Welcome to the main summer event in Närpes - wonderful days filled with exciting experiences for all ages.
This summer Tomatkarnevalen will be held 1-4 July 2026
Open Call 2026
We are accepting applications for the upcoming Tomatkarnevalen "Tomato Carnival" summer 2026. Are you an artist, band, association, group or company wishing to perform or arrange some kind of appearance or entertainment at the Carnival? Then you should fill out our Open Call-application! The closing date for applications is the 1st of March 2026.
Get to know the event
Do you want to participate?
Read MoreThe planning of the carnival is a major task and every year the organisers get a lot of requests from people who want to participate. In order to facilitate planning and to provide a level playing field for everyone who wants to join in, we have created an open application procedure. Read more about current application periods here.
Market sales spots and food stands
The application for market and food vendors is available 12.2-31.3.2025. The applications can be filled in and found on this page when the application is running. Filling in the application does not automatically guarantee a spot. We will let all applicants know the outcome during the month of April. The fair and food sales will take place on Friday 4 July at 4-10 p.m. and Saturday 5 July 9 a.m.-17 p.m.
Program
The program items are selected through the Open Call application, which runs during January and February. Performers, bands, artists, associations, groups and companies can apply to perform or arrange a programme item during the event. The day programme is arranged on several stages. In 2025 there are the following stages: the big main stage, the small stage on the town square, the stage in the town park and the Frans Henrikson Hall in the Mittistan building. A selected group reads through the applications and chooses a limited number of program items consisting of varying art forms and styles to create as versatile and interesting program for all visitors. We will let all applicants know the outcome by the beginning of April at the latest.
Other program in connection with Tomatkarnevalen
Local actors who organise their own program in addition to the official program are encouraged to let us know about it. The program should be related to Tomatkarnevalen, for example a sports match, exhibition, performance or some other kind of event. Please notify us no later than 30 April 2025 so we can possibly include your program item in the official Tomatkarnevalen program, and the organizers can take your program into account when planning the event as a whole.
Participation in Activity Day
On Wednesday 2 July during the carnival week, an activity day is arranged. During the day, associations and groups can showcase their activities by offering various activities for visitors. Associations and groups that only want to participate in the activity day do not need to apply using the open call procedure. Information on registration etc. for the activity day will be posted during the spring 2025.
Did you not find an answer in these categories? Do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail: tomatkarnevalen@narpes.fi.
Getting there
Read MorePeople come to Tomatkarnevalen from all over the world. In this section we have listed the easiest ways to get to Närpes.
By car
By car you have to drive about 80 kilometres south from Vaasa and about 115 kilometres north if you are in Pori. Highway 8 goes through Närpes. The town centre and event are are just 7 km from the main road.
By airplane
You can land in Vaasa, Seinäjoki or Pori. From there you can travel to Närpes by bus or car.
By bus
You can easily get to Närpes by bus. There are several departures for Närpes every day. The easiest way to get an overview of all deparures is to check the timetables on the Matkahuolto website.
By boat / ferry
The nearest ferry between Närpes and Sweden runs between Vaasa and Umeå. From Vaasa you can continue to Närpes by car or bus.
.. And once you have arrived, you should explore Närpes! It is easy to forget that Närpes is very vast with a total of 970 square kilometres in area and with a coastline that stretches about 700 kilometres. Read more about everything you can do in Närpes under the tab Activities and attractions.
Briefly about the event
Read MoreIn this section we have attempted to briefly sum up the program and structure of the Tomatkarnevalen event so that you know what to expect if you have never participated before.
The event consists of program arranged on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the center of Närpes.
An activity day for associations is arranged on Wednesday. The main idea of the day is to give associations an opportunity to present their activities and people can try out an activity in practice. In 2024, you could try activities such as hobby horsing, graffiti painting and orientation. The event will be arranged in the evening.
On Thursday we usually arrange a light-hearted contest called Tomatolympiaden. In this event local associations and companies compete for the winning title by completing various playful challenges and solving riddles. The winner in the summer of 2024 was Kraft Hockey. The contest will be arranged in the evening.
On Friday and Saturday there is a lot happening on the main stage with performaces from artists and groups. A traditional feature is Närpes School Brass Band. Over the years artists such as Sofie Lundell, KAJ, Lasse Eriksson, Philip Järvenpää and Krista Siegfrids have performed during Tomatkarnevalen. In the area there will also be market sales, food stands, a beer tent and evening parties arranged by the Tomatkarnevalen Entertainment and various other program items organised by locals. On Saturday a Pride parade is also arranged.
On Friday and Saturday program is arranged both in daytime and in the evening.
Tomatkarnevalen was arranged for the first time in Närpes on August 1, 1982. Over the years, the event has developed regarding both organizers and program. If you are interested in learning more about the history of the event, read more under the section History.
Frequently Asked Questions
Read MoreDo you have questions concerning the event? Here we have gathered answers to the most common questions we get.
Reservations
It is not possible to reserve seats for the free day programme. Make sure to be there in time to get the seat you want!
Chairs with backrests are available at the main stage and there is a separate reserved area for wheelchair users.
The park has benches, which do not have backrests. The park does not have a specific area reserved for wheelchair users but it is possible to place oneself next to the benches. Please note that the ground in the park consists of grass.
First aid
The first aid station (sickbay) is located at the Tourist Information on the town square.
Entry fees
The daytime programme arranged by the municipality of Närpes is free of charge for everybody.
Age limit
The daytime programme arranged by municipality of Närpes has no specific age limit.
Printed programme
You can fetch the program in paper format at the Tourist Information and in the Mittistan building. The printed programme also contains a map with locations of the programme items.
Lost property
During the event, findables are taken to the Tourist Information on the town square. After the event, all found property is taken to Närpes town hall (Kyrkvägen 2, 64200 Närpes).
Closed roads
Närpesvägen will be partially closed to traffic on Friday 4 July at 8:00 a.m. and stay closed overnight until Saturday. The road will be reopened no earlier than 6 p.m. on Saturday. There will be a detour through the city centre via Parkvägen and Åvägen.
Did you not find an answer to your question? Do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail: tomatkarnevalen@narpes.fi.
Contact
You can get in touch with us by e-mail: tomatkarnevalen@narpes.fi.