Kotka Maritime Festival Begins Next Week at Kantasatama

The highlight of the summer and one of Finland’s largest and oldest festivals begins next week. The Kotka Maritime Festival – Kotkan Meripäivät – kicks off on Wednesday, July 23 at 11:00 AM and concludes on Saturday night, July 26, at 3:00 AM on the night between Saturday and Sunday. The event area will be open every day from 11:00 AM until 3:00 AM.

This year, the festival returns to Kotka’s Kantasatama. The last time Meripäivät was held at Kantasatama was in 2019. The event will span nearly the entire Kantasatama area, stretching from the Wooden Boat Centre (Puuvenekeskus) to the East Pier (Itälaituri). As in previous years, vendor stalls will also line Kauppakatu. The newly constructed Satama Square (Satama-aukio) will serve as the central hub of the event and will be known during the festival as Meripäivä Square. The square will host multidisciplinary performances every day, from morning to night, with no age restrictions. The program features a curated mix of local talent, new acts, and nationally rising artists.

Children’s Meripäivät also brings something new, moving to the inner courtyard of the Children’s Cultural Centre Laivuri at Laivurinkatu 7. Entrances to the area are located on Laivurinkatu and Satamakatu. The children’s area offers a wide variety of workshops and stage programs on two stages. In addition to festival mascots Mimi and Kuku, a diverse group of professional and amateur artists will provide entertainment ranging from magic and dance to disco.

Other new features this year include Meripäivä Films at the Maritime Centre Vellamo, Meripäivä Clubs in the inner courtyard of Tukkukaupantalo, and Youth Meripäivät on Saturday at Satama Arena. The Meripäivä Clubs offer atmospheric live performances on Thursday and Friday evenings and require an entrance fee. Meripäivä Films will feature maritime-themed films, including a never-before-seen dance film screening curated specifically for the festival by Kati Kallio. All film screenings are free of charge. Youth Meripäivät is a free event for 13–20-year-olds, with activities, entertainment, and hangout spaces available all day from 11:00 AM to 1:00 AM.

Traditional Meripäivät activities are also present in full force, including the opening parade, the “Yleisessä Saunassa” entertainment concert, visiting ships at Kantasatama, and sports events such as the Meripäivät Run and the returning Meripäivät Basketball Tournament at Kantasatama. The official opening ceremony will take place at the Meripäivä Square stage following the parade.

The full festival program is available at Meripaivat.com.

Temporary traffic arrangements during the festival week

The Kotka Maritime Festival will cause some temporary changes to city traffic arrangements starting already on the Monday of the festival week: street areas will be closed, and parking spaces will be removed from use. The largest changes concern the Kantasatama area.

The event organizer, Kotka’s culture and event services, recommends leaving your car at home and using public transport, as well as getting around by bike or on foot. During the festival, additional services have been added to local buses, Onnibus routes, and VR commuter trains. In addition, during the event there will be a temporary taxi stand on Ruotsinsalmenkatu, an extra paid parking area near the VR warehouse, accessible parking spots, and temporary bicycle parking areas.

Drivers are advised to be especially cautious and follow temporary traffic signs and instructions. Traffic jams are to be expected, and it is recommended to allow extra travel time. The festival brings thousands of people to the city, so extra care is advised in traffic.

Traffic arrangements

• Kotka’s Kantasatama: Driving and parking prohibited from Monday, July 21 at 4:00 to Sunday, July 27 at 21:00.
• Laivurinkatu (Children’s Maritime Festival): Between Vuorikatu and Satamakatu (access to properties allowed), driving and parking prohibited from Monday, July 21 at 4:00 to Sunday, July 27 at 21:00.
• Kauppakatu: Between Kirkkokatu and Satamakatu, parking and driving prohibited (access to properties allowed) from Monday, July 21 at 4:00 to Sunday, July 27 at 21:00.
• Keskuskatu: Opening parade on Tuesday, July 22 at 04:00 to Wednesday, July 23 at 19:30. Driving prohibited on Wednesday, July 23 from 17:00 to 19:00 in the following areas:
  • Keskuskatu between Koulukatu and Heikinkatu
  •  Eteläpuistokatu between Kymenlaaksonkatu and Keskuskatu
  •  Heikinkatu between Kymenlaaksonkatu and Keskuskatu

The opening parade route will run along Keskuskatu to Ruukinkatu from 18:00 to approximately 19:45. The route will be closed to all other vehicle traffic during this time. The restriction ends once the parade has passed.

In addition, the area will include temporary taxi stands, accessible parking spaces, service parking, merchant and authority parking, as well as temporary bus stops.

Download the map as PDF file:

Meripäivät 2025 map

Meripäivät info and social media

Full event information is available on the festival website: Meripaivat.com
Follow the event on Facebook: Facebook.com/KotkanMeripaivat
And on Instagram: Instagram.com/meripaivat