The Whole Rauma Celebrates – Lace Week Returns on 18–26 July 2026
News
Rauma Lace Week celebrates its 56th anniversary this year, inviting residents and visitors alike to enjoy the festival atmosphere from 18 to 26 July 2026. Over nine days, the programme offers a diverse mix of culture, music and traditions brought to life by more than 120 local organisations. Events are spread across the city, enlivening Old Rauma as well as numerous museums and courtyards.
Savilanpuisto park serves as one of the main hubs of the week, hosting music, entertainment and community events. On Wednesday, the Youth of Savila evening will highlight popular young performers, with Joe L, Senya and Ares taking the stage. On Thursday evening, the winner of the Miss Lace competition will be crowned, followed by Black Lace Friday celebrations in the park. The Friday programme will feature Sinikka Monte, Valoa Vocals, Litku Klemetti and the evening’s headliner Komiat.
A new addition this year is the Rauman Pitsaus 2026 discussion forum, held in the park and focusing on themes such as work, entrepreneurship and the future of the city. The event will be hosted by serial entrepreneur Mato Valtonen and MTV News anchor Kirsi Alm-Siira. Expect bold and entertaining conversations about Rauma, local businesses, entrepreneurial stories and future opportunities.
A wide range of activities for families
This year’s programme places special emphasis on family-friendly experiences and maritime themes. Children can explore maritime professions, enjoy music play sessions and storytelling events. Guided family tours in Old Rauma offer not only a maritime adventure route but also interactive guided tours, escape games and children’s ghost tours, presenting the city’s stories, history and people in new and imaginative ways.
The programme also includes other favourites for children, such as a hobby horse parade, a soft toy clinic and a drama workshop. At the Art Museum, visitors can craft summer fans and encouragement dolls, while at Kirsti museum they can learn about the work of maids and farmhands. During the closing weekend, the programme will be complemented by a children’s art event and a new addition, the Skidit disco.
Traditions, art and markets bring the city to life
Lace Week showcases Rauma’s rich craft heritage through exhibitions, lace-making demonstrations and workshops. Highlights include the Fastest Lace Maker competition in Savilanpuisto and demonstrations in museums and at the Pits Priia shop. Craft enthusiasts can meet like-minded people at events such as a knitting picnic or the bobbin lace café organised by the Käpypitsi Association.
The city centre will be filled with a traditional market atmosphere, as the Old Rauma Craft Market and the International Grand Market bring vendors from Finland and around the world. Visitors can enjoy handicrafts, delicacies and experiences for the whole family, and on Black Lace Friday the markets continue late into the evening.
Open courtyards and yard flea markets will be open throughout the nine-day event. Local artists and artisans will also open their doors or host workshops during the week. New features this year include outdoor art installations, fashion events and physical activities such as senior parkour. The updated national costume for women of the Rauma region will also be unveiled during the week.
Traditions are further celebrated in guided city tours of Old Rauma, offering insights into themes such as art, love and crime. Each day during Lace Week, Nortamo Society member Ossi Paavola will perform a traditional Rauma-style storytelling in the local dialect.
In addition to traditional concerts, music can be experienced in unique formats such as Meriltä at the Maritime Warehouse, combining a mini concert with a museum tour, and Rauma Festivo’s Tutuntuntune memory journey. The final Saturday of Lace Week culminates in Yhesfest in the Art Museum courtyard, bringing together music and performing arts and revisiting the highlights of the week.
More information about the programme is available at www.pitsiviikko.fi and on Lace Week’s social media channels. The full programme will also be delivered to homes on Thursday 2 July as a printed supplement.
What is Rauma Lace Week?
- An annual city festival held at the end of July
- The first Lace Week was organized in 1971. At its come was an exhibition of lace treasures from Rauma homes, complemented by music and folk dance performances, as well as guided tours for visitors.
- Over the decades, the event has grown from a small craft-focused happening into a city-wide celebration. Since 1990, the highlight of the week has been Black Lace Night.
- In 2025, Lace Week broke visitor records. Nearly 30,000 people attended concerts in Savilanpuisto, and the International Grand Market attracted 70,000 visitors.
