National Veterans Day will be celebrated on April 27th at the Riihimäki Central Church.

The National Veterans Day celebration will be held in Riihimäki on Monday, April 27, 2026 at 13 p.m. at the Central Church (Hämeenkatu 5). Before the celebration, coffee will be served to the guests starting at 12 p.m. at the Kirkkopuisto parish house (Kirkkopolku 2).

The celebration is open to all and free of charge. The warm and dignified event will feature greetings and musical performances. The aim of the event is to pass on the legacy of veterans to future generations, so the city's ninth-graders have been invited as guests of honor, and the performers at the celebration will include children and young people. National Veterans Day is celebrated in honor of Finland's war veterans and in memory of the end of the war and the beginning of peace.

This year, the ceremonial speaker will be Field Sergeant Markus Korpela from the General Staff and the city's greeting will be delivered by the City Council Chair Miia Nahkuri. The garrison's greeting will be delivered by Lieutenant Colonel Kai Känä from the Armoured Brigade and the youth greeting will be delivered by Emma Ekdahl. The music will be provided by students from the music-focused classes at Eteläinen School, Sabina Mäkinen and Lotta Skog. At the end of the ceremony, a Veterans Day wreath will be sent to the Heroes' Grave led by Pastor Teemu Saarinen and upper secondary school students.

The event is being organized in collaboration with the City of Riihimäki, Riihimäki Parish, Hattula-Riihimäki Garrison, and local veterans and national defense organizations.

The main national celebration of National Veterans Day will be held in Mikkeli this year. The theme of the celebration is Looking Forward Together. The theme calls for action together: to remember, understand and build. In 1986, the Government designated April 27 as National Veterans Day and a general flag-raising day at the initiative of veterans' organizations.

City Patriotic Celebrations website