Join us in imagining a multispecies Lappeenranta! The MUST Festival, open and free of charge for everyone, will spread across the Lappeenranta Fortress area and Nuijamies on 20–21 May 2026.
The MUST Festival is a science and urban nature event related to strengthening biodiversity and multispecies justice. It seeks to inspire people and communities to participate in the conservation of biodiversity. In the festival program, we will examine and sense Lappeenranta and its urban nature from the perspectives of biodiversity and multispecies justice.
The event brings together city residents, researchers, nature lovers, civil servants and decision-makers to discuss how we can build cities where both people and other species – from butterflies to trees – can thrive together.
On this page, you can find information about the festival’s open events and register for them.
- Register for Wednesday May 20th events using this form. You can also participate without prior registration by showing up at the venue.
- For Thursday May 21st Starman play, you must have a ticket reserved in advance through the registration form, as seating is limited. Register for the Starman play using this form (in Finnish).
In addition to these, we are organizing a few invitation-only events for experts, which we will announce separately.
Accessibility information for the venues is compiled at the end of the page. Unfortunately, the venues are not fully accessible this year. Please contact us if you have any concerns regarding this!
The festival is organized by the MUST research project and the City of Lappeenranta. The Economic Development Centre for Southeast Finland and the Priodiversity LIFE project, the Regional Council of South Karelia, and the South Karelia Nature Conservation Association are also involved in making the event happen.
A warm welcome!
Public Program
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 in the Fortress area (register for the events here)
14:00–17:45 Welcome to the MUST Festival – meeting point at Katariinan tori
15:00–17:45 Art station: A city shared among all living beings
15:00–16:00 Butterfly walk – follow the Green-underside Blue’s journey on a butterfly route through the city
16:00–17:15 Empathy walk – experience the environment by empathizing with the role of another living being
16:00–17:30 Who does the city belong to? A discussion walk about reconciling the needs of nature and residents
Thursday, May 21, 2026 in Nuijamies (register for the play here)
18:00–20:00 Teatteri Terra presents: Starman play
Program Descriptions
Welcome to the MUST Festival – meeting point at Katariinan tori
Wed May 20th at 14:00–17:45 Katariinan tori
The MUST Festival program kicks off at the Katariinan tori meeting point in the Lappeenranta Fortress area. At the meeting point, you can meet MUST researchers and hear more about multispecies justice.
At the meeting point, you can also learn about the activities of the South Karelia Nature Conservation Association and join in the Saimaa ringed seal-friendly fish trap (katiska) workshop.
Languages at the meeting point: Finnish and English.
Art station: A city shared among all living beings
Wed May 20th at 15:00–17:45 Lappeenranta art school (Kehruuhuoneenkuja 8, 53900 Lappeenranta)
Welcome to the MUST Festival art station at Lappeenranta art school, next to the meeting point! This is a space to pause, unpack, and deepen your thoughts on biodiversity and multispecies justice, which you have either pondered before or encountered during the festival.
Under the guidance of an art educator and researchers, you can work on your reflections through visual expression. Let your feelings and thoughts take shape as art and discover new perspectives!
If you wish, you can also give your consent to contribute to scientific research. In this case, the discussions held at the art station and the visual material you produce may enrich the research data of the MUST research project.
Language: Finnish (researchers speak also English)
Butterfly walk – follow the Green-underside Blue’s journey on a butterfly route through the city
Wed May 20th at 15:00–16:00 starting from the Katariinan tori at the Fortress
See and experience the urban environment through the eyes of butterflies!
Join a guided walking tour led by biologist Kimmo Saarinen and the Green-underside Blue (Glaucopsyche alexis), which follows green routes through the city. The walk will explore three different green areas in the center of Lappeenranta and the butterflies’ flight connections between them.
The starting point of the route is located at the top of the Fortress, at Katariinan tori, and the group walks through the Haminan portti to the Western ramparts and then passes through Rapasaari, ending up at the northern tip of the Fortress. The flight route is just under a kilometer long.
The event language is Finnish.
Empathy walk – experience the environment in the role of another living being
Wed May 20th at 16:00–17:15 starting from the Katariinan tori at the Fortress
Imagine you are a fox, a bumblebee or a 5-year-old child. – how would the environment look then? An empathy walk offers the opportunity to experience the environment in a new way by taking on the role of another living being. Come along to explore what the world looks like through another being’s eyes – and discover a connection that crosses the boundaries of species.
Languages: Finnish and English
Who does the city belong to? A discussion walk about reconciling the needs of nature and residents
Wed 20.5. 16:00–17:30 Starting point Katariinan tori in the Fortress
What perspectives should be considered in urban development, and what is the significance of nature in the future of Lappeenranta? Come and discuss and hear about the changes in urban space and consider together what the ongoing changes look like from the perspective of different city dwellers. We will explore Pusupuisto (Kissing Park) and the Weera block through the eyes of people and other creatures and consider what a vital urban space looks like for, for example, families with children, entrepreneurs, insects, or hedgehogs.
