The City of Mikkeli is refreshing its New Year’s Eve celebrations on 31 December. This time, the façade of the City Hall will serve as the stage for a stunning light art installation.
The festive illumination of the City Hall will be achieved by lighting the exterior walls as well as the windows from inside. The city’s traditional midnight fireworks display from Naisvuori will be omitted from this year’s programme, but the family-friendly fireworks at Pankalampi will go ahead as usual at 6 p.m.
“The light art installation will replace the Naisvuori fireworks as part of our culture of experimentation. We are not abandoning the midnight fireworks altogether for now – this is a trial, and we welcome feedback,” says Ari Liikanen, Administrative Director of the City of Mikkeli.
In recent years, Finnish cities have replaced fireworks with alternatives such as laser light shows. Liikanen emphasises that Mikkeli’s solution is not a laser show, but a light art installation.
“Previously, two fireworks displays on New Year’s Eve cost the city €4,500. This year, the children’s fireworks will cost €1,800 and the light art installation around €3,000, so the overall expense remains roughly the same. Laser shows cost close to €20,000, so planning and procurement for those in the future would require more preparation,” Liikanen explains.
The light art installation will be on display from 31 December 2025 to 1 January 2026, between 10 p.m. and 12.30 a.m. Depending on the weather, additional effects such as foam may be used outside the City Hall.
The New Year’s light art installation will be produced by Lumio Events Ltd, based in Mikkeli.
Photo: Jonne Vaahtera