Calendar / Midnight Sun Film Festival
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Film Festivals in Sodankyla
Midnight Sun Film Festival
Jun 9–13, 2027ExpectedMidnight Sun Film Festival 2027
Run by Sodankyla Film Festival Association, with published dates and a real program.
Dates & details verified against: Official event site ↗
Why go
The Midnight Sun Film Festival is the most singular film festival in the world, and Sodankyla, a small Lapland village well north of the Arctic Circle, is the whole point. Founded in 1986 by the directors Aki and Mika Kaurismaki with the film historian Peter von Bagh, it screens films non-stop, around the clock, through five June days when the sun never sets, in tents and halls a short walk apart. The programme is a deliberately eclectic mix of silent classics with live music, world cinema, new Finnish films and retrospectives chosen by the guest directors, who appear in famously relaxed morning discussions. There are no red carpets and no market, just films and film-makers in a friendly northern village where the light never fails and the mood is closer to a summer gathering than an industry event. The 41st edition runs 10 to 14 June 2026. For anyone who loves cinema, watching a restored classic at three in the morning in full daylight is unforgettable.
When it runs
Held annually over five days in mid-June, when the sun does not set, in Sodankyla in Finnish Lapland. Founded in 1986 by Aki and Mika Kaurismaki and Peter von Bagh and run by the Sodankyla Film Festival Association, with films screened around the clock. Upcoming: 41st edition 10 to 14 June 2026; the 2027 edition is expected in mid-June and confirmed by the organiser nearer the time.
- Jun 9–13, 2027ExpectedMidnight Sun Film Festival 2027
- Ran Jun 10–14, 2026Midnight Sun Film Festival 2026 (41st edition)
Dates read confirmed where the organizer has published them, and expected where we've projected the recurrence. Always verify with the organizer before booking.
What to expect
The festival is held over five days in mid-June, when Sodankyla has 24-hour daylight; the 2026 edition runs 10 to 14 June. Screenings run through the night, so the trick is pacing sleep against the light and the schedule. It is a small event in a small place, so passes, screenings and the limited local accommodation sell and fill early. June in Lapland is mild but mosquito season, so pack repellent along with a layer for cool nights.
Getting there & around
Sodankyla is in central Finnish Lapland, about 130 kilometres north of Rovaniemi and roughly an hour and a half by road. Most festival-goers fly to Rovaniemi and drive or take a bus north, or continue to Kittila; there are shuttle and bus links in festival week. The village and its screening venues are small and walkable. Accommodation is limited and books out for the festival, so many visitors camp or stay in nearby villages, and cabins should be reserved well ahead.
Where it happens
Sodankyla, Finland.
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