ABOUT TAMPERE & FIIF
Tampere is the second-largest urban area and third most-populous individual municipality in Finland.
Wedged between two lakes, Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi and the rapids running trought the city linking the lakes, Tampere has been an important industrial city in the history of Finland.
Nowadays Tampere is known throughout Finland for two things: Mustamakkara (Blood Sausage), and it’s lively Theatre Culture.
With over 10 professional and amateur theatre companies, and dozens of Professional and Independent improv teams, it was an easy choice for the Finland International Improv Festival!
Tampere is easy to get to! You can fly into the Tampere Airport, or Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, which has a train to Tampere that leaves from inside the terminal! And if that wasn’t enough, downtown Helsinki is less than 2 hours away by train. Tampere is also reachable by bus, you can find schedules and pre-purchase tickets at Matkahuolto.
If you arriving to Tampere with a car, remember that you have to pay for parking pretty much everywhere in the center during daytime. You can pay for parking with apps like EasyPark or use the payment terminals located in the streets.
For more information about Tampere, check out Visit Tampere!
#VisitTampere
#YesFinland
Images by VisitTampere / Laura Vanzo
THINGS TO SEE & DO
DONUT TOWER
(Pyynikki Observation Tower)
Näkötornintie 67
The Pyynikki observation tower lies on top of the world’s largest eskar (a ridge of sand and gravel, an important feature of Finnish geography.
This one is over 150 meters high! The tower comes with an accompanying café (open every day 9-20), sporting the greatest “munkki” (Finnish style traditional donuts) in town.
If you are there to see the sights, the fee to go up the tower is a mere 2€, and provides a grand view of the city.
BIG (FOR FINLAND) CHURCH
Tuomiokirkonkatu
The Tampere Cathedral is a beautiful stone church; it might look a bit on the small side as far as cathedrals go, but it has a powerful symbolic value to Finnish culture and history. The cathedral represents Finnish National Romantic architecture and you should definitely check out the frescoes inside. These frescoes, painted by finnish painter Hugo Simberg, attracted a lot of negative attention at the time of their creation, since they were not considered appropriate for a cathedral. Go and see for yourself the chilling beauty of “The Garden of Death”!
DUCK PARK
Sorsapuisto (The Duck Park, with a cute little pond) is located close to the hostel where you can go to practice, relax, play frisbee, meet with a cute person, etc.
THE MORDOR INN
Ratapihankatu 43
Want to have an overview of the town? In addition to the view from Pyynikin Näkötorni, we also have Hotelli Torni, very close to the hostel, which is nicely equipped with a Sky Bar! And the whole thing looks like the little cousin of the Eye of Mordor.
No entrance fee, just get in, get up and enjoy the view!
REAL PUBLIC SAUNA
Pispalan valtatie 9
The oldest public sauna in Finland. The sauna started its operation in 1906 and is located in Pispalan Valtatie 9, 33250 Tampere.
If you want a calm, historical sauna experience to have something to compare the FiiF Sauna party to, this is a place to go for sure.
"NÄSTY PARK"
Näsijärvenkatu
In Näsinpuisto, you get a beautiful sunset over the lake Näsijärvi while enjoying the sight of boats, trains and Särkänniemi amusement park with the majestic Näsinneula Tower in the background.
FARMER'S MARKET
Hämeenkatu 19
Tampere Market Hall is the biggest market hall in the Nordic countries. A place with charm and vibes from the old days. With lots of shops, cafes, and restaruants, you can go there for a snack or just browse around and peoplewatch.
BLACK SAUSAGE
The Pride of Tampere
You usually eat it with lingonberry jam. Black sausage is in the Market Hall, Sokos, and the market squares Laukontori and Tammelantori.
BOARD GAME CAFE
Lautapelikahvila Taverna
Rautatienkatu 10
A wide variery of board games (also in English), good food, helpfull staff and a nice atmosphere. Also beer.
THE TRAM
BIRD LIBRARY
Pirkankatu 2
Tampere’s Main library is Metso. It’s a huge library that is shaped like a bird. Inside you’ll find books and computers and people using those to better themselves.
ANOTHER MALL
Vuolteenkatu 1
Tampere’s newest mall! It’s right next to the old mall, which is about 500m away from the older mall. But still. Exciting!
FiiF is a Production of Finland Improv Ry. and YesFinland
A Brief History of FiiF From Founder and Festival Director Trent Pancy
Finland has a wonderful improv scene. With over 30 improv teams throughout the country, based in the biggest Finnish cities to the smallest Finnish towns, improv is alive and well in Finland. But I’ve always felt that one thing is missing: a sense of community among Finnish improvisers. So in 2011 I sat down and wrote this:
I love improv. I love performing it. I love teaching it. And I especially love watching it! That’s part of the reason that I co-founded Finland’s first exclusively English Language Improv Team, JadaJada! But I soon discovered that this wasn’t enough. I wanted more. I knew there must be a way to incorporate all of these things together… but how? And then it came to me, as clearly as getting “Sauna” as a suggestion for a location from a Finnish audience: Produce An Improv Festival!
In all of my training and performing in the US, I was fortunate enough to attend a number of Improv Festivals before moving to Finland. What I loved about these festivals is the combination of Performance, Workshops, and just having fun with strangers from around the country. So, why couldn’t we do something like that here in Tampere?
After talking it over with the other folks at JadaJada, we decided to go for it. And thus, FiiF was born!
FiiFs of Yesteryears
FiiF2018

