum, Boat Shelter
1 PM Jazz Camp for Girls, final concert
Forum Marinum, museum area
Museum musicians:
2–4 PM Daniel Sjöroos
Friday 1 August, 2025
Forum Marinum, museum area
Museum musicians:
10 AM –12 noon Ilmari Aitoaho and 1–3 PM Kaisa Mäensivu & Joe Peri
Museum frigate Suomen Joutsen, champagne bar
4 PM Kaisa Mäensivu Summer Quartet
Forum Marinum, Boat Shelter
7 PM Marius Neset Quartet (NO/UK/DK)
9 PM Punomo
Saturday 2 August, 2025
Forum Marinum, museum area
Museum musicians:
10 AM –12 noon Jay Kortehisto and 1–3 PM Jussi Fredriksson
Forum Marinum, surprise location!
4 PM Sea Jazz Dinner at restaurant Göran
6 PM Antti Lötjönen & Kalle Kalima, surprise location
Forum Marinum, Boat Shelter
7 PM Emilia Sisco & The Northern Lights
9 PM Peter Somuah Group (GH/NL)
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