A trip to Finland in the dead of winter? Perhaps, this time, for someone it could start with a recipe and end with a blind date. It is called Finnish Dinner Date, the initiative through which Visit Finland offers 16 singles from around the world a four-day vacation, with travel expenses covered.
To apply, you only need to start from one question: what dish would you serve on a first date and why? The chosen participants will only learn then whether they will pack for Helsinki or for Tampere. In both cities, travelers will be greeted by a group dinner with two Finnish singles, and who knows, between one course and another the spark might fly.
How the Free Trip to Finland for Singles Works
The two stays will take place between February 9 and 19, 2027. Eight participants will go to Helsinki, the other eight to Tampere, in the Lakeland region. Each group will spend four days in the assigned destination, with a program of activities and shared meals. The most awaited moment will be the group dinner, during which the region’s official tasting menu will be sampled.
To build the menus, Visit Finland asked Finns to indicate the most representative dishes of their territory. The chefs then transformed those responses into four tasting routes, two of which will be served exactly on the occasion of the Finnish Dinner Date. At the same table will sit the participants who arrived from abroad and the two local guests, with the menu serving as the first topic of conversation.
The two cities tell the Finnish winter in different ways. In Helsinki, facing the Baltic, a stroll along the coastline can end in a cafe with a pulla, the cardamom-sweet that accompanies the coffee break. In the covered markets you’ll find other classics, from salmon soup to smoked fish. In Tampere the sea gives way to the lakes and among local specialties there is mustamakkara, a dark sausage eaten with red berry jam. The spark, in short, could also ignite from what lands on the plate.
How to Apply for the Finnish Dinner Date
Applications are individual and begin with an English-language video, but must be completed by November 10, 2026. The question is this: what would you serve for dinner on a date and why? It can be the dish you always prepare to impress, or a recipe that tells something about your home. The video must be published on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube with the hashtag #FinnishDinnerDate. The accounts to tag are @ourfinland on Instagram, @visitfinland.com on TikTok and @VisitFinland on YouTube.
On Instagram and TikTok the profile must be public, while on YouTube you can also choose the “Unlisted” option, which makes the video visible to those who have the link. After uploading it, you must enter the link into the application form on Visit Finland’s site and submit it as stated by Tuesday, November 10, 2026 at 10:59, Italian time. Subsequently, the selected individuals will be contacted directly. The public announcement is planned for December 1 on Visit Finland’s Instagram and TikTok channels.
