Münsterland Festival part 12: Already more than 2600 tickets sold

Twelfth festival edition runs until 5 November

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Numerous fully booked events, exciting encounters between people from the host country Finland and the Münsterland, already more than 2600 visitors: The Münsterland Festival part 12 of Münsterland e.V. has already been running for more than two weeks and the festival team draws a thoroughly positive interim balance.

"The first festival weeks were a great success in many respects," emphasise Lars Krolik, Festival Director at Münsterland e.V., and Christine Sörries, Artistic Director. "We were particularly impressed by the encounters with the artists from Finland and the audience. On the one hand, the Finnish guests, who made every event an unforgettable experience with so much joy, skill and energy. On the other hand, the open and approachable audience, who enthusiastically embarked on a voyage of discovery into Finnish culture."

In addition to a variety of concerts - including performances by Finnish jazz stars such as Iiro Rantala, Verneri Pohjola and Timo Lassy as well as those that combined tradition with contemporary elements, such as Antti Paalanen and Maija Kauhanen - the programme already included numerous art and dialogue projects. The festival team invited to country parties and the construction of a Finnish spruce sauna, there were exhibitions, a reading and film screenings. The theme evening on the Sámi in the Geomuseum Münster was already fully booked in advance, as was the culinary experience "Forest Spirit" with celebrity chef Jyrki Tsutsunen.

The varied programme not only delighted the people of Münsterland, but also the Finnish guests, as Mikko Fritze, director of the Finland Institute, points out: "At the festival opening, one of the Finnish musicians actually said: ͵Here I can finally go to concerts with the great Finnish bands that I never get to see in Finland!' That made me very happy and simply shows what an all-round pleasure the cultural encounter Finland-Münsterland is. And for both sides!"

For another two weeks, the Münsterland Festival will now provide special insights into Finnish culture. On Saturday (28 October), for example, Désirée Saarela & Triskel will be on stage at the Westphalian Bell Museum in Gescher: their music has its roots in the singer-songwriter world, but at the same time stands for a new and original way of expressing folk music today. On foot on the weekend (28/29 October) you can go on a discovery tour at the Finnish Hiking Days at Lake Offlum in Neuenkirchen. Jupp Räkers and Mika Kaijo, a hiking guide from Münster and a native Finn, will lead a dialogue tour around the lake, focusing on the contrast between local and Finnish nature. The programme also includes a visit to the sauna and traditional Finnish food.

There will also be other concerts until the finale at Burg Vischering on 5 November (Sunday). Christine Sörries emphasises: "In the coming weeks, I am particularly looking forward to the strong musicians such as the Sami artist Ánnámáret with her concerts in Stadtlohn and Telgte, the violinist Päivi Hirvonen in Legden and the jazz legend Iro Haarla, who will play the final concert in Lüdinghausen with her Electric Ensemble."

The complete festival programme as well as tickets and further information are available online at www.muensterland-festival.de.

Organiser
Organiser: Münsterland e.V.
Festival director: Lars Krolik (Münsterland e.V.)
Artistic director: Christine Sörries

Partners and Sponsors
Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (Regional Culture Programme NRW), Districts of Münsterland (Borken, Coesfeld, Steinfurt and Warendorf), City of Münster, LWL Cultural Department, Finland Institute, Visit Finland, Muusikkojen liitto - Finnish Musicians' Union, Music Finland, Sparkasse Münsterland Ost, Sparkasse Westmünsterland, Kreissparkasse Steinfurt, Hilde und Bode Crone-Stiftung, Stiftung Kunst und Kultur Münsterland, Procar Automobile Münsterland, KulturStiftung Masthoff, Pianohaus Micke, reiseart, Münsterland Siegel, kultur.west (media partner), Westfalenspiegel (media partner), WDR 3 (cultural partner), Deutsch-Finnische Gesellschaft e.V. (media partner)

www.muensterland-festival.de