The small stage with 318 seats brings the theatre experience close to the audience. The atmospheric and stylish small stage has top-notch stage technology, sound and lighting systems.
Operations in the current theatre building on the shore of Eläintarhanlahti Bay began in the autumn of 1967. Helsinki City Theatre has two predecessors whose history is colourful and a significant part of Finnish theatre history. The roots of the oldest basic part go back to the beginning of the last century. The official founding year of the Helsinki Workers’ Theatre is 1902 and that of the Helsinki People’s Theatre is 1933. These two merged into the Helsinki People’s Theatre and Workers’ Theatre in 1948. At this point, having their own workspace was only a distant dream. The most important venues were the Koitto Stage, the Vallila Stage and the Old Student House. The City Theatre became the successor of the People’s Theatre-Workers’ Theatre in 1965, when the Helsinki Theatre Foundation was founded.
At the same time, a decision had been made to build a theatre building. The winner of the announced design competition was the young architect Timo Penttilä, who is now internationally acclaimed. The developer was the City of Helsinki, and the building was handed over to the Theatre Foundation in September 1967.
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There is a free cloakroom on the small stage.
The doors to the theatre open 1 hour before the start of the performance.
Virtual panorama of the small stage
