Finland has invited 16 single people from around the world to take part in blind group dinner date with Finnish singles as part of a campaign to showcase its food, culture and tourism.
The initiative, named “Finnish Dinner Date,” will take selected participants on a four-day culinary experience in Helsinki and Tampere between February 9 and 19, 2027.
The tourism agency said in a statement on October 20 that the initiative would combine Finnish food experiences with opportunities for international visitors to connect with local singles.
The agency said eight participants would be selected for each of the two dinner experiences, where they would share specially prepared tasting menus featuring traditional Finnish dishes.
It said the Helsinki menu would be prepared by Adele Kinnunen, head chef at Café Savoy, while Henry Tikkanen, a Finnish restaurateur and former Chef of the Year, would prepare the menu in the Lakeland region.
Senior director of international marketing at Business Finland, Heli Jimenez, said the initiative was crafted to introduce international visitors to Finnish food traditions and encourage connections through shared dining experiences.
The campaign was inspired by Finland’s viral “Sinkkukori” phenomenon, in which pink shopping baskets are used by single people to indicate their interest in meeting potential partners while shopping.
Interested applicants must submit an English-language video explaining what they would serve on a dinner date and why, and post it on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube using the hashtag #FinnishDinnerDate.
Applicants must also complete an online application form and include a link to their video. Those unwilling to make their videos public can upload them to YouTube as unlisted videos.
Visit Finland said applications would close on November 10, 2026, at 11:59 a.m. Finnish time, while selected participants would be announced on December 1 through its social media platforms.
The agency said the campaign was also aimed at introducing visitors to Finnish cuisine, which is largely based on locally sourced fish, game, berries, mushrooms and other seasonal ingredients.
