Finland
Haapavesi Folk Music Festival
Haapavesi Folk Music Festival is a 3-day music event. They present high quality Finnish and international folk music and world music. Also, there are some classical, jazz, pop and cross-genre acts. The festival week starts with Folk Courses, where top folk musicians give lessons.
A majority of the performers play Finnish folk music. However, international shows are also an important part of the lineup. The festival offers music from different cultures all over the world. There is a special focus on Scandinavian, Celtic, North American and Balkan music.
The festival is organised by a small team and hundreds of volunteers who join the team every summer. Teachers at the Folk Course come from several different countries. This is an amazing opportunity to learn about different music cultures and about folk instruments. The course is open to all folk music lovers regardless of age.