Herättäjä Festival (Awakening Festival)Herättäjäjuhlat

Herättäjäjuhlat is a historic Lutheran revival festival, traditionally held in early July by the movement of Awakening (herännäisyys). The festival circulates through Finland; in 2027 it will be hosted in Iisalmi, North Savo. It gathers tens of thousands for open-air worship, hymn singing (körtti hymns), sermons, and fellowship. It is Finland’s second-largest religious summer event 1. Attendees from across Finland (mostly far-western regions) join local believers in multi-day services, creating a spiritually significant gathering.

Part of Finland’s pietist heritage, Herättäjäjuhlat celebrates the legacy of Paavo Ruotsalainen and the Awakening movement. It emphasizes communal worship, humility, and devotion. The festival traditionally includes group prayer meetings in fields and churches, and it has been a recurring symbol of religious identity for the participating communities 1.