TEAMS
Multiplayer (FIN)
Jinx (ROM)
Paraphrase (SWE)
The Fraltons (FRA)
Werewolves the Improv Show (BEL/NED)
Mona and Shara Do Improv (USA)
The Ferocious Four (NED)
JadaJada Improv (FIN)
Inspired (AUS)
Parallelogramophonograph (USA)
Mugshot (GER)
Imp (FIN)
Pat & Misch Break Up (USA)
INSTRUCTORS
Kareem Badr (USA)
Kaci Beeler (USA)
Roy Janik (USA)
Nick Byrne (AUS)
Laura Doorneweerd (NED)
Kiki Hohnen (NED)
Morgan Mansouri (FRA)
Trent Pancy (FI/USA)
Martina Pavone (TUR)
Tom Tollenaere (BEL)
FiiF2017

TEAMS
Jill Bernard (USA)
Joe Bill (USA)
Katy Schutte (UK)
Patti Stiles (AUS)
Keng-Sam Chane Chick Te (Reunion Island)
Mike Descoteaux (USA)
Chris Mead (UK)
Daniel Orrantia (Columbia)
Liz Peters (UK)
Trent Pancy (USA)
INSTRUCTORS
Foxy Freestule (GER)
Phil Lunn (UK)
Impro Infini (FRA)
SCRAM (USA)
Lentävä Poro (FIN)
Bake This (GER)
Dizzy (NED)
Drum Machine (USA)
Our Play (AUS-USA)
Snorkkeli (FIN)
The Mentors
(Columbia-Reunion Island)
Bafni (CZE)
The Aunts (ISR)
The Maydays (UK)
JadaJada Improv (FIN)
FiiF2016

TEAMS
B-Teatro (ITA)
FGKH (GER)
Good Luck, Barbara (GER)
JadaJada Improv (FIN)
La Carpe Haute (FRA)
Laura & Sven (NED)
The Rebranding (ENG)
RIOT (BEL)
WilmaMia (DEN)
INSTRUCTORS
Franck Buzz (FRA)
Hila Di Castro (ISR)
Laura Doorneweerd (NED)
Jim Libby (USA/AUT)
Feña Ortalli (ARG)
Trent Pancy (USA/FIN)
Mico Pugliares (ITA)
FiiF2015

TEAMS
The Andrews Sisters (NYC, USA)
Barcelona Improv Group (Barcelona, Spain)
Bus Kai (Athens, Greece)
La Carpe Haute (Strasbourg, France)
Improkracja (Wrocław, Poland)
Impromask Italiana (Bologna, Italy)
JadaJada Improv (Tampere, Finland)
Paradigm (Canada & USA)
The Rebranding (London, England)
Ten Thousand Million Love Stories (London, England)
INSTRUCTORS
Joe Bill (USA)
Paolo Busi (ITA)
Christian Capozzoli (USA)
Inbal Lori (ISR)
Senja Meriläinen (FIN)
Trent Pancy (USA)
Heather Urquhart & Joe Samuel (ENG)
Lee White (CAN)
FiiF2014

TEAMS
5 Dita Nella Presa (Bologna, Italy)
C3467X (London, UK)
El Club de la Impro (Spain)
E621 (The Netherlands)
Improkraatia (Estonia)
J to the Max (Sweden)
JadaJada Improv (Tampere, Finland)
Teatribú (Milano, Italy)
INSTRUCTORS
Sacha Hoedemacher (NED)
Will Luera (USA)
Órla Mc Govern (IRE)
Kevin Miller (USA)
Peter Nordstrand (SWE)
Trent Pancy (USA)
Simone Tani (ITA)
FiiF2013

TEAMS
Belgische Improvisatie Liga (Belgium)
Improgrupp Jaa! (Estonia)
JadaJada Improv (Tampere, Finland)
Improvisaatioteatteri Joo! (Jyväskylä, Finland)
Lamabati (Israel)
4Fun! (Latvia)
Eki Paki (Slovenia)
easylaughs (The Netherlands)
Zarzamora! (Texas, USA)
INSTRUCTORS
Nadine Antler (Germany)
Jstar (Atlanta, USA)
Senja Merilainen (Finland)
Ryan Millar (Canada/UK)
Trent Pancy (USA/Finland)
Sam Super (USA/The Netherlands)
Rod Ben Zeev (USA/The Netherlands/Israel)
FiiF2012

TEAMS
Improgrupp Jaa (Estonia)
JadaJada Improv (Tampere, Finland)
Iloinen Mursu (Tampere, Finland)
Perun Perunat (Jyväskylä, Finland)
Snatch Comedy (Ireland)
LamaAlpaka (Israel)
Frei.Wild (Germany)
Arrogantjes & Friends (The Netherlands)
INSTRUCTORS
Anja Boorsma (The Netherlands)
Jeannie Cahill (Chicago, USA)
Jeff Griggs (Chicago, USA)
Senja Merilainen (Finland)
Trent Pancy (USA/Finland)
Simo Routarinne (Finland)
Jani Turku (Finland)
Rod Ben Zeev (USA/The Netherlands/Israel)