This year’s National Parade on the Finnish Independence Day will be held in Pori
The Finnish Defence Forces will honour the 109th Independence Day of Finland on the 6th of December 2026 with a National Parade to be held in Pori. The theme of the parade is “For centuries at the head of national defence”. The review of troops will take place at Pori stadium, and the pass in review on Itsenäisyydenkatu street. The Finnish Defence Forces’ and other agencies’ equipment and activity will be available for familiarisation on the gravel field at Pori sports centre. The events are free of charge.
In Pori, the Independence Day ceremonies will start by a flag-raising ceremony at Raatihuone. The wreath-laying ceremony will be at the Memorial Cross of Keski-Pori Church, and the Lutheran Service at Keski-Pori Church. The Finnish Defence Forces’ and other agencies’ equipment and activity will be available for familiarisation on the gravel field at Pori sports centre.
The review of troops will start at Pori stadium at 12, and the parade troops will start aligning to position at the stadium from 11.30 onwards. It is advisable to be on site well on time for the event to see the flying display of an NH90 transport helicopter of the Utti Jaeger Regiment from 11.15 onwards.
The review of troops will be reviewed and the pass in review received by the Finnish Defence Forces’ DCOS Personnel, Lieutenant General Rami Saari. For the pass in review on the pass in review podium site on Itsenäisyydenkatu by Cygnaeuksenpuisto Park he will be accompanied by Pori City Council Chair, Mr Mikael Ropo and war veteran Heino Paavilainen. The parade’s guests of honour will be the Veterans and Lottas of our wars.
The parade troops will be commanded by DCOS OPS Finnish Army, Brigadier General Ari Laaksonen. The field devotional will be held in the review of troops by Senior Military Chaplain of the Pori Brigade, Rev. Risto Katila. The arrangements of the parade will be the responsibility of the Pori Brigade, and the music of The Navy Band. The parade will be moderated to the public by host and journalist Jone Nikula.
The parade will convene troops from the Army, Navy, Air Force, National Defence University, and the Finnish Border Guard, as well as from organisations of veterans and national defence associations, altogether up to about 1200 personnel in total.
The pass in review starting at 13.30 will include alongside dismounted troops about 58 vehicles of the Finnish Defence Forces and other agencies. The pass in review will also involve Military Working Dogs.
The fly-pasts of the pass in review will be the responsibility of Army helicopters and Air Force F/A-18 Hornet multirole fighters as well as Hawk jet trainers. The fly-pasts will cause aviation noise over the area of Pori.
The troops will start the pass in review at the start point at the junction of Itsenäisyydenkatu and Katariinankatu streets. The pass in review will advance on Itsenäisyydenkatu in the direction of the city centre.
Programme for the day
At 08.00 Flag-raising ceremony at Pori Old Town Hall
At 09.15 Wreath-laying ceremony at Memorial Cross of Keski-Pori Church
At 10.00 Lutheran Service at Keski-Pori Church
At 11.15 Flying display of an NH90 transport helicopter over Pori stadium
From 11.30 onwards, parade troops’ alignment to position for the review of troops at Pori stadium
At 12.00 Review of troops at Pori stadium
At 13.30 Pass in review on Itsenäisyydenkatu
At 09–16 Equipment display on the gravel field at Pori sports centre
Parade to affect overall traffic in Pori
The National Parade on the Independence Day of Finland will affect traffic and parking in Pori. Parade arrangements will start at parade venues, and parade troops and equipment will arrive in Pori from 4th of December onwards.
Parade preparations and equipment transfers will cause discontinuity in road use, and parking restrictions will apply along specific streets during 5th to 6th of December. More detailed information on traffic arrangements will be available from week 48 onwards.
The parade area is a no-flight zone, and drone operating remains strictly forbidden for sustained safety with the exception of statutory authority functions.
Follow the parade
The events are free of charge, and we warmly welcome the public to follow the events on the Independence Day. The public is asked to arrive by foot, and well in advance of the events on the Independence Day.
The National Parade can also be followed online, on the channels of the Finnish Defence Forces website, Facebook or Instagram.