Turku Sea Jazz received praise for its intimate atmosphere!

16.9.2024

Turku Sea Jazz’s renewed concept and strengthened collaboration with the Maritime Centre Forum Marinum was successfully realized this summer. Numerous small and surprising performances were heard throughout the festival week in various spaces of the maritime museum. The festival attracted a total of 1,500 visitors over four days. Both Friday’s evening concerts and the concert trip to Seili island were sold out.

“We received the most praise for the event’s appropriate size and the intimate atmosphere in Forum Marinum’s Boat Shed. The musicians also highly appreciated the relaxed event, where music was able to take center stage,” says Turku Sea Jazz producer Sanna Vartiainen.

A little over one-third of respondents to Turku Sea Jazz’s visitor survey were first-timers, and although two-thirds of the audience were from Turku, the festival reached more attendees from the Helsinki metropolitan area than in previous years. People participated primarily out of interest in jazz music and this year’s performers. One of Turku Sea Jazz’s key values is the protection of the Baltic Sea, which the festival supports through its EcoCompass certification and its long-term collaboration with the John Nurminen Foundation and Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association.

“Many open responses in our visitor survey requested more free concerts in the program, and the survey also reflected a tighter financial situation among festival-goers,” Vartiainen says. “People are seeking the well-being and escape that cultural experiences offer in an increasingly strained world, so here is an important message about equal accessibility to our government and cultural funders!”

Turku Sea Jazz thanks everyone for this year and will return again next summer from July 30 to August 2, 2025!