Le Petit Festival Hanko 2026, Finland

Le Petit Festival Hanko

Since 2015, Le Petit Festival Hanko has brought Finnish and international performing and visual arts to the southernmost city of Finland. In August, the festival transforms this idyllic seaside town into a stage where theatre, dance, music, performance, visual arts and creative encounters come together. Artists from Finland, across Europe and around the world gather with local audiences to celebrate culture, friendship and the joy of being together.

This page serves as the home of Le Petit Festival Hanko and archives its history year by year. Each edition tells its own story through performances, exhibitions, workshops and special events. Explore the festival’s journey and see how a friendship and an international cultural initiative has grown into a beloved annual tradition that continues to enrich the cultural life of Hanko.

Welcome to Le Petit Festival Hanko, 20-23 August 2026

When we organised the very first festival in 2015, we hoped to create something truly special in Hanko. We dreamed of a place where people could meet through art, music and shared experiences. Looking back today, I feel deep gratitude for the extraordinary journey we have taken together. It has required both faith and perseverance.

Over the years, we have had the privilege of welcoming talented artists, directors, dancers, musicians and performers from many countries. They have brought their creativity, stories and traditions, and together we have created unforgettable moments for both local audiences and visitors from Finland and abroad.

Each festival has given rise to new friendships, inspiring conversations and warm memories. Historic buildings, parks, beaches and streets have been transformed into stages where audiences have laughed, reflected, celebrated and danced together. What began as a vision continues today as a beloved annual tradition within the cultural life of the city.

None of this would be possible without the dedication of artists, audiences, volunteers, partners and supporters. My heartfelt thanks to you all. I hope the festival can continue to offer even more opportunities for artists and unforgettable experiences for audiences.

Whether you have been with us from the beginning or are discovering Le Petit Festival Hanko for the first time, you are warmly welcome. I invite you to explore our festival archive and the journey we have shared over the years.

And if you are planning to join us this year, welcome to Le Petit Festival Hanko 2026 – a place of art, culture and magical encounters on the southern coast of Finland.

Vive L’Amour.
Mi Grönlund

Mi Aleksandra Grönlund

Mi Grönlund is a Finnish artist, researcher, cultural producer, and the founder and artistic director of Le Petit Festival Hanko.

She graduated from the Theatre Academy Helsinki in 2003 and worked as a full-time actor at the Finnish National Theatre. Theatre remains the foundation of her artistic thinking – a living space where presence, imagination and humanity meet.

Since 2014, she has worked as a freelancer across multiple roles in the arts and cultural sector, producing international cultural projects, performing, directing, facilitating, planning and building new collaborations both nationally and internationally.

The idea for Le Petit Festival was born in Dubrovnik, Croatia, where encounters with artists from around the world and the city’s cultural landscape inspired a vision of a festival built on friendship and dialogue. In Dubrovnik, the festival’s founding spirit is Vinko Prizmic.

The festival was established in Hanko in 2015 and has since grown into a unique cultural event.

Since 2025, she has been a doctoral researcher at the University of Jyväskylä. Her research focuses on artistic autonomy and artistic processes and thinking.

Her work is guided by empathy, justice, storytelling, humanity and respect for nature.
Art transcends language and borders, opening spaces for encounter and shared humanity. This is the core of Le Petit Festival.

“Every meaningful encounter can change the direction of a life.”
— Mi Grönlund

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