Strength from our roots – the 2026 theme year is underway

The 2026 annual theme for folk music and folk dance:

Juurista voimaa | Kraft ur rötterna | Strength from our roots

The theme for 2026 invites us to return to our own roots – to explore where we come from and what our own tradition can give us. Each of us has a story that begins with roots: the soil of our home region, family stories, and the tunes and dances of our community.

Where do your roots grow from? What traditions have been part of your journey – what songs, dances or stories were once told and played in your own home area, or in that of your parents or grandparents? Look for recorded tunes, stories and memories, or talk to locals and relatives: what do they remember from their own youth? Think about how these traditions could be brought back to life and passed on to future generations – as a shared experience, a tune, a dance, a celebration or an encounter.

In a turbulent, changing world, returning to your own roots grounds and steadies you. Roots are a resource – a place to hold on to and push forward from, even when life physically takes you elsewhere.

Our roots are valuable, wherever they are. And even if the roots have been severed, the connection to them can always be found again – in memories, music, language, landscape or community.

Everyone's story matters. Everyone's roots carry strength.

The annual theme is chosen by Kansanmusiikin ja Kansantanssin Edistämiskeskus (KEK, the Folk Music and Folk Dance Promotion Centre).

More information: Annual themes – Kansanmusiikin ja Kansantanssin Edistämiskeskus