Due to rising environmental and technological noise, the world is a noisy place. According to a BBC article, noise is a public health crisis that has the potential to damage our health. Think: hearing loss, increased stress, diminished sleep, high blood pressure, and more. Wanting to provide an antidote to the onslaught of noise to which we’re often subjected, the Finnish municipality of Pyhtää is hosting a new kind of festival this fall as the inaugural Hiljaa Fest (“Quietly Fest”) is slated to take place October 10. Set in the Valkmusa National Park, this festival devoted to nature listening is a tribute to the region’s varied nature and soothing soundscapes. Instead of dazzling popstars and pedal-to-the-metal rock, this free festival will feature stars such as the black grouse, the wind, and the bog moss.
The Valkmusa National Park is approximately a 90-minute drive east from the Finnish capital of Helsinki. Valkmusa is a natural mire region, a wetland area made up of waterlogged soil and decayed plant matter. Although a rare occurrence in the southern parts of Finland, it is home to up to 40 different mire habitats. Valkmusa has paths covered with plank boardwalks, resting stops, and observation towers, making it easy for visitors to explore and enjoy.
“We wanted to place the spotlight on our beautiful national park,” says municipal director of Pyhtää Terhi Lindholm. “We believe in the Hiljaa Fest being our own little ‘Quietchella.’ It encourages visitors to stop, truly enjoy the silence, and take in the vast surrounding nature with all their senses. Valkmusa is an enchanting place to experience all year round, but especially in the fall as the foliage changes color and the leaves shine in a rich spectrum of shades.”
The World’s Quietest Festival
Silence is a luxury in our ever more hectic world. The sonic landscape of Valkmusa is a counterbalance to the noise, offering soothing silence that brings a sense of serenity.
“Valkmusa’s beauty can be found in its small details: how the wind whispers, how the moss faintly rustles, how the birds sing to you,” says Simo Peri, wilderness guide and creative director of Hiljaa Fest. “We have planned the first-ever Hiljaa Festival so that visitors get to tour the national park and really listen to the music nature creates. It is a festival trip designed to nurture one’s soul and one’s mind.”
Hiljaa Fest will star 13 performers that can be heard on four different natural stages. At least that is the hope—there is no rushing nature. “Some performers are guaranteed to be there, but some are a little more mercurial by nature, so it’s hard to predict if they’ll choose to appear,” says Peri. “But who knows? We might also have guest appearances from surprise performers we didn’t originally expect.”
The Hiljaa Festival, also known as Festival of Nature Listening, will open on Saturday, October 10, but won’t be limited to just a one-off show. After its opening day, the festival will continue throughout the fall season as an unguided experience. All Valkmusa visitors can explore the national park’s trails, sights, and soundscapes independently and at their chosen pace.
