THE second longest running off-Broadway musical, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, which has been pleasing audiences worldwide for many years, is coming to Helsinki. Boasting the tagline of ‘Everything you have ever secretly thought about dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives and in-laws, but were afraid to admit’, it explores themes that we are all familiar with.

“At first glance it’s just a satire about male-female relationships but, at its very core, it is about people trying to connect,” director Nihan Tanışer comments. “I think this is the reason the audience can relate to it so easily.”

HANG on to your trumpets and get ready for yet another explosive celebration of jazz this March, as one of Finland’s oldest international jazz festivals, Turku Jazz, glides into its 44th year. The hub of Finland’s youth culture in the late ‘60s, and during a time of strong rhythmic jazz vibes, Turku gave birth to this long standing institution that has had jazz artists and enthusiasts gathering from all over the world ever since, and from here has seen the formation of the Turku Jazz Society in 1970. Ever growing in prestige and stature, the festival has witnessed many stylistic changes and developments within its music genre, and promises yet another trendy and eclectic offering in 2013.

HAVING promoted the enjoyment of ethnically diverse music in Helsinki since 1988, Etnosoi! is celebrating its 25th jubilee this year from 6 to 24 November. Organised since 1989 by the Global Music Centre, the festival continues to shine a light on a variety of cultures on the Finnish stage that might not otherwise be left unexplored and unexposed here.

Focusing on Helsinki, yet offering some events also in Tampere, Etnosoi! offers its audience the opportunity to travel around the globe, sampling a variety of breathtaking sights and sounds from places such as India, Iran, Crete and Tuva.

Skyfall

When isn’t a perfect time for a new James Bond flick? Especially one with Daniel Craig! Hoping to erase the memory of the relentless brutality of Quantum of Solace, here Craig finds himself a new adversary in Javier Bardem, the latest in a long line of bad guys to go head-to-head with 007. With Bond missing and presumed dead, the identities of every active undercover MI6 agent are leaked onto the internet, bringing into question the honesty of M. With director Sam Mendes at the helm, this latest effort promises a return to form, with positive press accolades already quickly mounting.

Premieres 26 October

ONCE upon a time Finland’s rich oral tradition served as a primary source of entertainment and edification among the people here. Not so today, as the global storytelling revival seems to have sidestepped this country. “The storytelling scene in Finland is still taking baby steps,” according to professional storyteller Markus Luukkonen.