The free city festival Yläkaupungin Yö, held annually since 1992, will kick off the festival season in Jyväskylä on 15–16 May. The event spreads across 48 different venues, offering a total of 262 programme items. Visitors can experience music, theatre, dance, circus, workshops and art exhibitions, among many other things. Yläkaupungin Yö is the most diverse free event in Jyväskylä’s urban culture scene, providing plenty to see and do for all ages.
The University of Jyväskylä is also organizing events during Yläkaupungin Yö on the Seminaarinmäki campus. At the Soihtu Exhibition Center (S), visitors can explore The Jyväskylä University’s disappearing Mattilanniemi Campus 1980-2026 exhibition, which sheds light on the development of the Jyväskylä University’s Mattilanniemi Campus from an old pastureland to a city landfill and finally to a living and green university campus. At the same time in the Soihtu Exhibition Center, public can participate in the Time travel to Jyväskylä Teacher Seminary “A Journey Through Time” – a self-guided workshop, where you can, for example, find out the contents of Uno Cygnaeus' suitcase and learn how to play Fortuna game. In the Seminarium (S), Maahinkaistanssijat performs dances reconstructed from historical sources, dating from the 15th to the 19th centuries. In the Musica Building (M), The Centre of Excellence for Music, Mind, Body and Brain and the MUSICONNECT project would like to welcome the public to learn more about research on music and science. At the Library Building Lähde (B), the atmosphere is set by Japan Day, where you can get to know Japanese culture, such as music, language, and traditions. During the same time in the Lähde is ongoing giant board game "The Rise of Plastic Creatures", which is a life-size board game and participatory art project by Muoviamo. Players roll giant dice to move through the game, exploring evolution, ecosystems and plastic's environmental impact through interactive play, research and creative experimentation. You can also participate The World of Materials non-stop workshop, where you learn how the products recycled and reused and what problems can waste cause when it ends up in the wrong place. In the Main Building (C), public can try out various games at the Game demos booth, where students present the results of their game project course.
There’s plenty more happening on the Seminaarinmäki campus: in front of the Main Building is Beyond Skate Jam event, which will feature skateboarding competitions as well as a graffiti workshop. Also near the Main Building you can shop for various handicrafts and the Seminaarinkatu transforms into a bustling market area offering a wide selection of street food from around the world.
See the University of Jyväskylä's programs during Yläkaupungin Yö via this link.
