Helsinki’s nightlife has changed significantly over the past decades. Previously vibrant districts such as Punavuori and Kallio have lost their status as live music hubs. Giacomo Bottà, a visiting researcher at the University of the Arts Helsinki, has studied the reasons behind this shift and links it to broader economic and urban planning processes.
The German term Clubsterben, meaning "death of clubs," emerged in the early 2010s to describe the disappearance of live music venues from city centres.
This trend has been widely observed in the United Kingdom as well. Vibrant nightlife in with packed dancefloors, roulette or blackjack tables in night clubs, taxi queues after hours and the next day hangover all seem like a faint memory from the past. Explanations have included the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns, gentrification, and the increasing prioritisation of tourism in urban spaces.
Bottà argues that nightlife’s vulnerability must be understood through the lens of new economic structures. “Music and nightlife are resources, extracted and exploited without concern for the fragile ecosystems built around them,” he states.
Punavuori became the centre of Helsinki’s nightlife from the 1990s onwards. Originally a working-class district with small and inexpensive apartments, the area attracted young residents interested in urban life. Iso Roobertinkatu, one of its main streets, developed into a lively hub with numerous clubs and bars.
After 2013, the area began to lose its nightlife businesses. A similar shift occurred in the city centre, where three major music venues closed down in 2020 within just a few months. Many of the vacated properties were taken over by hotel chains and co-working spaces. Property investors initially benefitted from the vibrant nightlife but later increased rents, pushing out the very businesses and residents that had made the area attractive. Wealthier residents then complained about noise, leading to further restrictions. Bottà likens this process to the exploitation of natural resources: value is extracted, then the area is left empty.
A similar transformation has taken place in Kallio since the late 2000s. Historically a working-class neighbourhood with many affordable flats, Kallio became a hub for live music and club culture. The district was long associated with lower-income residents and issues such as drug-related crime. However, new residential developments in nearby areas, such as Kalasatama and Konepaja, have driven up rents and altered the district’s social composition. Bottà predicts that Kallio will follow the same path as Punavuori.
As commercial clubs have disappeared, underground music culture has responded by organising events in occupied buildings, urban parks, and other outdoor spaces. Electronic music gatherings, in particular, have gained popularity, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Bottà, these events emerged as a reaction to the mainstreaming of techno clubs. In the summer of 2020, open-air raves were held across Europe, from London and Berlin to Vilnius and Madrid.
Unlike commercial clubs, underground parties operate outside of market-driven principles. They emphasise spontaneity and DIY organisation. Bottà believes such models could help counter the influence of large corporate players in nightlife.
The study suggests that underground nightlife plays a key role in developing alternative and sustainable cultural practices. Bottà stresses that these models should be recognised and supported, but lasting solutions require broader structural changes. “Without systemic reform, nightlife will continue to suffer,” he states. He argues that urban planning measures alone are insufficient and that cities must address the economic forces driving nightlife’s decline.
HT
