Does the idea of an illuminating light show accompanied by live performance excite you? Good news! We have something like that in Tampere every year. The Valoviikot (Light Weeks) is a light festival that happens every year in the heart of Tampere, with thousands of people attending every year. This event lasts for months, attracting people of all ages.
My name is Zhiyuan, I was born in a small city in China and have lived in the Philippines for the past 7 years. Tampere is brand new to me, I am only here for 3 months, and I can’t wait to explore the entire Tampere!
Personally, I have never experienced a light show like this. I was in awe when the light synced up with the music, as the singers sang “We are the World”. The crowd was unbelievably enthusiastic, as everyone lit up their camera flash lights, swinging to the direction of the rhythm. It was surreal experiencing it for the first time. My friends and I aren’t singers, but we got so influenced by the surroundings, we even started singing with the crowd.
There were an entire spectrum of lights in the show, and as a software engineer, I was fascinated by the programming of the lights. The technology behind this seems intriguing. Seeing the lights and the water flow executed flawlessly, “I couldn’t help but imagine the hard work behind this beautiful show. On top of that, there were even flamethrowers from the behind. Everytime the beat drops, the flame gets blasted to the sky, brightening up the city. I stood from the opposite side of the flame, but I could still feel the warmth right in my face.
It was very fun for me personally to visit the show, not only for the show itself, but the interactions I had with my friends. This was a great addition for student life, as it is completely free to participate. ‘
There were thousands of people who thought the same. I have to be honest, I’ve never seen this many people at once in Finland. This event is definitely something huge for the Tampere locals. Big families with their dogs, couples, and other students all decided to participate in this show. If you like seeing people enjoying themselves, then this event is definitely for you! Otherwise, no worries, there are thousands of lakes with no one around, without the cool light display though.
In the same week, the lights on the street of Hämeenkatu have also lit up, since the nights are getting longer, the lights around the city really light up the atmosphere.
Surprisingly, the city center is as busy as before, even if the temperature gets colder week by week. The colorful ambience of the city really makes me feel like I am having a beautiful dream, I can not wait to explore the city during christmas, apparently there will be something huge during that time! Stay tuned 🙂
Note: I have captured some photos, and posted a picture and a video as the highlight of the event on TAMK’s instagram. Here is the photo.
Zhiyuan (call him z1!) is a first-year Software Engineering Bachelor student at TAMK. He was born in China, but he spent the past 7 years of his life in the Philippines. He loves to play the violin and has a great interest in programming and computers. He enjoys eating tasty food with friends, and eating in the TAMK canteen with a group of friends is the highlight of his days.
