PUNK! 50 years of buzz in the streets of Helsinki

Punk arrived in Helsinki half a century ago, and this non-conforming subculture is still going strong today. A joint exhibition Helsinki City Museum and Punk Museum will explore the 50-year history of the punk scene in Helsinki.

Leather jackets and mohawks, zines and self-published albums, sweaty gigs and a DIY attitude. The exhibition ‘PUNK! 50 years of buzz in the streets of Helsinki’ takes visitors to key meeting spaces from the late 1970s to the present day – from the Kill City neighbourhood to the Lepakko urban culture centre, and from the legendary second-hand record shop Oskun Divari to the Vuoritalo centre for alternative culture.

You can watch the story of Finnish punk unfold through photographs, video interviews, album covers, zines, gig posters, clothing, musical instruments and other artefacts, such as a drum stool built by Pelle Miljoona himself and Maukka Perusjätkä’s chainsaw.

Punk breaks out of the displays

Punk classics are playing on the jukebox, and you can pogo in the pit or pick up an instrument in the practice space. Through the young band Mökä, visitors get to see how punk music is made in the 2020s. The exhibition also sheds light on punk’s journey from an oppressed subculture to being part of Finnish cultural history.

Punk emerged in London and New York in the mid-1970s, giving a voice to the rebellious youth. Despite opposition from the Finnish Government and youth organisations, this counter-culture also drew in Helsinki residents who had grown tired of elitist rock music. Half a century later, punk is still alive and well, living on in art, fashion and activism.

Story of punk continues at Kino Regina

At Villa Hakasalmi, visitors can delve deeper into the exhibition’s themes through discussion sessions that serve as an introduction to the documentary films in Kino Regina’s series ‘Punk 50 vuotta’ (‘Punk 50 Years’). The autumn programme includes documentaries such as ‘The Punk Singer’ (2013), a film about the musician Kathleen Hanna, and ‘White Riot’ (2019), a documentary exploring the links between punk and anti-racist activism.

The exhibition has been curated by Teijo Hintikka, Timo ‘Kipi’ Kiippa and Vilja Joensuu from the Punk Museum. Many other members of the Punk Museum have also helped with the project. The exhibition has been produced by Tuomas Nolvi, a researcher at the Helsinki City Museum. Kristian Palmu is responsible for the exhibition design, and Jari Mikkola for its graphic design.

PUNK! 50 years of buzz in the streets of Helsinki
23 October 2026 – 29 August 2027
Villa Hakasalmi (Mannerheimintie 13 B, Helsinki)
Admission fee: €17/11, free of charge to persons under 18 and Museum Card holders

Museum contact details

Hakasalmi Villa
Mannerheimintie 13b, 00100 Helsinki

(09) 3107 8519

Museum website

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Hakasalmi Villa, Mannerheimintie 13b, 00100 Helsinki

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Katso reitti

Tai lataa Reitit ja Liput -sovellus

Admission fees

Admission with Museum Card

17/11/0 €. Vapaa pääsy alle 18-vuotiaille ja Museokortilla.

Payment methods

käteinen, yleisimmät pankki- ja luottokortit, MobilePay, Smartum-, Edenred- ja Tyky+-kulttuurisetelit sekä Edenredin kortti, Smartum Pay, My Edenred, ePassi, ePassi Mobiili ja Eazybreak

Opening hours

Suljettu väliaikaisesti

Villa Hakasalmi's free day is the last Friday of every month, from 11 am to 5 pm