We will start from Katariinan tori and walk 1.5 kilometres through Pusupuisto to the city centre, to the Weera block, where the route ends. After the walk, we will escort willing participants back to the Art Workshop at Katariinan tori.
The language of the event is Finnish.
Theater Terra presents: Starman
Thu May 21st at 18:00–20:00 Nuijamies (Valtakatu 39, 53100 Lappeenranta)
Officials from the Galactic Central Office are closely monitoring events on Earth. The phenomenon called nature conservation is gaining popularity, and this does not fit the Central Office’s plans. Starman is sent to the location to set things right.
In the play Starman, written by Juha Kauppinen, the loop shifts to places where the state of nature and the fate of humankind are fiercely debated. The floor is given to the Forestry Man (Severi Niskanen), the Activist (Raul Nyberg), the Sparrow (Sylvia Ropponen), and the Biologist (Emma Härmä).
Most perplexing is the interstellar prosecutor Starman (Aino Suosalo), who just cannot get the gig to go the way he wants.
Starman is a satirical play pondering the problem of biodiversity loss, which premiered last autumn as a monologue play by Martti Suosalo at Teatteri Sirkus Suosalo. Teatteri Terra now tackles the topical work with the power of the young generation.
The performance also features live music by three talented musicians (Emil Kauppinen, Timo Kalliokoski, and Touko Manner).
Whole working group:
- STARMAN: Aino Suosalo
- FORESTRY MAN: Severi Niskanen
- ACTIVIST: Raul Nyberg
- SPARROW: Sylvia Ropponen
- BIOLOGIST: Emma Härmä
- STORK: Selma Atas
- GUITAR AND COMPOSITION: Emil Kauppinen
- DOUBLE BASS: Touko Manner
- PERCUSSION: Timo Kalliokoski
- COSTUME AND SET DESIGN: Selma Atas
- LIGHTING DESIGN AND TECHNICALS: Miika Heinonen
More information (in Finnish): https://teatteriterra.fi/ohjelmisto/
The language of the event is Finnish.
Side events
Lappeenranta Urban Planning Art Workshop: Community artwork related to urban nature
Wed May 20, 14:00– 17:45 Katariinan tori
Lappeenranta urban planning organizes a small-scale art workshop where participants can create a collaborative art piece related to urban nature through drawing. The works created in the workshop will be compiled into a unified ensemble in the glass corridor of the Lappeenranta Art Museum, and summer artists hired for urban planning will use the workshop’s creations as a starting point or inspiration for a community mural to be implemented on the facade of a building located in Lappeenranta.
Nature Yard Event by the City of Lappeenranta
Thu May 21, 14:00–18:00 Lappee Old Rectory parking lot (Kaukaankatu 2 / Valtakatu 80)
Welcome to the Nature Yard event organized by the City of Lappeenranta! In the event, we are giving away free decayed wood to be taken to yards to support biodiversity. At the event, there is also an opportunity to build your own insect hotel, in addition to which we provide information on the city’s nature work, meadow network, and invasive species.
Arrival to the MUST Festival
We encourage you to arrive at the MUST Festival by walking, cycling, or using public transport.
Fortress area
The Fortress is Lappeenranta’s historical gem. It is located on Kristiinankatu, right next to the city centre. A cobblestone street and several paths lead to the area. Also the Lappeenranta Art School is located in the Fortress area at Kehruuhuoneenkuja 8, 53900 Lappeenranta. The Fortress area is within easy walking distance from the city centre, and reachable by bicycle. Bicycle parking is accessible near Katariinan tori. If you arrive at the Fortress by car, see the Fortress parking map.
Nuijamies
Nuijamies is an event venue in Lappeenranta in the premises of the former, legendary cinema. Nuijamies is located at Valtakatu 39, 53100 Lappeenranta. If you arrive by car, street parking near Nuijamies is subject to a fee from 8 am to 6 pm, and the P-City – Williparkki parking garage (Kirkkokatu 9, Lappeenranta) is nearby.
Accessibility
Please note that we do not amplify sound in our festival events.
Fortress area
Most of the MUST Festival events take place outdoors, where we will move on cobblestone streets, gravel, and grass in the Fortress area. There is also a steep ascent to the Fortress, but there are accessible parking spaces near the museums.
Nuijamies
Unfortunately, Nuijamies is also not fully accessible, as it is a protected site in its original 1950s condition. People using wheelchairs and other aids will be assisted into the hall, which has low, slightly curved stone steps. People with reduced mobility can bring an assistant, and the staff are happy to help.
Nuijamies does not have an accessible toilet, but one slightly wider toilet space is available (left-hand side when looking from the lobby). The original toilet facilities have narrow entrances. The toilets are unisex, so you can choose a toilet freely.
There is one accessible parking space reserved on the street in front of Nuijamies.
Further information
MUST Festival Producer, Interaction Coordinator Salla Kässi
salla.kassi@demoshelsinki.fi, p. 040 483 7497
MUST Interaction Lead Kari Jalonen
kari.jalonen@demoshelsinki.fi, p. 040 580 1967
